Patchwork and Quilting

Our project - Placemats

Both designs, Christmas and Seaside, are made using patchwork techniques and can then be layered up with wadding and a fabric backing to make small placemat quilts.

Patchwork

There are many patchwork techniques. The Christmas mat will use a piecing technique to make a log cabin block.

Start with the central square, which traditionally represented the fire in the log cabin, and add the strips (or logs of the cabin) around the block.

The seaside block is made using a stitch and flip technique for the background. The seaside shapes are then appliqued on using a small blanket stitch or running stitch. The quilt tops are layered up with wadding and a fabric backing. The layers are held in place with tacking stitches or pins.

Quilting

There needs to be enough quilting to hold the 3 layers together.

On the Christmas mat a small running stitch can be done along the seams – known as ‘in the ditch’- alternatively a decorative stitch along the centre of each ‘log’

On the seaside quilt horizontal rows of stitching enhance the sand and sea or outline the applique shapes.

Binding

The binding is a strip of fabric, folded double and sewn onto the front of the quilt, folded over and slip stitched on to the backing. Bind the sides first and then the top and bottom edges.