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Quilting Placemats? Can it be done on the LA?


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Hi-

I am on a placemat kick and while I don't mind sewing them on a domestic, I would LOVE to use my LA..but how do I go about doing this?? Anyone have any tips or tricks to use? I thought it would make it easier and quicker, but since the pieces are so small, do you spray baste them down onto the batting, pin etc??

Thanks, JC

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I have done placemats that I only wanted one fabric on top and one fabric on bottom. Just loaded my fabric like usual with what ever batting you like and then mark the place mat borders ,I then quilt how ever I wanted to quilt them. Take off the panel and cut out the mats and bind them. I have also done circular napkins without batting I just turn the fabric with the wrong side out mark the circles and quilt a line around each one leaving an opening to turn them when you take them off. You don't really quilt them but it takes less time for me to make

a dozen of these for gifts than to make each circle by itself unless you are only doing a few then I wouldn't put them on the longarm. Just be creative and see what works!

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I do mine like Bonnie says and then do whatever free hand quilting I like. You could do a quilt-as-you-go design if you so chose to, as well. Either way, just choose your backing fabric as if doing a quilt and quilt as many as you want at one time. It's an easy way to get alot done at one time. I've not done circular napkins, but I like the idea!

This picture is of bowl cozies I was quilting on the frame, but the idea is the same if you are doing different colored placemats but the same backing. I have made many placemats out of muslin top and bottom, quilted, bound, and then tea dyed.

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I posted a bunch of them I had done for a craft show on the APQS facebook page. It was the Beautiful No Brainer ones that you make the back separate with mitered corners, then in-set the focus fabric and stitch around where the back folds over. I also did the same ones on the backing, but you have to leave more space to trim and miter the corners after the fact. It's easier the first way. I just put on a big flat piece of batting (no backing), line them up, 4 across, edge stitched them down, and did a panto across all 4. I have also done them with backing, then applied the binding with the longarm. Just depends on which pattern I'm using. Just leave a little space between them and have fun!

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I haven't actually quilted placemats, but I have quilted lots of table runners on my LA. I load one backing fabric (or I piece different backing fabrics together so they load like one piece), then I load the batting, then lay the runners on top. I pin baste the first one in place; quilt; advance and do the next one. When they are all quilted. I take them off the frame and cut them apart from each other. You should be able to do the same thing with placemats by loading several across, quilt, advance, and do the next width of placemats, advance, repeat.

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I am enjoying this thread because I have been thinking of doing this. Everyone has such good suggestions, thanks JC for starting the discussion!

I think if you leave the backing off, you can finish the placemat without binding, just sew the backing and quilted front together right sides together and turn. If the backing is included in the quilt sandwich, you will finish with binding.

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I haven't actually quilted placemats, but I have quilted lots of table runners on my LA. I load one backing fabric (or I piece different backing fabrics together so they load like one piece), then I load the batting, then lay the runners on top. I pin baste the first one in place; quilt; advance and do the next one. When they are all quilted. I take them off the frame and cut them apart from each other. You should be able to do the same thing with placemats by loading several across, quilt, advance, and do the next width of placemats, advance, repeat.

I do the same thing and I have done this for tote bags as well. Works great! Uses up extra batting and you can use up extra fabric for backing or use a really nice or a funky backing for a 2 sided placemat. Have fun.

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