How to Sew a Placemat for Saint Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s day is a cultural and religious celebration held on the death date of Saint Patrick, patron of Ireland. It is celebrated across the world with parades, music, dancing, food, and by wearing green.

This year I wanted to have an intimate celebration and decided to create two Saint Patrick’s theme placemats using the “Reverse Appliqué” technique. This technique places a layer of fabric and cuts away the top layer to reveal the one underneath.

For this project, I used my Matchmade collection print, Thoughts Foliage , combined with Floral Elements and Pure Solids.

Have fun making this project!

Materials to Sew Placemats for Saint Patrick’s Day:

• Fabric A Fat Eighth
• Fabric B Fat Eighth
• Fabric C Fat Eighth
• Fabric D Fat Eighth
• Fabric E Fat Eighth
• Fabric F 5/8yd
• Fabric G Fat Quarter
• Fabric H Fat Eighth
• Fabric I Fat Eighth

Additional Materials:

• Two (2) 25” x 20” rectangles of Batting
• Quilting and sewing thread
• Small scissors.
• Reverse Pattern foot #1D
• Shamrock Template

Cutting Direction:

• Four (4) 11 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric A
• Two (2) 11 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric B
• Two (2) 11 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric C
• Four (4) 11 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric D
• Two (2) 11 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric E
• Two (2) 15 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric E
• Two (2) 12 1/2’’ x 2’’ strips from fabric E
• Four (4) 11 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strip from fabric F
• Two (2) 15 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric F
• Two (2) 12 1/2’’ x 2’’ strips from fabric F
• Two (2) 18 1/2’’ x 12 1/2’’ rectangles from fabric F (backing fabric).
• Four (4) 12 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric G
• Four (4) 11 1/2‘’ x 1 1/2‘’ strips from fabric G
• Four (4) 10 1/2’’ x 2’’ strips from fabric G
• Two (2) 11 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric H
• Two (2) 11 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ strips from fabric I
• Two (2) 12 1/2’’ x 8 1/2’’ rectangles from fabric I.

Instructions to Sew a Placemat:

Step 1. Take your 11 1/2” x 1 1/2” strips from fabrics A-I and join them at a 1/4” seam allowance.

Feel free to lay around with the strip colors orders.

Step 2.  Take one (1) 12 1/2” x 8 1/2” rectangle from fabric I and two (2) 12 1/2” x 1 1/2” strips from fabric G and join one strip on the top and one on the bottom.

Take two (2) 10 1/2” x 2” strips from fabric G and join them on the sides of the piece.

Take two (2) 15 1/2” x 1 1/2” strips from fabric F and join one on the top and one on the bottom.

Last, take two (2) 12 1/2” x 2” strips from fabric F and join one on each side of the piece.

Step 3. Take your strip pieced unit and place it right sides facing on the wrong side of the top placemat unit.

Place one (1) rectangle batting piece on top of the wrong side of the strip pieced.

Carefully pin your three-layer pieces.

Step 4. Quilt your placemat as desired.

In this case, I marked a couple of lines without quilting the center part, since that is where I will be making the reverse appliqué.

Using the Reverse pattern foot #1D I was able to make perfect stitch lines.

Step 5. Once you finish quilting, trim the excess batting and take the backing fabric and place it right sides facing on top of the quilted unit.

Sew all around at a 1/4” seam, leaving one side about 4” of opening in order to flip your piece inside out.

Trim your corners.

Step 6. Flip your piece inside out. Steam your placemat.

Take the shamrock template and with a water-soluble pen, trace the shape. I traced three (3) shamrocks.

Step 7. Carefully sew on the marked area.

Backstitch on the beginning and end of each tracing.

Step 8. Once you finish sewing all the shamrocks, take a small scissor and carefully grab the white fabric, and make a small opening.

Make sure you don’t cut through the second layer!

Step 9. Keep cutting in order to reveal the strip pieced unit, making sure not to cut too close to the stitching.

Leave about 1/8” of fabric I.

Once you finish, steam your piece and repeat the same instruction for your second placemat.

Enjoy a safe Saint Patrick’s festivity!