A couple years ago I made some quilted placemats. I used scraps of linen and Japanese dragonfly cotton leftover from other projects and had just enough batting to make two.
I happily quilted dragon flies through all three layers intending to bind them when I was finished.
But I never did.
They languished in my UFO pile clogging the arteries of my workroom. For years.
Until finally I got so disgusted with myself one day this week – for bringing my lunch to work in a grocery store plastic bag with a hole in it!
I work at a fabric store for heavens sake. I mean srsly. What is my problem?
Soooo. While 2 year old Queen Bean took her 4 hour nap(!!!) yesterday, I got out my ginghers and started cutting.
I made sure the straps would be long enough to comfortably wear it over the shoulder since I plan on taking it to the new farmers market in my town as well.
Put the right sides together and sew around the three sides that make the bag part. Then sew the right sides of the straps together so that the strap on the left side of one placemat is sewn to the half strap on the right side of the same placement.
Be sure to add some triangular tucks at the bottom seams to create volume. Sew in the inside of the bag.
The last step is binding it.
It took more binding than I thought it would. About 110″ all told. I didn’t use bias because fabric is precious. I used a quarter yard piece of quilt cotton and tore 3 strips each 3″ wide. Applying it took a while but wasn’t hard.
Im pleased with they way it turned out.
The batting makes it padded and soft and the linen lining makes it super strong so I can load it up with fresh produce and local honey and be comfortable and look stylish at the same time.
elfriedesfinefabrics 