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Sewing for the Home ~ Patchwork Kitchen Mat
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Today Autum brings us another satisfying, easy project to add a little something extra to your kitchen. Enjoy! |
By making your own kitchen floor mat, you choose the size and colors, instead of being limited to what’s available in the stores. It’s quick and inexpensive, especially if you use fabric from your stash. I suggest pre-washing your fabric for this project, so that your mat will keep its shape.
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Begin by selecting the fabric for your mat. I used quilting weight cotton and linen for the front, a heavier, home dec weight fabric for the back and lined it with cotton quilt batting. This mat is done in simple patchwork strips, but it doesn’t have to be limited to that. You could get as intricate as you like. Again, the beauty of making your own mat, you get to be the designer.
Determine the size you would like your mat and cut a piece of cotton batting slightly larger. You could also use fleece or polyester batting if that’s what you have on hand. |
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For the patchwork front, I tore strips of fabric in varying widths and laid them out on the batting. You don’t have to tear your strips; I find it quicker and easier and more fun than cutting when working with cotton. |
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Once you have the patchwork in a layout that is pleasing to you, sew the strips together and press all your seams. |
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To prepare the patchwork for quilting, safety pin baste the patchwork and batting together, just like you would a quilt. |
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Machine quilt vertical lines 1.5 to 2 inches apart, beginning at the center and working your way out. I used the guide on my walking foot, if you don’t have a guide, mark your lines first with a water soluble fabric marking pen. You could do free motion quilting here instead or horizontal lines instead of vertical, or really go wild and do both. It’s completely up to you, because who’s the designer? You’re the designer! |
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Square up your quilted patchwork, to the dimensions you’ve chosen for your finished mat. |
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Cut the backing fabric five inches longer and five inches wider than the patchwork front. |
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To center your patchwork on the backing fabric, fold the backing fabric in half horizontally and vertically so that you have visible fold lines. Do the same with the patchwork. Line the center lines of the patchwork with the center lines of your backing fabric and pin in place (wrong sides together). |
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Beginning with either the top or bottom, turn the backing fabric up just shy of meeting the patchwork (about 1/8 inch). Press. Fold again and press. |
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The pressing is very important to get a smooth finished border. Don’t skip. |
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Stitch in place about just inside the edge of the border. Press again. At this point I could see that my patchwork wanted to shift as I folded the other side of the backing. To prevent this, I tacked it in place with a few hand basting stitches.
Once you feel like it’s secure fold the opposite side the same way. I used lots of pins because I didn’t want any shifting causing my border to be all wonky. Stitch and press. |
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Repeat with the sides. |
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Ta da! A finished floor mat. |
To prevent slipping and sliding all over your kitchen, you may want to put some type of non-skid rug pad underneath.
To make a mat for your bathroom you could do the same but back it with a towel.
This will wash so much better than the store-bought ones with rubber on the back! Thanks for the idea.
This is so very cute!! My kitchen mat is looking a little raggedy… I should start making one of these — maybe I’ll have it done by the time my kitchen my is totally kaput! °Ü°
Thanks for sharing!
darling! I’d be almost afraid to step on it! But I desperately need kitchen mats, and this had never even occurred to me to try. I’m off to dig through my stash!
Great project!
This is definitely TOO PRETTY for a floormat! I don’t think I could step on it!
what’s the apple/pear fabric you used? do you know if it is available online? It’s adorable!
Oh this is so cute! I just purchased a remnant piece of that Apple fabric… i love it!! Can’t wait to use it for something!
Erin, I found the apple fabric at JoAnns.
Super idea! I have been searching for the right mat for my bathroom for months. This will be perfect.
Thanks
I love that fabric too! It is Alexander Henry’s “Apples and Pears”. I actually found it at JoAnn’s, but it is available online like crazy.
Wow! What a cute kitchen mat. Way too pretty for my kitchen floor! Thanks! I have so many co-worker birthdays coming up! Pefect!
Genius! I hate all the boring kitchen mats/rugs that aren’t ever in the colors I want. Another project to add to the list….
OH perfection – make a kitchen mat, and end up with a cutie patootie baby at the end – I’m IN – time to fire up the sewing machine!!
Sweet mat – I need to make some for my kitchen – my old store bought ones are looking pretty bedraggled. Thanks for the tute (and the cute babe pic)
I love this idea! I was wondering what anyone thinks about making one of these in a bigger size, for under my dining room table. Do you think it would work?
Very pretty mat and great instructions, thank you! And I love your model, too!
I need a mat in my kitchen. This will be a fun project . Thanks!
Super cute idea. I love the bat mat idea so much (as I’d be worried about staining my rug if I used it in the kitchen. I’m a messy cook!)
Loving it!!
Oh my! Does the baby come with it? If so, I’ll take two!!
Thanks.
Rebecca F.
Very cute kitchen mat. I wouldn’t want to dirty it by walking on it!
This is great! Thank you for the wonderful tutorial! I have to make at least three of these now…kitchen, bathroom, front door. Yay!
OOH! This could be a great Christmas gift — new bathmats for the grandmas!
I think this would be great, especially if I let my daughters sew the straight lines!
