Patriotic Quilted Placemats – A Festive Table Project for Summer Sewing

These
patriotic
quilted
placemats
are
a
cheerful
red,
white,
and
blue
sewing
project
for
4th
of
July
decorating,
Memorial
Day
gatherings,
Veterans
Day
tables,
summer
barbecues,
and
handmade
holiday
table
settings.

If
your
dining
table
needs
a
little
red,
white,
and
blue
charm
without
committing
to
a
full-size
quilt,
this

Patriotic
Quilted
Placemats
tutorial
from
Connie
Kresin
Campbell
of
Freemotion
by
the
River

is
a
lovely
little
project
to
tuck
into
your
summer
sewing
list.

I
do
love
a
practical
quilting
project,
especially
one
that
can
come
out
year
after
year
without
needing
a
whole
cupboard
of
storage
space.
Placemats
are
one
of
those
satisfying
makes
where
you
still
get
the
joy
of
piecing,
quilting,
and
binding,
but
you
are
not
wrestling
an
enormous
quilt
through
the
machine
while
wondering
why
you
ever
started.
We
have
all
been
there.

Connie’s
placemats
finish
at

12½
inches
by
17
inches,
making
them
a
useful
size
for
a
patriotic
table
setting.
The
design
uses
classic
red,
white,
and
blue
fabrics
with
a
folded
star
detail
in
the
corner
and
pieced
stripe
sections
to
create
a
sweet
flag-inspired
look.
It
feels
festive
without
being
overly
fussy,
which
is
exactly
what
I
like
in
a
seasonal
quilting
project.

You
can
find
the
full
tutorial
here:


Patriotic
Quilted
Placemats
Tutorial
by
Connie
Kresin
Campbell

Why
This
Patriotic
Quilting
Tutorial
Works

This
is
a
great
project
for
quilters
who
enjoy
small,
finishable
makes.
The
placemat
format
gives
you
room
to
play
with
quilting
texture,
binding,
and
fabric
placement,
but
it
is
still
manageable
enough
for
a
weekend
sewing
session.

The
folded
star
detail
is
the
bit
that
makes
this
project
stand
out.
It
adds
dimension
and
gives
the
placemat
that
handmade
“oh,
that’s
clever”
finish
without
needing
complicated
applique
or
paper
piecing.
Connie
also
notes
that
the
star
area
can
get
a
little
thick,
which
is
a
helpful
reminder
to
slow
down,
use
a
good
needle,
and
not
try
to
bulldoze
through
bulky
seams.
Ask
me
how
I
know.

If
you
are
making
a
set,
this
would
be
a
nice
opportunity
to
use
coordinating
patriotic
quilting
cottons
from
your
stash.
A
bundle
of
red,
white,
and
blue
fat
quarters
from
places
like

Fat
Quarter
Shop

or

Connecting
Threads

would
work
beautifully,
and
if
you
like
precision
cutting
for
repeat
projects,
an

AccuQuilt

cutter
can
make
small
table
projects
like
this
feel
much
less
fiddly.

A
Good
Project
for
Seasonal
Sewing

These
quilted
placemats
would
be
perfect
for:

• 
  4th
  of
  July
  table
  settings
• 
  Memorial
  Day
  picnics
• 
  Veterans
  Day
  lunches
• 
  summer
  barbecue
  decor
• 
  handmade
  hostess
  gifts
• 
  patriotic
  porch
  or
  patio
  decorating

I
also
like
that
placemats
are
genuinely
useful.
They
are
not
just
seasonal
decorations
that
get
admired
once
and
shoved
into
a
drawer.
You
can
use
them
for
a
family
meal,
a
casual
cookout,
or
even
under
a
centerpiece
on
a
side
table.

If
you
enjoy
smaller
quilting
projects,
you
might
also
like
browsing
our
feature
on
mini
quilting
projects
that
are
quick
to
sew.
Small
quilts,

mug
rugs,
table
toppers,
and
placemats
are
wonderful
stash-busters,
especially
when
your
scrap
basket
is
starting
to
look
like
it
has
its
own
zip
code.

My
Favourite
Part

The
folded
star
block
is
definitely
the
highlight
here.
It
gives
the
placemat
texture
and
movement,
and
it
is
a
nice
alternative
to
simply
piecing
a
flat
star
block.
I
also
appreciate
that
Connie
shares
the
real-life
adjustment
she
made
when
her
first
placemat
needed
a
little
extra
width.
That
sort
of
practical
note
is
gold,
because
quilting
is
not
always
perfect
on
the
first
go,
no
matter
how
long
you
have
been
sewing.

It
is
also
the
kind
of
project
where
you
can
make
one
as
a
table
accent
or
sew
a
full
set
for
a
holiday
meal.
If
you
are
gifting
them,
tie
a
pair
together
with
ribbon
and
add
a
set
of
napkins
or
a
little
jar
of
barbecue
seasoning.
Handmade
but
still
useful
—
my
favourite
kind
of
gift.

For
more
patriotic
inspiration,
you
may
also
enjoy
this
older
CraftGossip
patriotic
quilting
feature,
Absolute:
Cats
Are
Patriotic,
which
is
a
fun
reminder
that
flag-inspired
quilting
can
be
adapted
in
all
sorts
of
playful
ways.

Helpful
Sewing
Notes
Before
You
Start

Use
a
fresh
quilting
needle,
especially
around
the
folded
star
section.
There
are
a
few
thicker
areas,
and
a
sharp
needle
makes
a
noticeable
difference.

Press
carefully
as
you
go.
Small
projects
can
look
wonky
very
quickly
if
seams
are
rushed,
and
placemats
sit
flat
on
a
table,
so
neat
pressing
really
does
show.

This
is
also
a
good
time
to
audition
your
quilting.
Connie
used
simple
meandering
quilting,
but
you
could
add
stars,
loops,
wavy
lines,
or
straight-line
quilting
for
a
cleaner
modern
look.
If
your
free-motion
quilting
still
makes
you
clench
your
shoulders,
straight
lines
with
a
walking
foot
would
look
lovely
too.

Why
Quilters
Will
Like
This
One

This
tutorial
has
that
nice
balance
of
being
decorative,
practical,
and
not
too
intimidating.
It
is
festive
enough
for
patriotic
holidays
but
still
useful
enough
to
bring
out
through
the
summer.
The
instructions
include
the
fabric
cuts,
piecing
steps,
quilting,
and
binding,
so
it
is
a
complete
little
project
rather
than
just
an
idea
photo.

And
honestly,
there
is
something
very
satisfying
about
finishing
a
project
in
placemat
size.
You
still
get
to
say,
“I
made
that,”
but
you
do
not
have
to
lose
a
week
of
your
life
to
borders,
backing,
and
batting
negotiations.