Sew a Rainbow Placemat with Bliss Batting

Hi Friends! It’s Lisa Ruble from Quilty Zest and I’m excited to share my June project with you! Since June is Pride Month, I decided to make a rainbow placemat design. I love everything rainbow year-round, but I especially like sharing them during this month.

The placemat uses prints from my new Refresh fabric collection from Benartex.

This placemat measures 18” x 14”, and it goes together quickly. Make sure to try the piecing tips I’ve shared below!

Here’s what you’ll need to make 4 placemats: (I used my Refresh fabrics for Benartex*)

• Fat quarter each, 9 prints in a rainbow of colors*
• 3/8 yard white print*
• 1 yard gray print* (includes binding)
• 1 yard backing fabric
• Bliss Cotton Batting (crib size provides enough for 6 placemats or 2 placemats + table runner)
• SpraynBond Basting Adhesive

*Fabrics used: Stitching Lines Orchid, Stitching Lines Denim, Party Geese Red, Party Geese Night Blue, Mini Cabins Gray, Mini Cabins Slate, Mini Cabins Aqua, Mini Cabins Rose, Mini Cabins Butter, Sparkle Dot Peach, Sparkle Dot Green

CUTTING

From each of 9 rainbow prints: (4) 2-½” x 12-½” strips

From white print: (32) 2-½” x 3-½” pieces

From gray print: (40) 2-½” x 3-½” pieces; (8) 2-¼” x WOF strips for binding

MAKE THE PLACEMATS

Step 1: Lay out the (9) 2-½” x 12-½” rainbow strips in the desired order, and then sort into (2) piles:

Pile A - Starting with the first (pink stripe) strip, every other strip will get gray ends.

Pile B - The remaining (4) strips will get white ends.

Step 2: Using the 45-degree line on your ruler, draw a line as shown on the wrong side of (1) 2-½” x 3-½” white piece. Mark (8) white pieces. In the same way, but noting the direction, draw a line on the wrong side of (10) 2-½” x 3-½” gray pieces.

Here’s what the (2) different pieces look like together, as a comparison.

Step 3: Position a white marked piece on (1) end of a Pile B strip as shown. Stitch on the drawn line (marked in bright green here to be more visible). Trim upper left corners off, leaving a ¼” seam allowance. Press seam allowance toward the colored strip.

Tip: It’s easy to get confused when sewing these pieces on - line up all your Pile B strips and chain piece one after another, making sure everything is oriented the same way. Make (4) Pile B pieced strips. Repeat on the opposite end of each strip with a second marked white piece.

Step 4: Now it’s time for Pile A. Position a marked gray piece on the end of (1) Pile A piece. Stitch on the marked line (again shown in bright green to make it easier to see). Trim seam allowance to ¼”. Press toward the gray triangle. Repeat on opposite end of strip, and on all (5) Pile A strips.

Step 5: Lay out the strips in rainbow order again, and sew together in pairs. Note how seam allowances will nest when you align the strips and pin.

Step 6: Making sure seam allowances are nesting, insert a pin on the stitched line, approximately ¼” from the edge where you’ll be stitching. (stitched line is marked in bright green again).

Step 7: Stitch the first (2) strips together. Press the seam allowances open.

Step 8: Continue sewing strips together in pairs, and then join pairs (and remaining single strip) together to complete the placemat top.  

Step 9: Cut backing fabric and Bliss Batting approximately 2” larger than placemat top on all sides. Use SpraynBond Basting Adhesive to adhere backing and placemat top to opposite sides of Bliss Batting.

Step 10: Trim backing and batting even with the placemat top. Use (2) 2-¼” x WOF gray strips to bind the placemat using your favorite binding method.

Step 11: Make a total of (4) placemats.

Enjoy!

And just for fun: How great does this design look as a table runner?!?!