Quick Christmas Cookie Placemat

Whip up this adorable placemat in no time at all! Concerned how you'll hoop your project? Have a fear of perfect placement in the hoop? Want a clean back to your embroidery project? Short on time? I'll alleviate your fears and show you how to accomplish all the above with this fun placemat. 

Thank goodness for blanks! If I had to make these placemats from scratch, I probably would not have them done for next Christmas. So I jumped at the chance to get a set from Hobby Lobby (no affiliation).

Buffalo check is so popular right now and these placemats are well made with straight seams in regard to the plaid print.

 

 

I used the mitten design from Bonnie’s Christmas Cookies set and stitched it on a premium craft felt, skipping the white double satin stitched lines over the fingers and the white fill and red specks inside the cuff.

You can stitch these right on the placemat if you like (get design placement tips here), but I took another shortcut and stitched them as freestanding applique and then glued them onto the placemat.

Freestanding Applique Technique

Freestanding applique is stitched on either water-soluble or heat-away stabilizers. You can get a tutorial on how to do it in the Cookies for Santa blog. Heat-away stabilizers work really well for this technique because they pull away cleanly without any need for further removal. 

The steps are the same except that, since the mitten was not an ornament, I did not add a back to it. When the embroidery was finished, I pulled the heat-away stabilizer away for clean edges.

Attaching the Mitten

I have used Aleene’s OK to Wash-It fabric glue for years and have never had an issue. Apply glue around the outside edge on the back of the mitten embroidery. You just have to be careful not to get too much glue on the mitten as it will come out around the edges. A paint brush or toothpick helps to smooth glue evenly.

Position the embroidery where you want it add a slight weight on top to hold it tight to the placemat and let it dry overnight. You could even add a monogram in the right upper corner if you like.

Add a pretty button and you have a cute placemat that will be stylish long past Christmas!

Debbie Henry
Sew Inspired by Bonnie