Festive Placemats

BY ALI BURDON

This beautiful set of four placemats looks wonderful and is pleasingly simple to make for a festive Christmas table setting.

Time: 1 day

Difficulty: Get stuck in

You Will Need

0.5m (20in) plain red cotton fabric 112cm (44in) wide

0.75m (30in) patterned red fabric 112cm (44in) wide

0.5m (20in) fusible fleece

Red sewing thread

1. Cut eight pieces of plain fabric (A) measuring 33cm × 27cm (13in × 10¹⁄₂in). Cut eight pieces of patterned fabric (B) measuring 14cm × 28cm (5¹⁄₂in × 11in). Cut four pieces of fusible fleece measuring 33cm × 25cm (13in × 10in); fix centrally onto four pieces of fabric A. Pair up pieces of fabric A, right sides together, and stitch the long edges with a 1cm (³⁄₈in) seam allowance. Turn right side out and press.

2. Press seam allowance (1cm/³⁄₈in) on both long edges of fabric B pieces. Mark a line 6cm (2³⁄₈in) parallel to an open edge of the pressed placemat and place one of the fabric B folds against this line, right sides together, with the seam allowance towards the open edge of the mat (fabric B will overhang the mat at the top and bottom edge). Pin and stitch along the line. Repeat on the other side of the mat working with mirror image fabric B piece.

3. Fold the short sides of fabric B in towards the mat and press. Wrap the fabric round to the back of the mat; pin, then slipstitch the sides and long folded edge to the mat to bind the edge. Bind the other edge in the same way. Topstitch each mat, making a line of stitching round the edge of fabric A, about 6mm (¹⁄₄in) from the edge/seam line.