Daisy Place Mats -- Week Two

Last week, I gave you all the details on how to complete the daisy motif for the place mats.  Now to complete the project!

1) Cut the muslin into rectangles that are 13" x 17" -- this will make your finished place mats 12" x 16" finished as I am using a 1/2" seam allowance.  [If you want your place mats to be a different size, just add one inch to whatever you want the finished size to be.]  I also used a pencil to mark the 1/2" seams.  I don't usually do this, but burlap is a very loosely woven material...it moves around like a class of kindergartners on a sugar high...so marking the seam allowance was the easiest way I could come up with to get a consistently sized end product.  When you turn the place mats inside-out, the pencil lines will disappear.

2)  Time to cut the burlap.  Again, due to the hinkiness of burlap, I went about this a little differently than I usually would.  I am sure there is a "right side" and "wrong side" for burlap, but I couldn't tell which one was which.  If you can tell which is which, put the masking tape on the "right side."  I laid a muslin rectangle on top of the burlap; then I put masking tape around (not on) the outside edges of the muslin rectangle.  Then remove the muslin.  Next, cut around the outside of the masking tape.  This does waste a couple of inches of burlap, but it was the easiest way I found to keep the burlap from fraying too much.

3)  Now you can attach the daisy motif to the burlap rectangles.  Decide where you want the motif on the place mat.  I put the daisy 2" from the right side (using the edge of the masking tape as the 'edge') and 2" from the bottom.  Due to the seam allowances, this *should* mean that the daisy will be 1 1/2" from the bottom right hand corner.  Straight stitch the motif--using a sewing machine--right on the edge of the corduroy.

4)  Place a muslin rectangle on top of a burlap rectangle.  Using the marked seams, sew around the place mat leaving a 4"-5" gap to allow the place mat to be turned inside out.  Before the place mat is turned inside out, trim the burlap to 1/2" to match the muslin rectangle and trim the corners to reduce bulk.

I use pins just to mark my begin and end point...this helps me remember to stop so I have the needed gap to turn out the place mat.

This is how the place mat should look after the edges and corners are trimmed.

5)  Turn the place mat inside out.  Work the corners as needed.

6)  In order to close the gap seam and help tack down the seam all the way around the place mat, sew right along the edge all the way around the place mat.  When sewing the gap,work the burlap under to match the seam.

I ran the outside of the place mats along the inside of the presser foot.

Voila!  You are done!  I did have to iron the muslin after I turned the place mats inside out.  I hope you enjoy trying this project.  If anybody has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! 

What other kind of projects would you like to see?  What kind of projects are you working on this month?

Have a super Monday, and take care of you!