Placemat suggestions
 

well I'm trying to venture into new waters (only sewed when quilting and maybe a couple of simple simple easy aprons...) but since I now have my mom's dining room table and want to actually use it I'v decided I should do some stash reduction by making some placemats. Of course I can't find the one pattern I've had for years that I want to use but I DID get a template for a 4 sided (they flip where there's always 2 layers) as well as some ideas from youtube. Of course all call for something different - some batting, some thermalan, some a stiff fusible interfacing...does it really matter? I know thick fluffy fleece would be a bit hard to balance the water glass on but I dont' want paper thin super stiff ones either.
I'm thinking of trying cotton or an 80/20 cotton/poly batting since I have those on-hand...

has anyone here done the 4 sided ones? here's a link to the templates/pattern I have http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...am4=1210428356

whoa kinda long! but the instructions I'm finding a bit lacking - I need big pics and big print..hoping as i get started I'll be able to 'see' what they're saying..

anyways any advice / suggestions before I get started? should I look for some kind of fusible pellon instead of trying the batting? I'm thinking the 4 sided flippy ones would need something thinner since they're always folded where there are 2 layers...hoping to work on some of these Friday night at GNO (girls night out) and this weekend but I'm also trying an apron pattern that's probalby gonna challenge me in spite of being 'easy'!

I have the template and my fabrics, but it's a little ways down the project list. I wish there was a good video tutorial for it-directions are a little difficult to visualize-hope yours turn out great!

I was hoping to find a video on youtube but guess it's either not popular or too copyrighted..would really help to see it actually done. I wanted to do these a while back but didnt' get the templates - saw them while out of town and went ahead and got them this time I have a bunch of novelties I think would be cute...did a search and someone did them with different fruit prints like lemons and had rickrack that looked really nice.

I may be over-simplifying it but it looks to me, as if it's constructed like a book. You'll see what I mean, if you take two sheets of paper, place them together and then fold them down the middle. Now you have four pages, each with a front and a back. If you open the 'book' flat, you'll see the front and back covers (pages 1 & 8) share one sheet side of paper. The two middle 'pages' (4 & 5) also share one sheet side. BUT if you open it to pages 2 & 3 or 6 & 7, you'll see that each of those pages shares half of one sheet and half of the another.

I hope that makes sense. It's after midnight here and I need to be in bed. LOL

hmm maybe Ishould try it with paper first LOL! good idea before cutting up fabric and seam ripping..I'm hoping once I get going that things will make more sense but I sure wish it had come with better instructions esp with the price for the template

I've seen samples of these in quilt shops. I'm thinking that your cotton batting is going to be way too thick. The ones I saw seemed to have no batting, or maybe a layer of muslin.

Would you really even need a template?

Read this older thread. There are some pretty good instructions starting with post 49. You shouldn't need a template; some other suggestions on how to cut. I might try this with very thin fusible batting or fusible interfacing.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...t135841-2.html

thanks everyone- I got sidetracked for a while (and still no placemats :o) but will be starting them this summer I think. I signed up for 'round robin' after a very long break of at least 8 yrs so that will be my main commitment) I still want placemats though!

I just keep things simple. I just used a bunch of stripes and made these placemats for the local Meals on Wheels Christmas dinner delivery. I also used my Hobbs 80/20 batting:

Regarding the batting, I've made a few table runners. I'm no expert by any means. But I put a piece of leftover poly fabric as the batting. A thick poly, maybe it's called double knit? I also did not want them to be too puffy. I found the poly gave me just enough thickness so a meander quilt looked like quilting.

Just my 2 cents.

that's beautiful - and a sweet gift for meals on wheels!

Maniac Quilter love your placemat. Our church just finished making placemats for our local Meals on Wheels. They had a ton of 7 inch squares-a lot not quite square. I went to our local glass shop and had them cut me an acrylic 12 x 18 shape. Used that to cut the backing and front, no batting, just sewn tog with a 5 inch opening to turn. Some I made using strips like yours and some I used orphan blocks and 3 inch strips for the sides. The reason we did not use lining, we made 580 of them so we had some time and money constraints.

Whenever I've made the four sided ones, I never use a batting.