This year I”m starting early so there’ll be no last minute rushing to get things done!
Last year I did the bags for sore muscles & eye packs.
THis year I’ll do some new bathmats and maybe a large corn bag for the microwave.
Keep it coming!
Love the floor mat and Bayliegh is just as cute as ever in that last pic.
BethieB, I am wondering the same how it would look bigger. I may make a runner version for my master bath. Should be interesting.
This is really cute. I think I’ll try one!!
i love it – Good solution for some one who wants to wash the bathmat everyday. I have this thing about stepping out of the tub clean and getting my feet dirty on a used bathmat…
Maybe I will make a few and trade them out often
That’s a great tutorial, thanks for sharing. And oh my gosh….isn’t that a cutie pie in the last pic.
I love the floor mats! Ours is pretty raggedy, too – I’ll definitely have to use this. Plus I get to look at some of my pretty fabrics – bonus!
Really cool. Thanks for sharing such a lovely tutorial. The baby is sooooooooo cute.
Very cute! Enjoy all your projects, although my sewing table is scattered with scrapbook stuff, so sewing is on hold for now. I didn’t know if you had any crafty ideas for dressing up bookends? I have two bookends (metal variety) on my living room bookshelf and they look horrible! I tried searching your projects and didn’t find anything. I also looked for a way to email you, but couldn’t find any other way to contact you (so please excuse me leaving this question as a comment!) Thanks!!
what a cute mat! i just love the apples & pears and recently sewed myself a pair of boxers in it. i’m so glad i have leftovers because it is TOTALLY adorable. : )
Wonderful Tutorial! Great idea. I was actually thinking of buying a kitchen mat, but making my own would be better!
I have been considering new floor mats and was planning on crocheting them out of old tshirts–but I’m just starting out with crochet and am much more comfortable sewing! Thanks for the great idea! I might have to save the old shirts for something else.
Love this idea and I have a lot of that apple fabric in my stach waiting to be used!
What an incredibly adorable baby… can she come and visit me to cheer me up with those adorable eyes and smile?
saw this on whip up, that is so perfect and something i can see myself actually finishing. Thank you for the great tutorial. Love it!
I have been saving old, ragged bathmats for just this purpose. You have inspired me to actually use them! Thanks.
This will help with Christmas gift ideas! Recently found this blog and I am finding lots of inspiration!
Nice work! Nice tutorial! Nice baby!!!
I’ve always loved this project — such a great idea. And very cool with that cute little Bayleigh at the end!
Great step-by-step; thanks for taking the time to show us this!
This is great! It may be time for me to throw out that rug that has seen better days and make something that is a lot easier to wash!!!
This is beautiful, I´m definitely making one, but I don´t know if I´ll use it as a kitchen mat, it´s too pretty! thanks for the tutorial.
I absolutely love this! I’m going to make a matching set for my kitchen, one for in front of the sink and one for in front of the fridge… and maybe for one in front of the dishwasher? and the stove? Maybe I should just make one long runner that will run the length of them… oooooh the posibilities are endless! Thanks for the great tute!
I’ve been trying to think of a way to make some rugs for my kitchen because I can’t find any that are just right. Now, thanks to you, I can make one myself. I love it! Thank you.
I’ve been wanting to make something to spice up my kitchen…this just might be the ticket!
I love this! My kitchen is apples & I have some apple fabric… now I know how to put it to good use.
I think even *I* might actually be able to finish this project…and I can’t do much of anything these days, with my non-sleeping baby!!
SOOO cute!! My kitchen rugs are hideous, so I need to start making a few for myself! Sure could use some of those Amy Butler solids to start ou!
I don’t know that I’d be able to step on something so sweet.
What a great idea! I never thought of making my own patch floor mat! It could be done in colors for each season, or holiday as well! Great Job!
I love this….but I just want to see that baby sitting on it too. LOL. I think I will have to give this a try!!!!
Can’t wait to try this! I’ve seen it pop up all over the internet this week, and it just keeps coming back to me as the perfect afternoon project!
I love this idea. I can’t wait to make one.
I love the idea of doing this for a bathmat, with a towel backing! Now all I would have to do is keep my pets from playing with it.
What a fun and creative idea!
This is so fantastic! I really want to make one to go with my new wall color. I’ll be linking to this.
What a great idea. I have some pieces of non slip rug stuff I got from ikea a while ago. They probably still do it.
Love this! I have some kitchen mats, but they just aren’t what I want. It never orrcured to me you could make your own…but now I can!! yea!!
Ooh I love that kitchen floor mat!!
Thanks for the rad tutorial! And cute baby, bee tee dubs.
This is beautiful. I think it would be fun to make a mini version for my daughters little play kitchen too.
I made one…its almost too cute to walk on. But fun to make. Thanks.
I’m definitely trying out this one! So cute!
what a great way to coordinate your kitchen or bath! I love the sweet baby too!
Ooooooo!! I love this idea. It’s been hard to find a kitchen mat I like- perfect!
What a great idea. I never would have thought to make a mat with fabric that I have Thanks for sharing a great idea with us.
What a fabulous idea! I can never find a mat that I truly love for my kitchen!!
