This stylish patchwork table mat is effectively a mini quilt so a perfect introduction to quilting techniques for a beginner. Our tutorial is also packed with Beginner Tips too! Finished size can be adjusted depending on the size of your table and preferences. We measured our table and left 10” all around for plates to fit. To change the size adjust the materials below as follows:
Shorten the length of strips to reduce width of table topper; or
Increase the number of printed strips to increase the length and make this into a table runner.
You Will Need:
For the top, either:
10 x Cotton prints cut into strips 2 ½ inches wide by 10 inches in length
or a Layer Cake
For linen border top:
2 long strips of linen 3 ½” wide by 26” in length (C & D)
2 short strips of linen 3 ½ inches wide by 10” (A & B)
For the back -
L inen or other backing material like plain cotton 17” wide by 27” long
For the binding – cotton 2” strip 90” long
Cotton for patchwork & applying the binding
Wadding - 17” wide by 27” long
Vanishing or wipe away marker
Wadding - 17” wide by 27” long
505 Temporary Adhesive Spray or Safety Pins
Universal and Quilting Sewing Machine Needles
Scissors
Kit:
This kit is not essential for this project but it will make life easier and all are useful investments:
1/4” foot
Rotary cutter
Cutting Matt & Ruler
Seam allowance is 1/4”.
Instructions:
1. Arrange printed cotton strips in the way you want them to appear in your finished topper.
2. Put strips 1 & 2 right sides together and sew with 1/4" seam.
3. Repeat attaching strip 3 to 2, 4 to 3 etc to create the central printed strip.
To save time, don't remove each strip from the machine after sewing. At the end of a strip pull some thread through your machine and start on the next strip, then cut all threads at the end.
If you are new to sewing make your strips slightly longer (not wider) than you need and then trim them back to size after sewing the strips together.
4. Press each seam open
5. Attach the linen pieces marked A and B to either end of the central strip and press seams open.
6. Attach the linen pieces marked C and D to top and bottom of the central strip and press seams open.
When machine sewing pieces that have been patch-worked together, always put the fabric with most seams on top so you can see the seams. You can ensure they are sewn open by pushing them down as they go under your presser foot.
7. Your top piece should now look like this on the front
And this on the back
8. Make a sandwich with the top (right side up), wadding (in the middle) and bottom (right side down). Your wadding and bottom layer should be larger than your top layer.
9. Attach each layer using 505 spray or safety pins.
505 Adhesive Spray is really useful and easier to use than safety pins if you are a beginner.
10. Quilt the 3 layers together. We used straight line quilting using white thread.
For beginners use a vanishing marker and ruler to mark out your lines before sewing.
You can see our finished quilting lines below.
Straight line quilting is ideal for beginners as no special sewing machine foot or techniques are needed.
10. Trim all 3 layers to the finished size after quilting.
11. Create 1/4” bias binding by cutting strips 2” wide. If you are making the same size as our finished runner your finished binding strip will need to be 90” long. To learn how to create binding or calculate length for a different sized runner please read our
Binding Guide here.
12. Attach the binding and miter the corners (see our
Binding Guide here).
Attach the binding to the top of the runner first so that your hand stitches will appear underneath and not on top.
Finished! Add to your table and admire.
Now scale this project up and use the skills to make a lap quilt!
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