Beginner's Guide To Quilting - UK (2020-04)

Patchwork

placemat

Transform your fabric offcuts

into a talking point for your

table! By Carolyn Forster

T

hese attractive placemats are a

great way to use up any odds

and ends of fabric you might

have left over from other projects. But

if you don’t have any scraps, or would

like to save time, then a pack of Moda’s

Mini Charms is perfect. Moda produce

a wide range of precut fabric shapes,

and the 2½x2½in squares of a Mini

Charm pack are ideal for smaller

projects, like this one.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1 Lay out the squares in six rows

of seven.

Step 2 S t i tc h e a c h row o f s q u a re s

together. Press the seams on each row

in alternate directions.

Step 3 Stitch the rows together. The

seams should knit together perfectly

due to the pressing. Press the seams of

the rows in one direction.

Step 4 Lay the wadding down flat and

place the backing fabric on top, with

right side up.

YOU WILL NEED

Materials

Q Basic quilting kit, see page 16

Q 42 fabric squares, 2½x2½in

(6.5x6.5cm), or one pack of

Moda Mini Charms

Q Wadding, 15x13in (38x33cm)

Q Backing fabric, 15x13in (38x33cm)

Q Embroidery or crewel needle

Q Cotton perle embroidery thread

no. 8 for quilting

Seam allowance

¼in (5mm)

Finished size

Q 11¼x13¼in (28.5x33.5cm)

Step 5 Centre the patchwork on top,

right side down.

Step 6 Stitch all the way round the

edge of the patchwork through all

three layers. Leave a gap of about 2in

(5cm) in the middle of one straight

side. Secure the threads.

Step 7 Trim the backing fabric to a

scant ¼in (5mm) and trim the wadding

close to the stitching line. Trim the

corners off at an angle to reduce

some of the bulk.

Step 8 Turn the quilt right side out and

slip stitch the opening closed. Roll the

edge of the quilt until it lies flat and

tack into place.

Step 9 Using your cotton perle

embroidery thread, quilt around the

outside of the quilt ¼in (5mm) from the

edge. Remove the tacking stitches.

Step 10 To secure the quilt layers, work

one cross stitch at each seam junction,

letting the needle and thread travel

through the wadding layer. Repeat all

steps until you have as many

placemats as you want.

Patchwork Made Easy

Beginner’s Guide to Quilting 43

Twenty To Make:

Jelly Roll Scraps

Tapping into

crafters’ love of

using every last

scrap of fabric,

Carolyn Forster’s

20 projects in

this pocket-size

book are designed to use

offcuts from Moda’s jelly roll

strips (although any small

leftovers will do). Projects

come in a range of sizes, from

vibrant bags to handy pin

cushions. Twenty to Make:

Jelly Roll Scraps is published

by S e a rc h P re s s , r r p £ 4 .9 9,

http://www.searchpress.com.

NEED A HAND?!

(^) How to slip stitch p59
(^) All about patchwork piecing p40
(^) All about buying fabric p13