Easy Mitered Corner Serger Placemats

By Debbie Cook

Here's the instructions for some quick and easy placemats. Really!

Supplies:
3- or 4-thread serger and sewing machine
Coordinating serger threads (regular thread is fine too)
1 cone of Wooly Nylon to match other thread
Sewing machine and bobbin thread
(All of my threads and Wooly Nylon are red. For best results, all threads should be the same color to match or coordinate with your fabric.)
2 coordinating fabrics (For 45" fabric, 1 yard of each fabric equals about 4 placemats. I bought extra to make the matching napkins shown above.)
Optional:
Temporary Spray Adhesive
Edge Joining Foot
Zipper Foot
Rotary Cutter and Mat (makes the straight cutting even quicker!)

Instructions for one placemat

1. Cut rectangles of fabric, each 19.5" x 14". If your project is to be a different final size, add the amount of your desired border width times 2 to the desired final width and height of your project.

This cutting layout will yield 4 placements. Cut each fabric as shown to end up with 8 fabric rectangles. From this point, the instructions are for one placemat. The sample in the photographs below was cut smaller than actual size and contrasting thread was used in some instances for illustration purposes. In other words, do not rely on the photos to "eyeball" measurements. Use the measurements or formula stated in the instructions.

2. Place wrong sides together. Optional: Spray one wrong side lightly with temporary spray adhesive to hold in place while serging. Otherwise, pin together with 2-3 pins in the center -- well out of the way of the serger blades.

3. Using Wooly Nylon in the upper looper, serge around all four sides with a 3- or 4-thread overcast stitch. The fabric which will form the border should be face up as you serge so that the Wooly Nylon will show as "braid" on the finished placemat. Remember to loosen your upper looper tension 1 or 2 settings while using Wooly Nylon. Don't worry about the serger thread tails. You'll be sewing over them later.

4. With the border fabric face up, fold down one corner, meeting the seams at the bottom as shown.

5. Next, fold the point of the corner over an amount equal to your desired border width. For my placemats, I folded the corner over 1". Finger press the fold to keep it in place.

6. Select a straight stitch and set your needle position just to the left of the fold. Using the Edge Joining foot, stitch from the serged edges to the point. Do not sew through the little folded over corner.

Your finished seam placement should end up as a right angle to the fold, and look like the photo below.

7. Trim the seam to a scant 1/4" and taper the end furthest from the serged edges, as shown below.

8. Repeats Steps 2-7 for the 3 remaining corners of the placement.

9. Press open all corner seams.

10. Turn corner seams right-side out and then press the border flat.

With matching sewing machine and bobbin thread, topstitch along the outside edge of the "serger braid" to secure the border. I found that using the zipper foot with the needle in the far left position made it very easy to sew a straight line here.

Voila! You now have a placemat with four beautiful mitered corners and a pretty faux braid inset.

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