This beginners sewing project is a quick and easy way to practise basic sewing, quilting and binding skills. Make the border of your project really stand out with a bright and bold binding fabric.
You will need…
To make one coaster and one placemat:
- Coaster fabric nine (9) 2in squares
- Placemat fabric nine (9) 2½in squares
- Background fabric one (1) fat quarter
- Backing fabric one (1) fat quarter
- Binding fabric one (1) fat quarter
- Batting 18in x 22in
Finished Size
Coaster: 4½in square approx
Placemat: 14in x 16in approx
Notes
Seam allowances are ¼in throughout, unless otherwise noted
Solid fabrics: we’ve used Kona Solids in Goldfish and Pool.
Method
From the background fabric cut one (1) 8½in x 6½in piece and one (1) 10½in x 14½in piece.
Sew your 2½in squares together in three rows of three. Then sew the rows together to form a square.
Sew the 8½in x 6½in background fabric to one edge of the square. Sew the remaining background piece to the 14½in edge (Fig 1). This forms your placemat top.
Sew your 2in squares together in three rows of three. Then sew the rows together to form a square. This will form your coaster.
Layer your backing fabric (right side down) and batting with the placemat and coaster on top (right side up) to make a quilt sandwich and quilt as desired. Trim away excess batting and backing.
Cut seven (7) 2½in x 22in strips of fabric for the binding and join into one length using diagonal seams. Fold in half lengthways, wrong sides together, to form the double-fold binding. If you want to use different colours, cut two strips for the coaster and five strips for the placemat.
Bind the edges of each piece, following your preferred method – for more detail on this, check out our How to bind a quilt with double-fold binding tutorial.
Since these are small pieces, it’s a great way to experiment with different techniques. Why not try different methods for each coaster or placemat to find the combination you like best!
