Patchwork Placemats

Do you remember about a week or so ago, I told you that I had bought some cute Quilting fabric and that I wanted to make some placemats?  Well then I didn't have batting so I put it off, then finally got the batting but was so busy and had no time to sit down with my sewing maching.

 

Today, in between laundry, cooking, 7th grade math and 3rd Science labs, I pulled out my sewing machine and sat down for a few minutes here and there.



I think my sewing machine is one of my happy places, it's like a switch is flipped in me and I'm taken back many many years to my grandmother.  I see her, I hear her, I watch her hands threading a needle and I remember every single she ever taught me about sewing.  My grandma is a seamstress, she doesn't do much sewing anymore now that she's 87 years old but I can vividly remember sitting with her for many hours helping her sew, do alterations and even wedding dresses.  I ogled her sewing machines and serger machines and always told myself that one day, just one day I would get one for myself.



My sewing machine is old folks, I mean it's nothing special, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles, it doesn't have LCD screens or buttons that you touch and change to different stitches and it certainly doesn't embroider.  One day, maybe one day I'll get there, but for now, what I have works for me :)

Enough of the blabbing, let me show you what I've been doing today.  I only managed to finish 3 of the placemats, the last one will be done tomorrow.

I got the pattern online, it's a Susan Weinroth pattern and it was so simple to follow.   I won't write out the whole tutorial because it's not mine, but you can download the PDF file here.

These go together SO fast, from beginning to end it took me about 45 minutes to make one.  

After sewing all the front pieces together, it's time to get the back piece and the batting pinned for sewing.

 Turning it inside out......

After ironing the finished placemat, stitching along all the seams to create the quilted effect.

Two will get the simple blue ribbon on the pocket.....the other two will get this beautiful white lace, which will be for the girls.

I love the pocket for the utensils.  I'm hoping to make a few more of these for Christmas gifts and a couple other projects for around the house too :)

Again, if you want to the pattern, you can download it here. 

I have another Patchwork project in the works, hope to get to it tomorrow and will show you what it is then :)