Patchwork Placemats for Meal Variety

A friend, who has a very limited diet for health reasons, said she makes her meals more interesting by using a variety of plates and cups.  She has colorful ones, floral ones, plain ones, and elegant ones.  This way, even though she may be eating the same foods, she gives her meal a different aura.

This let me to thinking.  “Why not add variety to a meal, any meal, with different placemats and table coverings?”

So why not make some patchwork or appliqued placemats for yourself, to give as gifts, and to sell?  When I operated a quiltmaking business from my home, selling in shops and by mail order, one of my popular items was placemats.  I used simple designs so I could price them in a range customers would buy readily.  One of the popular ones was the Rail Fence pattern.  Crazy Quilt patterns sold well, too.

Find a pattern for placemats or decide upon the size and make enough blocks with border to fill the space.  Use random colors or those that coordinate with your dinnerware. 

Potholders also can be adapted to placemats by sewing 2-4 together, or sewing borders around one. 

Folded Fabric Fun and A Star for All Seasons are two books with potholder or placemat ideas.