Take 4 fat quarters, or comparable fabric pieces. Choose fabrics that you think go well together. I cut mine to approx. 17" x 21".
Stack them up and make 2 horizontal cuts (in the whole stack) and 2 vertical cuts. It is more interesting if they are not parallel.
Shuffle the stacks so that each of the 4 different fabrics are represented in what will become a completed placemat. Try not to put the same fabric next to each other - in other words you have 9 pieces among the 4 fabrics.
Now reassemble the whole thing. Because you are taking out 1/4" seams, it will not perfectly line up. Don't worry! This one really 'bad' one is about 1/4" off (horizontally) but you don't have to worry. This next one is quite close to aligning.
When the 9 pieces have been reassembled into a whole, press like mad. Press the back and from the front. Place the reassembled whole on top of a piece of batting. Along each seam line, stitch through the top and the batting. You can use decorative stitches or here I used just a plain zig-zag. I would suggest you avoid stitches that are really thread heavy - open, airy stitches seem to work well. A wavy line is very attractive.
Your eyes will follow the line of the stitching and will not see those places where the seams do not align. 
Make the back by laying a piece of fabric right side down on top of the stitched top. Stitch around, leaving an opening to turn it right side out. Trim seams, cut your corners, turn it right side out. Slip stitch the opening closed - I do this by hand. Press, press, press. Top stitch approx. 1/2" from the edges.
Do let me know if you have questions or if I have not been clear. Good luck. These are fun and easy to do. You can be most creative - copy the colors of someone's dinnerware or the colors of their dining room, maybe reflect their hobbies or interests. Go for it!
9 comments:
Hi Marne, your tutorial is pretty clear with lots of pics, thats great. Thanm you.
Looks like a very good tutorial to me! Thanks for sharing. I'm gonna put this on my list to try soon after the rush of the holidays is over.
Hey great tutorial Marne! I must try this one day. I'm back online and back in blogland, so was good to catch up with what you've been doing.
Can't believe the snow - my parents on Vancouver Island had the same, it was crazy, and then gone - they were equally as happy as you to see the back of it :)
Did you get to choose the backing for the log cabin quilt you showed??
Oh, and was pleased to see you found a use for the fabrics I sent :)
Thank you for the great explanation for making the placemats, your tutorial is very easy to understand. The process is very much like the "Stack the Deck" quilt blocks that I used for a quilt! I do appreciate your answering my request for instructions...I am going to make some of these placemats soon...hmmmmmmm thinking here about colors for others as well as my own! Barb
Great tutorial! The pictures make it really clear, and your explanation is excellent.
Very nice tut.
Yhnx for commenting on my Hoody. It's going to be a celtic-cable It will be great.. I hope :-)
Love your quilts. I've nog been on that path.. yet. But.. NO.. I have lots of other fiber obsessions. *lol*
But then again.. if my weaving os going nicely, maybe I can make my own fabric.. and wioth your tutorials... :))))
You're tutorial is great - I gotta make some of these!!! :) Thanks for sharing how you did it! :)
Your tutorial looks great. Makes me braver to do one myself.
hi i'm just new to quilt making, as it is a project at school, and i found your explination very helpful and interesting thanks so much. Im relieved that quilt making can be fun and not so hard at the first stages.:) thanks again
from a new quilter on the block
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