Yesterday, I promised a placemat to go with your new Easter table-runner, and even better, this is my own pattern (with the exception of the appliqué in the center), so I can offer this as a free pattern to you!

You will need the following supplies to make 4 placemats –

• white cotton fabric – 1 yard
• colorful accent fabric – ½ yard
• fabric for appliqué of your choice – depends on design chosen
• small fabric squares for yo-yo embellishments
• buttons
• neutral fabric for backing – 1 yard
• a strong, flat batting (I recommend using Warm & Natural, or Pellon Fleece) – 1 yard
• coordinating seam binding – 8 yards

Instructions that follow will walk you through the creation of ONE placemat, repeat as needed to complete your set.

1. Cut a white square 12½” x 12½”
2. Apply your applique to the center of the white square
3. Cut the accent fabric 6½” x 12½”
4. Sew accent fabric to left side of white square, using a ¼” seam allowance.
5. Sandwich together design fabric (top of placemat), batting, and backing fabric.
6. Using a ¼” seam allowance, sew around the placemat, trim edges, and add seam binding.
7. Quilt, using a simple design that will not detract from your center appliqué.
8. Your finished placemat will be approximately 12″ x 18″.

My placemat also included some embellishements – the yo-yos that run down the seam between the accent fabric and the white fabric, as well as buttons to secure the yo-yos. I recommend adding any embellishments such as these after step 4, but before you continue on to step 5. This way all of your stitches will be inside of the quilted placemat. You will need to take care in quilting the finished product to avoid any damage to the yo-yos. The image to the left shows how the yo-yos were placed, and the approximate placement of the egg appliqué I used from the book “Quilted Holiday Accents”.

The sky is the limit with a pattern of this type, you can add multiple small appliqués, or just put in one large one as I did for my Easter placemat.   The Easter Egg applique used on this sample you will find in the book “Quilted Holiday Accents” featured in the blog yesterday.  Pick a copy of that book at Hancock Fabrics in the quilting department. The accent fabric down the left side could be a space to embroider the name of the person sitting at that place – turning your placemats into name cards. (What a fun way to make a guest feel special for a holiday dinner.)

You can also use your imagination when embellishing, just remember that if you want to use the placemats at the table with food, you need to keep things fairly simple. But with that in mind, imagine making special placemats up for your own little princess – using a marabou boa to trim the side of the placemat. These would make a fun party favor for the guests to take home with them as well as a great memento for your little princess of her special day.

Well, now you’ve seen the pattern, and seen a few suggestions for ways to make your own unique placemats. Below is the image of the finished piece. I think it will look great with the table-runner – don’t you?

What’s your inspiration? I’d love to see what types of ideas you can come up with for this fun pattern! Enjoy!
Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila