back to the 50s
 

Does anyone know of a pattern for placemats from the fifties?

Were placemats popular in the 50s?
I'm thinking tablecloths were the common choice of the era.

I'm from the 50's and I don't remember placemats back then. If we had to set the table fancy we used a tablecloth. But you could use a 50's theme... poodle skirts?

I was born in the 80's. I only know of the 50's what I've seen on TV and heard of from members of my family. Sometimes I think about what it would have been like to live in the 50's. I think I would have liked it. The music was great, and it seems to me that people were friendlier and more honest then.
I love the 50's, but I know nothing about their placemats. lol
Maybe put some poodles on them!

I used tablecloths. And red and black were popular. Also pink and charcoal.

I remember it vaguely.... The images I remember are Big gas guzzler cars, fuzzy dice on the rear view mirror, poodle skirts, rockets and spacemen, cowboys, car clubs, juke boxes, girls wore ponytails with scarves around thier necks, a classic white button down collar shirt and cardigan, poodle skirts cut on the bias and round to accomodate the big highly starched crinolines and saddle shoes. The girls wore the boys school ring around thier necks.

I think any of these images would be cute on a placemat or mug rug. Whether it was popular at the time or Ornot. After all they used doilies on the maple coffee tables back then didn't they? Or had those big tv's with four knobs... on/off volume, Light/dark, vertical and horizonal...LOL!

Search Google images for 1950's placemats to get a feel for what they looked like. Most were either paper or vinyl covered. Fabric ones were simply one fabric sewn around the edges. Quilting was almost non-existant in the 50's, especially for non-bed uses.

The mid-century modern period was known for clean, sleek lines along with easy to clean kitchens. Fabric and food just didn't fit that mold. I'd simply look for fabrics that invoke that period and use a very geometric pattern reminiscent of the 50's dish patterns. Good luck!