Give thanks with these handmade placemats!

I don't know about you, but I really love this time of the year, with one Holiday after another. I'm already making preparations for a small Thanksgiving celebration with a few friends, as I'm sure many of you are, and I thought a good project to share with you this week would be a tutorial for handmade placemats! I picked out this Japanese print because it's one of my favorites right now, and it feels like autumn, but I can see myself using these in the spring time too. I also love how it's printed on linen and looks a little worn, adding some rustic charm.

To make four placemats you will need the following materials:

1 yd Aunt Grace Classic Flowers - Yellow

1 yd Country Village Stripe - Brown

1 yd muslin

matching brown sewing thread

Start by cutting the yellow backing fabric into four 15 in x 19 in pieces. Cut four 13 in x 17 in pieces of each the Country Village Stripe and the muslin. The muslin will act as a liner to make the placemat a bit sturdier.

Lay one piece of the yellow backing fabric face down, and center the muslin on top of it. Lay the Country Village stripe on top of the muslin, face up, matching all four sides exactly.

Beginning at the top edge, fold the yellow edge in to meet the brown 1/4 in, and iron flat all the way across.

Fold the edge again so it overhangs the brown fabric by 1/4 in. Press flat and pin in place. Repeat for the bottom edge and pin.

Before folding the short sides, fold the corner at a 90 degree angle to form a triangle that meets the raw edge of the brown fabric. Iron to crease. Fold the opposite corner in the same manner.

Now Fold the edge of the short side in to meet the edge of the brown fabric, press, and fold again forming a 1/4 in border. Press and pin in place. Repeat for the other short side.

Now that your binding is all pinned in place, you're ready to sew. Carefully stitch all the way around, removing the pins as you sew. I kept my stitches about 1/8 in from the edge, but you can use any seam allowance you feel comfortable with.

Then you're done with your first placemat! Wasn't that easy? It's really just a matter of pressing and pinning! Now, on to making three more, and finalizing the guest list!

(PS. If you're like me, and already trying to plan out some handmade holiday gifts, a set of these placemats would make an awesome present!)

This is another favorite fabric of mine right now that would be perfect for this project:

Nina's Sewing Quilt - orange

We'll be coming up with more Thanksgiving projects in the next couple weeks, as well as getting started on some holiday ornaments and such, so be sure to keep checking back!