Color and movement can transform a simple placemat into a beautiful quilted project. In yesterday’s blog post, I created three placemats as the foundation of our design exploration. Today, I’m using one of those units to create a grid effect, adding a new dimension to the design. I’m using the PFAFF passport 2.0 sewing machine for precise stitching.
Creating a grid to add movement to the placemats using the PFAFF passport 2.0
Instructions
- Cut four ¾” strips from the neutral fabric. Prior to cutting, I recommend using Mary Ellen’s Best Press on the back of the neutral fabric and placemat to help you sew such thin strips to the project.
Sewing on ¾”strips add movement to the placemat.
2. Position the ruler at a 60-degree angle on the placemat and begin cutting. Cut the following lines at a 3” increment.
Cutting into the placemat unit at a 60-degree angle
3. Stitch the ¾” strips along each cut while trying to match the strip alignment. The placemat will begin to look uneven, but don’t worry, I’ll cut at the end of the project to make it a rectangle again.
Sewing the ¾” strips into the placemat creates an indentation.
4. Position the ruler to create a perpendicular cut to the 60-degree strips. Cut the following lines at a 3” increment.
Cutting perpendicularly to the 60-degree strips
5. Stitch the ¾” strips along each cut while trying to match the strip alignment.
Sewing the ¾” strips to form a grid on the placemat
Once the strips are pieced together to form a grid, cut the placemat to form a rectangle. My placemat measures 10½” x 16½”, but before cutting to the same size, look at the size of your dinner plates to determine the size you need. The PFAFF passport 2.0 sewing machine with the optional ¼” Quilting Foot for IDT System precisely fed my strips through the machine and made it easy to piece the units together to form the grid.
Piecing the grid strips together is incredibly easy with the PFAFF passport 2.0
This project is just the right size to test sewing smaller strips at an angle. Once you make this piece, you’ll feel more confident to experiment with movement and color on other personal projects. Stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll play with the third unit to create another design using the PFAFF passport 2.0 sewing machine. Thank you for joining me on this journey of color and movement in placemat designs!
