English Placemat, Napkin Ring and Napkin
Create a variety of placemats and napkins for special occasions, everyday dining and even as gifts. Design these crafts to match the colors of your kitchen or dining room.
These placemats have attractive rows of stitching using “reverse bobbin work”.
A ribbon is placed in the bobbin, then the project is sewn from the wrong side
of the fabric. The ribbon is seen on the right side of the fabric, creating a much
bolder effect than ordinary thread.
Create a variety of placemats and napkins for special occasions, everyday dining and even as gifts. Design these crafts to match the colors of your kitchen or dining room.
These placemats have attractive rows of stitching using “reverse bobbin work”.
A ribbon is placed in the bobbin, then the project is sewn from the wrong side
of the fabric. The ribbon is seen on the right side of the fabric, creating a much
bolder effect than ordinary thread.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1/2 yard of linen for placemat and napkin ring
- Cut two 16 x 21 inches for placemat
- Cut one 5 x 6 inches for napkin ring
- 1/2 yard fusible interfacing
- Cut one 16 x 21 inches
- Cut one 5 x 6 inches
- 1/2 yard of cotton or linen for napkin
- Cut one 18 x 18 inches square for the napkin
- 2mm silk ribbon
- Water soluble marker or chalk
- Ruler
- All-purpose thread
- (Select a spool that matches the silk ribbon and a spool that matches the linen and cotton)
- Tapestry needle
Getting ready
Placemat Directions
1. Apply the fusible interfacing to the wrong side of one of the 16 x 21 inches linen pieces, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Lay the linen, interfacing side face up, on a flat surface.
3. Using a ruler and a water soluble marker or chalk, mark a line 1 inch from all four edges.
4. Mark another line 3-1/2 inches from all four edges.
5. Mark a line from the corners of the inside rectangle to the corners of the fabric.
6. Thread the needle with all-purpose thread in a color which matches the silk ribbon.
7. Wind the bobbin with the silk ribbon. It may be easier to wind the ribbon onto the bobbin by hand.
8. Place the bobbin into the bobbin case. Put the ribbon into the bobbin tension slot to make the look of the stitch uniform. Or, put the ribbon into the bobbin case but not in the tension slot for a loose, irregularly textured look.
9. Select the desired stitch and sew inside the border area, right side of the fabric facing down (the interfacing side).
Note: Ribbon work is best when done with simple stitches like zig-zag, feather stitch, blanket stitch, etc. Avoid dense stitch patterns.
10. Fill the border area with rows of stitching. Leave the thread and ribbon tails at the beginning and ending of the stitching about 4 long. When the stitching is finished, bring the tails through to the wrong side of the fabric and tie the ends together.
11. Thread the machine with all-purpose thread that matches the linen, in both the needle and in the bobbin.
12. Set the Pattern Selector to Straight Stitch. Change Stitch Length to medium. Change Stitch Width to the “straight” setting.
13. Pin placemat back to placemat front, right sides together.
14. Stitch together with a 1/2 inch seam, and leave a 5inch opening on one of the sides for turning.
15. Trim corners. Turn right side out and press.
16. Stitch the opening closed.
17. Lay the placemat, face up, on a flat surface.
18. Use a fabric marker to mark a box inside of the decorative stitching border, about 3-1/4 inch from the outside edges.
19. Mark diagonal lines about 1-1/2 inches apart inside of the rectangle.
Sewing Tip: If the bobbin should run out of ribbon in the middle of the stitch, bring the ribbon tail through to the wrong side using a tapestry needle. Start the stitching again with a full bobbin and then tie the ribbon tails together.
20. Thread the needle of the machine with thread that matches the color of the silk ribbon.
21. Change the Stitch Length to the longest setting.
22. Stitch along the lines. Backstitch at the beginning and the ending of the rows.
Napkin Ring Directions
1. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the 5 x 6 inches linen.
