project // fruity grapes quilted placemat

For the last few weeks I've been sharing different fruit placemats made using English paper piecing. This has definitely been a big project...bigger than most of the things I post here. But I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed it. And now that all four placematss are finished, I'm really thrilled with and proud of the result.

This last one is a bunch of grapes, and no joke...as I was about to take these photos, my mom was preparing a pitcher of grape juice. She suggested that adding ice would look good in the pictures, and I agreed. Thanks, Mom!

When eating grapes, I prefer the green variety, but for something like this, purple was the way to go. Much more traditional, right? Feel free to make yours whatever color of grape you like best!

Here's what you need for one placemat:

1 fat quarter of quilting cotton
1 fat quarter of linen
1 fat quarter of batting

(So, if you plan on making the set of four, you'll need a yard of each of these!)

For the grapes, you will need:

purple fabric scraps
green fabric scraps
brown or black embroidery floss
EPP template PDF with 1-inch hexagons and jewels printed on card stock

You will also need:

scissors
pins
ruler
rotary cutter and mat (optional, but helpful!)
disappearing ink pen
sewing machine
walking foot (if you have one!)
thread
needle
fabric glue (like Fabri-Tac)



To make the placemat base, visit my first post in the Fruity Quilted Placemat series.

Using English paper piecing, make 13 purple hexagons and two green jewels. Join them together in rows as shown, then put the rows together.




I like to press my pieces before removing the papers, and after removing them. It helps them keep their shape. After you remove the papers, stitch a face onto one of the hexagon centers. It's just two french knots and some backstitch for the smile.



Decide where you want the grapes situated on the mat (all of mine are on the right side at a slightly jaunty angle), then use fabric glue to tack it in place. You don't need a lot, and I recommend that you only use it on the seams or the seam allowances because the fabric is double there.



With three strands of brown embroidery floss, stitch around the grapes with running stitch. Trim and tuck the flaps on the leaf points under as you stitch around them.



And just like that, you're ready to set the table!




I chose to make these fruits into placemats so that I could share them one at a time, without too much rush...both for you and for me. But my mom told me that she really would have loved these as a table runner. Perhaps you would too! Just extend the length of the mat and follow the same base instructions. Then, add all of the fruit shapes along the runner. You could even throw in some extra berries!



Speaking of extra berries, I honestly think that I've only scratched the surface when it comes to hexagon fruit. Use your imagination and see what you come up with! As for me, I'm thinking that I need to be thinking about other kinds of things I could make along these lines. What do you think?



For now, we'll enjoy these at my house, and I hope you give them a try too. Find all of the placemat posts here!

project // fruity pineapple quilted placemat

Have you noticed a lot of pineapples on the internet lately? This might be a trend for now, but I'm perfectly fine with having pineapples and other fruit around all the time. Which is why I decided to invest a little time into a bigger fruity quilted placemat project.

This pineapple is the first of four fruit designs. Each has an English paper pieced fruit (with a face, of course!) which goes onto a quilted placemat base. The rest of the fruit will come along here on Wednesdays for the rest of July. Are you ready to fill your table with happy fruit? Let's get stitching!



Here's what you need for one placemat:

1 fat quarter of quilting cotton
1 fat quarter of linen
1 fat quarter of batting

(So, if you plan on making the set of four, you'll need a yard of each of these!)

For the pineapple, you will need:

yellow fabric scraps
green fabric scraps
brown or black embroidery floss
EPP template PDF with 1-inch hexagons and jewels printed on card stock

You will also need:

scissors
pins
ruler
rotary cutter and mat (optional, but helpful!)
disappearing ink pen
sewing machine
walking foot (if you have one!)
thread
needle
fabric glue (like Fabri-Tac)



Cut the quilting cotton to 15 x 21 inches and cut the batting and linen to 13 x 19 inches. Lay the quilting cotton wrong side up, then place the batting and linen on top. Pin the layers together.



Mark a line straight across the middle of the linen, making sure that it isn't angled from the edge at all. This will be your guide for quilting. It's a good idea to start at the center and work out to the edges.




Sew along the line, following it, but not keeping the stitching perfect. Back stitch at the beginning and end of the line, but only a small amount. Be sure to keep the stitching only on the linen, and don't go onto the backing fabric that is extended past this.

I used a green thread that is darker than the backing fabric, so it still shows on the back some, but it especially contrasts with the linen.

Continue adding lines that aren't quite straight, but never getting too far off. Space them about 1 inch apart. If you just eyeball it, you're more likely to get the casual lines we're going for here. Every couple of lines, check that you haven't gotten too far off. Again, you don't want these super straight, but you don't want them really crooked either.



Now, turn the placemat and mark another straight line in the center, perpendicular to the stitching you've done. Follow the same process to finish off the gridded quilting.




