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You are here: Home / Home Goods / Tutorial: Make A Fabric Place Mat

Tutorial: Make A Fabric Place Mat

February 16, 2010 by Jodi 6 Comments

A good beginner project, these place mats can be made with any woven fabric.  Buy something special (“Home Dec” weight works wonderfully), or recycle something from around the house (old clothes, sheets, table-cloth, etc).  If the fabric is light weight, you can sandwich “interfacing” or another fabric piece within your place mat to give it more heft.  Pre-wash your fabric if it is new to prevent shrinkage when the place mat washed.

These directions will make a place mat 18″ x 13″.

Here we go!

Cut out two pieces of pre-washed fabric 19″ x 14″.

2 Pieces of fabric right sides facing

Stack the pieces right sides facing.  Pin together.
If you want to add interfacing or other filler fabric, stack it ON TOP of the outer fabrics. Don’t worry, it will end up between them in the end.

Sew the pieces together 1/2″ from the outer edge.  Leave 4-5″ open for turning. Be sure to back-stitch at the beginning and end of seam.

sew seam, leave opening

Clip the four corners close to the seam, but not cutting the threads.

clip corners

Reach into the opening and pull the place mat through until it is right side out.
If you used a filler fabric or interfacing, this is where it ends up on the inside. Fun, eh?

pull throughright side out

Gently poke out the corners and press flat.

Poke out corners, press

Top stitch 1/4″ from edge around the entire perimeter of the mat. (Back stitch at end to secure.) This will close the opening and help the place mat keep shape.

top stitch

And you are done!

Filed Under: Home Goods, Tutorials

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessica says

    June 14, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    Thanks for the tutorial!!! This was my first project, I made it tonight and it turned out great!! Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    • Jodi says

      June 15, 2011 at 7:43 am

      Wonderful! I would like to start featuring reader projects on my blog. So take a (well-lit) picture and send it in and you might see your project on SewFearless.com (with a link back to your blog). 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jess says

    June 22, 2011 at 11:53 am

    Sent you an email 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Craft Night Prep « made by jodi says:
    February 16, 2010 at 2:53 am

    […] made by jodi a sewing portfolio and project notebook « Tutorial: Make A Fabric Place Mat […]

    Reply
  2. Tutorial: Place Setting Place Mat « made by jodi says:
    February 22, 2010 at 3:31 am

    […] fabric place mat Want to make your own?  Check out this tutorial […]

    Reply
  3. Fearless Feats: I swear this is a sewing blog | Sew Fearless says:
    June 28, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    […] for these custom placemats with coordinating table napkins? She used a really old tutorial about making your own placemats to sew […]

    Reply

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Jodi - Sewing Advocate - Mother of 7 - Lover of Swings and Deadlifts - Catholic

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