2. Mark a line 1-3/4 inches from each long edge.
3. Create rows of the reverse bobbin stitching within the lines to match the border of the placemat.
4. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together. Pin the long edge.
5. Thread the needle and bobbin with the all-purpose thread that matches the color of the linen.
6. Using a 1/4 inch seam, stitch the pinned edge. Then turn right side out and press under 1/4 inch on one end.
7. Tuck the other end into the pressed-under edge, overlapping about 1/4 inch, and hand stitch.
Napkin Directions
1. Press under 3/8 inch along each edge of the 18 inches cotton square.
2. Press the edge under again.
3. Stitch close to the folded edge using a straight stitch.
- Set Stitch Selector to Straight Stitch.
- Set Stitch Length to medium.
- Set Stitch Width to the “straight” setting.
- Set Needle Position Selector to Center position.
- Attach General Purpose Foot.
Placemat Directions
1. Apply the fusible interfacing to the wrong side of one of the 16 x 21 inches linen pieces, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Lay the linen, interfacing side face up, on a flat surface.
3. Using a ruler and a water soluble marker or chalk, mark a line 1 inch from all four edges.
4. Mark another line 3-1/2 inches from all four edges.
5. Mark a line from the corners of the inside rectangle to the corners of the fabric.
6. Thread the needle with all-purpose thread in a color which matches the silk ribbon.
7. Wind the bobbin with the silk ribbon. It may be easier to wind the ribbon onto the bobbin by hand.
8. Place the bobbin into the bobbin case. Put the ribbon into the bobbin tension slot to make the look of the stitch uniform. Or, put the ribbon into the bobbin case but not in the tension slot for a loose, irregularly textured look.
9. Select the desired stitch and sew inside the border area, right side of the fabric facing down (the interfacing side).
Note: Ribbon work is best when done with simple stitches like zig-zag, feather stitch, blanket stitch, etc. Avoid dense stitch patterns.
10. Fill the border area with rows of stitching. Leave the thread and ribbon tails at the beginning and ending of the stitching about 4 long. When the stitching is finished, bring the tails through to the wrong side of the fabric and tie the ends together.
11. Thread the machine with all-purpose thread that matches the linen, in both the needle and in the bobbin.
12. Set the Pattern Selector to Straight Stitch. Change Stitch Length to medium. Change Stitch Width to the “straight” setting.
13. Pin placemat back to placemat front, right sides together.
14. Stitch together with a 1/2 inch seam, and leave a 5inch opening on one of the sides for turning.
15. Trim corners. Turn right side out and press.
16. Stitch the opening closed.
17. Lay the placemat, face up, on a flat surface.
18. Use a fabric marker to mark a box inside of the decorative stitching border, about 3-1/4 inch from the outside edges.
19. Mark diagonal lines about 1-1/2 inches apart inside of the rectangle.
Sewing Tip: If the bobbin should run out of ribbon in the middle of the stitch, bring the ribbon tail through to the wrong side using a tapestry needle. Start the stitching again with a full bobbin and then tie the ribbon tails together.
20. Thread the needle of the machine with thread that matches the color of the silk ribbon.
21. Change the Stitch Length to the longest setting.
22. Stitch along the lines. Backstitch at the beginning and the ending of the rows.
Napkin Ring Directions
1. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the 5 x 6 inches linen.
2. Mark a line 1-3/4 inches from each long edge.
3. Create rows of the reverse bobbin stitching within the lines to match the border of the placemat.
4. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together. Pin the long edge.
5. Thread the needle and bobbin with the all-purpose thread that matches the color of the linen.
6. Using a 1/4 inch seam, stitch the pinned edge. Then turn right side out and press under 1/4 inch on one end.
7. Tuck the other end into the pressed-under edge, overlapping about 1/4 inch, and hand stitch.
Napkin Directions
1. Press under 3/8 inch along each edge of the 18 inches cotton square.
2. Press the edge under again.
3. Stitch close to the folded edge using a straight stitch.