Scrappy Floral Appliqué Table Mat

Quilt designer: Kim Diehl

• 3/8 yard total assorted light prints (appliqué foundations, inner border)
• 1/4 yard total assorted green prints (appliqués)
• 1 yard total assorted medium and dark prints (appliqués, inner border, binding)
• 3/8 yard light green print (outer border)
• 3/4 yard backing fabric
• 28" square batting
• .004 monofilament thread in smoke and clear colors
• Freezer paper
• Fabric glue stick
• Perle cotton No. 8: off-white

Finished quilt: 22" square

Quantities are for 44/45" wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together, unless otherwise stated.

Designer Notes

"This project was quick, easy, and so much fun to make I was sorry when it was finished," says Kim. "Each block is unique, and I enjoyed experimenting with different color combinations that I typically might not put together."

Kim says that while she generally chooses a cohesive color scheme, she intentionally includes a few colors or prints that don't fit perfectly: It's the secret that keeps her scrap quilts from looking too planned.

Kim finished this little quilt with the "big stitch" method of hand quilting, her personal favorite because it results in quick progress while lending a lot of charm.

To make the best use of your fabrics, cut the pieces in the order that follows. Click on "Download This Project" to download the full-size patterns.

Designer Kim Diehl uses a freezer-paper method on the fabric wrong side to prepare pieces for machine appliqué. To use this method, complete the following steps.

1. Lay freezer paper, shiny side down, over patterns. Trace each pattern the number of times indicated in cutting instructions. Cut out freezer-paper shapes on drawn lines.

2. Place a small amount of glue stick on the dull side of freezer-paper shapes. Position shapes on designated fabrics' wrong side, leaving at least 1/2" between shapes. Cut out each shape, adding a scant 1/4" seam allowance to all edges. Clip seam allowances of curves as necessary, stopping a thread or two away from freezer paper. Clip inner points right to the paper edge.

3. Use tip of hot, dry iron to press seam allowance of each shape over edge onto shiny side of freezer paper; let cool.

From assorted light prints, cut:

• 9 -- 4-1/2" squares for applique foundations
• 48 -- 1-1/2" squares
• 4 -- 1-1/2x3-1/2" rectangles
• 4 -- 1/2x2-1/2" rectangles

From assorted green prints, cut:

• 18 of Pattern A

From assorted medium and dark prints, cut:

• 24 -- 2-1/2x3-1/2" rectangles
• 4 -- 2-1/2" squares
• Enough 2-1/2"-wide strips to total 110" for binding
• 9 each of patterns B, C, D, and E

From light green print, cut:

• 2--2-1/2x22-1/2" outer border strips
• 2--2-1/2x18-1/2" outer border strips

1. With right sides together, fold each light print 4-1/2" square in half diagonally; finger-press lightly. Unfold, then refold square in half diagonally in opposite direction and finger-press to make appliqué foundations with placement guidelines.

2. Fold a prepared green print A piece in half, matching leaf tips. Finger-press along fold to crease, then cut along the crease to make two leaves (Diagram 1). Repeat with remaining green print A pieces to make 36 leaves total.

3. Position four leaves on an appliqué foundation, centering leaf tips on diagonal creases and leaving about 5/8" seam allowance on all sides. Anchor seam allowances of leaves with a small amount of basting glue.

4. With monofilament thread in the needle and a neutral-color thread in the bobbin, use tiny zigzag stitches to appliqué leaves in place (do not sew raw edge of leaf; it will be covered by flower appliques). Remove freezer paper from each leaf through unstitched opening.

5. Center and appliqué a B flower to the foundation (Applique Placement Diagram). Use embroidery scissors to carefully trim away foundation fabric and remove freezer-paper.

6. Working from bottom layer to the top, repeat Step 5 to applique a C flower, and D and E flower centers to the foundation to complete an appliqued block. Press each block gently and briefly from wrong side; prolonged heat can weaken the monofilament threads.

7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 to make nine appliquéd blocks total.

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out appliquéd blocks in three rows.

2. Sew together blocks in each row. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction with each row. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in on direction. The quilt center should be 12-1/2" square including seam allowances.

1. Mark a diagonal line on wrong side of 48 assorted light print 1-1/2" squares.

2. Align a marked light print square with one corner of a medium or dark print 2-1/2x3-1/2" rectangle; stitch on drawn line (Diagram 2; note direction of drawn line). Trim excess, leaving 1/4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle.

3. Align a second marked light print square with adjacent corner of the medium or dark print 2-1/2x3-1/2" rectangle. Stitch, trim, and press as before to make a rectangle unit.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 24 rectangle units total.

5. Join six rectangle units to make an inner border unit. Press seams in one direction. Repeat to make four inner border units total.

6. Sew inner border unit to opposite edges of quilt center. Press seams toward inner border.

7. Sew a light print 1-1/2x2-1/2" rectangle to a medium or dark print 2-1/2" square (Diagram 3). Press seam toward light print rectangle. Sew a light print 1-1/2x3-1/2" rectangle to adjacent side of medium or dark print 2-1/2" square to make a pieced corner unit. Press seam toward light print rectangle. The unit should be 3-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four pieced corner units total.

8. Join a corner unit to each end of remaining inner border units; press seams toward inner border units. Join pieced inner border units to remaining edges of quilt center; press seams toward inner border (Quilt Assembly Diagram).

9. Sew short light green print outer border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long light green print outer border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward outer border.

1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing.

2. Quilt as desired. Using No. 8 perle cotton, designer Kim Diehl hand-quilted 1/4" from each seam with a big running stitch. She also hand-quilted an X through the medium and dark prints in the inner border and outlined-stitched around each appliqué to emphasize its shape.

3. Bind with assorted medium and dark print binding strips.

Tuck a quick-to-sew mat in a card as an unexpected surprise. Or stitch several to make a set full of warm and cozy country charm.

Materials for one Mug Mat

• 4-1/2" square light print (appliqué foundation)
• Scraps of green prints and assorted medium or dark prints (appliqués)
• 2-1/2x22" strip of medium or dark print (binding)
• 5" square backing fabric
• 5" square batting

Finished mug mat: 4-1/4" square

Cut Fabrics

From assorted green prints, cut:

• 2 of Pattern A

From assorted medium and dark prints, cut:

• 1 each of patterns B, C, D, and E

Assemble Mug Mat

1. Referring to Applique Blocks, steps 1 through 6, make one appliquéd block. Centering design, trim appliquéd block to 4-1/4" square.

2. Layer appliquéd block, batting and backing. Quilt as desired. Designer Kim Diehl hand-quilted around the appliqués, using a big stitch in contrasting thread to emphasize the shapes of the blossoms.

3. Bind with medium or dark print binding strip.