How to Make Reversible Applique Place Mats

Thanksgiving is just around the corner so I decided to raid my remnant stash again to make these fun reversible applique place mats.  These place mats are perfect for the Thanksgiving season with their autumn patterns and harvest fabric.  You, of course, can make a more subdued version of this same project but as usual I love colors and am using them here.  Fall is a colorful time of year with its oranges, golds and greens so I wanted to highlight them in my applique for this project.  If you have never done applique this is the perfect project to get started.  It is very simple and requires only basic sewing skills to create these cute little place mats.

As I said, I delved into my stash and used up remnants that I had but if you want to make more than the two that I made I would head over to Hobby Lobby or Fabric.com to get the perfect fabrics for your project.  There are so many beautiful fall fabrics to choose from you can find exactly what you need.  This post contains affiliate links that if you click on them and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What You will Need:

• Pattern
• 1 yd solid colored fabric
• 1 yd of backing fabric
• fat quarter or remnant of applique fabric (more depending on how many mats you want to make)
• 1 yd Pellon 808
• 1/4 yd Pellon 805 (wonder under)
• Standard sewing supplies

Step 1: How to Make Reversible Applique Place Mats

Cut the solid fabric, backing fabric, and Pellon 808 in rectangles that measure 14″ x 18″.  Cut as many as you would like to make.

Step 2: How to Make Reversible Applique Place Mats

Fuse one side of the wonder under to the applique fabric.  If you have never worked with wonder under you will find that it is a fusible mesh that has a paper backing and glue side.  Place the glue side on the wrong side of the fabric and press with a hot iron until the fabric and glue have fused together. Place your applique pattern onto the applique fabric and cut out the pattern.

Step 3: How to Make Reversible Applique Place Mats

Remove the paper backing from the applique piece.  Center the applique piece onto the solid colored place mat and press.  The applique will be fused to the solid colored fabric.  Do this for all of your mats.

Step 5: How to Make Reversible Applique Place Mats

Stitch around the appliques piece using either zigzag stitch or straight stitch.  I used zigzag stitch for mine.  This will further attach the applique to the mat and give it that applique look.

Step 6: How to Make Reversible Applique Place Mats

Fuse the Pellon 808 to the wrong side of the solid fabric following the manufacturers instructions.  This is a simple process.  There is a glue side and a non-glue side of the interfacing.  Place the glue side on the wrong side of the fabric and press using a hot iron until the glue has melted and the interfacing has fused with the fabric making them one piece.

Step 7: How to Make Reversible Applique Place Mats

Place the backing fabric right sides together with the solid fabric.  Sew around the perimeter of the fabric leaving a 4″ opening for turning.  Turn the mat right side out and press.

Step 8: How to Make Reversible Applique Place Mats

Close the opening using ladder stitch.  This is a virtually invisible stitch you can use to sew the opening closed without anyone being the wiser.  If you do not know how to do ladder stitch, check out this tutorial.

 

Press again and you have finished your reversible applique place mats.

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