{Tutorial} Super Easy Place Mats- Part 1

This tutorial is very photo heavy so I am breaking it up into two parts. Today we will be making the top of the place mat, the 'quilt sandwich'  and quilting it. Tomorrow I will walk you through how I made the scrappy binding and the binding of the place mat.

Please note I made a rookie mistake with these place mats. I have no idea why I did it the binding the way I did! But I stitched it down on the back first instead of the front... as I said ROOKIE mistake! I'll explain it all better in the next part of this tutorial.

What you need:

18- 5 inch x 5 inch squares in print fabric (I used Good Fortune Charm Squares)
18- 5 inch x 5 inch squares in plain (I used a linen fabric)
Fabric for backing- I used some quilters calico

How to:

Choose your fabrics and arrange how you would like them to be sewn.

Then sew right side together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance starting on the top row, moving left to right.

Press seams either open or to the side, which ever your prefer.

Pin the two completed rows matching up the seams and then sew the rows together.

Press seam.

And now you have the top of your place mat finished in super speedy time. 

Do the same with the remaining squares. Below are my 6 tops waiting to be basted and quilted.

When making smaller projects that require batting I try to use up my batting scraps. I showed how I join them the other day over at And Sew We Craft.

Cut your backing to size and layer it right side down. Place batting on top then place the quilt top (the place mat) right side up.

Now because the place mat is only small you won't necessarily need to baste it. I did for the first one but then didn't bother for the remaining five.

Quilt which ever way you like. I free motion quilting mine because it is pretty fast and I was on a limited time frame. 

Then all you have to do is square up you quilt sandwich by trimming up the edges.

Then repeat with the other 5.

Meet me back here in the morning and I'll show you how I made the scrappy binding and how I finished them. 

Part 2 can be found here!