To bind the edges of the placemat, fold the edge of the backing fabric in to the edge of the linen, then fold it over again. Doing this with an iron will help it hold, but you can finger press it and it will be fine.



Thread a needle with some regular or hand quilting thread, then starting in the middle of one side, stitch down the folded fabric binding. I'm using ladder stitch because it's pretty much hidden, but running stitch would also be very cute. For running stitch, I'd recommend perle cotton instead of regular thread.




When you reach the corner, stop stitching about 1/4 inch from the end. Then, fold down the corner as shown.




Fold down the next edge, and then fold it a second time and start stitching it down again. Make your way all around the placemat. When you run out of thread, simply anchor the thread with a knot that is through the batting and linen and hidden under the binding. Start the next thread, anchoring it in the same way.

If you plan on making the set of four fruity quilted placemats, you can go ahead and make four mats just like this.



Now, let's make an English paper pieced pineapple!

Use your favorite EPP basting method (here's what I do!) to make ten yellow hexagons and three green jewels. I used a mix of a few fabrics for the yellow, and the same green as my backing for the leaves. Arrange them in the order you want them in.



Join the pieces together in rows, then join the rows together. I've been using tiny running stitch for my joining lately, and I love it.



Remove the template from the center hexagon, one up from the bottom. Embroider the face onto this hexagon. I used french knot eyes and back stitch for the mouth, using all six strands.



Remove the papers and lay the pineapple onto the finished placemat where you want it. Mine is at a slightly jaunty angle.



Use fabric glue to attach the center of the pineapple to the mat. You'll only need a small amount and you can run it along the lines that join the hexagons together.



After the glue has had a chance to set for a little while, thread a needle with three strands of embroidery floss and knot the end. Use running stitch to attach the edges of the pineapple to the placemat. These will show on the back too, so try to keep them as neat as possible.




When you reach one of the leaves, trim the flap a little and fold it to the other side. Pressing it with an iron helps if it's being stubborn. Stitch up to the point.



Use your needle to fold and poke the excess flap under the point, then stitch down the side. Repeat this for each leaf point.



Once the stitching is done, your placemat is ready! The organic quilting lines are one of my favorite things about this mat, and let me tell you, they are so relaxing to sew! But of course, the fruit with a face wins out for my fave.




This happy pineapple is so glad that he gets to sit at your table with you!

Come back next week for another fruit...what will it be?

project // fruity berry quilted placemat

I love English paper piecing, and hexagons in particular, so I've been especially enjoying making these fruity placemats. If you haven't seen the others yet, check out my pineapple and watermelon patterns, and be sure to come back next week for the last of the four fruits!

This week is what I like to think of as a blueberry, but since the hexagons make the outside a little lumpy, it's probably better as a boysenberry, blackberry, or a raspberry. In fact, you could make a whole set of placemats with just different colored berries! You could also put more than one berry on a placemat...there's plenty of room. I just kept mine to one (lumpy) blueberry.



Here's what you need for one placemat:

1 fat quarter of quilting cotton
1 fat quarter of linen
1 fat quarter of batting

(So, if you plan on making the set of four, you'll need a yard of each of these!)

For the berry, you will need:

blue fabric scraps
green fabric scraps
brown or black embroidery floss
EPP template PDF with 1-inch hexagons and diamonds printed on card stock

You will also need:

scissors
pins
ruler
rotary cutter and mat (optional, but helpful!)
disappearing ink pen
sewing machine
walking foot (if you have one!)
thread
needle
fabric glue (like Fabri-Tac)



To learn how I made my placemat base, visit the first post in this series with the pineapple placemat. All of the mats are made the same way.

For the berry, make 7 blue hexagons (or whatever color berry you choose!), and two small diamonds. These are considered 6-pt diamonds, and they are exactly 1/3 of a hexagon. Join the hexagons into a flower shape by attaching one hexie to each side of the center hexagon. Then, join the seams of the six "petals".



Join the two diamonds and then attach them to one of the indentations on the berry.



Remove the center hexagon paper and embroider the face. You know you want a face on the berry, right? Then, remove all the rest of the papers. You may want to give this a quick pressing with an iron just to help it hold it's shape.



Just like with the other placemats, use fabric glue along the seams of the fruit and then place it on your prepared placemat. This helps hold it in place for stitching and it gives it extra security for when these need to be washed.



Using three strands of embroidery floss, stitch around the berry with running stitch. When you come to those flaps on the stem, fold the flap to the side, and stitch up to the point.



Tuck the flap under the point and stitch down the other side. Do this for both points. It can be tricky to get them just right, so don't fret about perfection!



When you finish off your stitching, be sure to hide the knot between the berry and the placemat top. And now you've got the third fruit mat!




I rather like his plump lumpiness!



Three down...one more to go! Next Wednesday will be the last fruit and you'll get to choose your favorite color for this one...