Quilt As You Go | susies-scraps.com

Pink Strings Table Mat

Hello Dear Friends and Readers, and a warm welcome to todays post and to a bright New Year for 2023. I am in the mood for string projects and I hope you will be too.

In today’s post I am sharing with you all this little, Pink Strings Table Mat It is a quick project. I have definitely enjoyed making and using all the potholders, trivets, dish mats, kettle quiltlets and coasters I have made over time. These are very useful household items and not to forget they can make lovely small gifts as well. This mat can be useful to protect a table top or even as a placemat if preferred. I really like the way all the strings play together to make a unique table mat. Using lots of fabric strings and a Quilt As You Go (QAYG) method gives the Pink Strings Table Mat a lot of structure and makes it extra sturdy.

A Quilt As You Go Project

If you are not familiar with Quilt As You Go methods, it is a way of quilting the project during construction rather than after. Some examples of this can be sewing an “X” on two layers of fabric with one layer of flannel or batting in between which is often done when making rag quilts. Another method is making a small potholder quilt and then quilting and binding it. This method is then repeated as many times as desired and then they are hand stitched all together to make a larger quilt. Because each small piece was already quilted then this is also a form of QAYG. In todays example I will show how the item is quilted at the same time as each piece of fabric is added to the fabric and batting base.

Tips on Fabric Strings

For more tips on using fabric strings, see the previous post of String Pot Holders or Trivets for Christmas

I will give the requirement to make one Pink Strings Table Mat.

My suggestion is making two at a time to make the process more efficient because you are chain piecing and saving thread. If you only want to make one then I suggest piecing some other blocks in between.

Seam allowance is variable.

Finished size 12” x 18”

Requirements to make the Pink Strings Table Mat

1 of backing fabric 14” x 20” (a fat quarter could be used)

1 of Batting piece 14” x 20”

Approximately 40 leftover fabric strings at least 14” long each using prints of pinks apricots browns teal greens and light greens

2 of width of fabric strips 2 1/4” wide for the binding

Today I am using a Singer 15 treadle which is 120 years old. Learn to Treadle

Pink Strings Table Mat susies-scraps.com

Making the Pink Strings Table Mat

Lay out the backing fabric right side down and top with the batting piece. Make sure that the two pieces are aligned and smooth out carefully with your hands so that it is nice and flat.

Beginning at the centre of the mat, lay down one fabric string on the mat so that it slightly overhangs each side of the mat right side facing up. Lay a second string right side down on top of the first string so the the edges on the right edge of the two strings are aligned as much as possible. sew along that edge using an approximate 1/4” seam allowance. It does not have to be accurate as long as the edges are contained. Open up the second string and press toward the batting. Add the next string in the same way, right side down on top of the second string. sew along the right edge. Open up and press toward the batting. Finger press or roller press along the seam to open it up.

Continue adding strings in the same manner. If you are making two as I did, then keep going to the next mat and interchanging between the two mats.

Keep going until the mat is completely covered to the ends of the mat.

Take to the cutting mat and use a rotary cutter and ruler to trim the mat so that it measures 12” x 18”. the mat is already quilted because it is a QAYG project.