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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
1
From the background fabric cut one (1) 8½in x 6½in piece and one (1) 10½in x 14½in piece.
2
Sew your 2½in squares together in three rows of three. Then sew the rows together to form a square.
3
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.
4
Sew your 2in squares together in three rows of three. Then sew the rows together to form a square. This will form your coaster.
5
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.
6
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.
7
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!