Oh my goodness! I love the rug – the fabrics are fabulous!
This is a wonderful idea- especially as I can’t quite bring myself tp buy a new one- though the one I have now is so old and gross. Can’t wait to try!
Super cute! And your tutorial is super easy to follow! First one for the kitchen. Then the laundry room. The the hall bath. Then the other bath….
This is a perfect solution to my need to always change the kitchen mat. Thank you.
Oh, this is fabulous! What a great way to use up odd pieces of fabric too. I can’t wait to try this one. Thanks!
This is really cute. I just knitted cloth rugs for my kitchen but I still need to make some for my bathrooms.
I am so excited about making this little kitchen mat. I plan on making a couple of them for Christmas gifts – for my daughter…and a friend. Thanks for a great idea!!!!
I’ve been looking for something to cover my kitchen floor. Thank you!
This is darling. I’d be afraid of how dirty I would get it!
Perfect! I need some mats for my kitchen and bathrooms. :c)
Very Cute!
Thank you for this tutorial. I need a long, narrow bath mat and this is a great way to whip one up in a flash.
Love it! The fabric is perfect and baby is too cute!! Thanks for the tutorial.
you know, i never even put any thought to the idea of a kitchen mat until I saw this post, and then suddenly realized that a) it would be incredibly useful to have one, and b) this opens up a boxful of great possibilities!
i may just give this one a go! this patchwork stuff is really starting to grow on me…
I love it! I can’t wait to try it!
I love this idea-great way to use up your favorite scraps! Great tutorial. I have enjoyed all of Autum’s ideas.
This is so cute! Does it not slip when stepped on? I’ve went into homes and
people have bought rugs that move and you slip on them.
The rubber backs also have a chance of discoloring vinyl floors so this would
be so much better.
Thanks for sharing!
God Bless You and Yours!!!
That’s so cute! I’ve been whining that I can’t find kitchen rugs or bathmats in the colors or patterns I want, but I’d never really thought about sewing my own. I’m definitely going to now though–and being able to customize the size is great too. (Why can I never find an apartment with a normal shaped bathroom?)
I love this!
I would love to figure out a way to make it extra cushy with out being a trip hazard for our hard tile floors!
I am in love with this thing. Seriously, I can use scraps, it easily washes and it’s fun to make, for the kitchen!?! It’s now on my list of things to do tomorrow.
Brilliant! Simply brilliant! I’m going to give this a go this weekend. I just got new towels and wanted to find a way to use my old ones. Thanks!
i love this
i was inspired right away start making it
and i did…its sitting in front of my kitchen sink as we speak
I love the mat. I will have to make one for my kitchen. Thank you!
Cute mat AND a cute baby!
Great idea – my kitchen mat is looking a bit grody now that I think about it…
love this project! i will definitely be trying that
I love this! Definitely giving it a try! Thanks Autum!
This is such a cute idea, because sometimes it is so hard to find mats that match. I just wonder if it slips around a lot if you have tile floors? Thanks for the idea!
looks cute and easy to do. two things I like!
Thanks for sharing this, Autum! I always love your tutorials.
Hi!!! I love all your tutorials. This kitchen matt is on my list to try. Thanks for such a great blog and shop.
Super cute mat and super cute baby! Love it!
(^_^)/
I was going to say that I loved the reminders that I’m the designer, but then I got to the last line. Yeah! The bathroom is where I need this & I could use one of our bathsheets that’s getting raggedy on the edges so needs some sewing machine time anyway.
I am going to do this for the bathroom in my camping trailer and the kitchen. Some rugs kind of disintegrate when you dry them and this will not do that. No one likes to open their dryer and find all of that flaky rubber stuff from the rug. What a mess that is to clean up. How about double stick tape on the back. You could always take it off when you wash and dry it and put more on before you lay it back on the floor. thank you for the suggestion. I love it!
Thanks so much. I will be making a bathroom rug with this tutorial. Once all my Christmas projects are off the list, of course.
I just found my homemade Christmas gifts! Thank you so much for posting this tutorial. It looks great and I can’t wait to bust out my fabric scraps now!
I love this idea-great way to use up your favorite scraps! I will have to make one for my kitchen. Thank you!
I wonder if you can use puffy paint for a non-slip surface on the back (just make dots or squiggles) the way you can with crocheted/knitted slippers for kids. It might be worth a try. Thanks for the project idea.
That is too cute. I think I’ll make this for the dog bowls! Thanks for the great tutorials. I love tutorials!
It’s great to be part of the wonderful world of quilting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sarah Jane.
I want to make my Mom a new set of placements for Mother’s day and I think I can use this pattern! Thanks!
There is one just like this in PATCHWORK STYLE
http://www.makegoodbooks.com/patchwork-style/
Super Cute!!
I LOVE Patchwork, great idea.Thanks for tips, beautiful work!!
I think I’ll whip one of these up for our new baby’s nursery! Thanks for the tute!
I love this idea and will definitely try.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to make it non slip, though?
Nice! I am definitely going to add to my to do list!
I love this idea and can’t wait to try it. I think I’ll make one with Christmas fabric to add some Seasonal decorating to the kitchen!