How to make a Quilt as You Ditch-Stitch place mat.

The reason behind this idea was to make some embroidered place mats with embroidery done through the top and batting, and not have any joins or double layers in the batting as in all the Quilt As You Go projects Ive seen. It is probably only suitable for small projects. The only quilting (later) or stitch in the ditch is through the binding seam. 1. Cut the batting larger than the complete size of the project. 2. Complete the embroidery or appliqu in the hoop through top and backing only. 3. Draw a template of the inner rectangle onto freezer paper.

4. Pins are pushed through at corners from the front.

5. Pins are through to back.

6. Pins are put in to mark the edge of the seam allowance.

7. Only seam pins are left.

8. Sashing is laid against pins and pinned prior to sewing from the back.

N.B. ALL stitching is done from the BACK

9. Completed stitching from the back.

10. Completed stitching from the top side.

11. The quilt is place face down on a cutting mat and the backing and wadding folded back to reveal the seam allowances. These are trimmed with a rotary cutter and acrylic ruler. The ruler pictured is an Add-a-Quarter ruler used for foundation piecing. It has a ridge wide along one edge.

12. First seams after trimming

13. First seams after pressing.

14. The quilt is turned over and pins inserted at the corners to mark the stitching line.

15. This is what it should look like from the front side.

16. Pins are inserted at the seam width to aid in aligning the next piece.

17. The next row of sashing in laid against the pins and pinned prior to sewing.

18. This is it pinned ready for stitching. (Always from the back.)

19. Stitching line is marked. It needs to overlap the width of the sashing strip by a few stitches.

20. Stitching is done

21. Back view. The stitching was done from the back.

22. The top and batting layers only are folded back ready to trim the quilt top fabrics.

23. The sashing turned and pressed after trimming.

24. The sashing width has been cut from a strip of freezer paper. The next sashing will need to be placed from this.

25. Insert pins at this level along the seam.

26. The next sashing is laid against this row of pins and pinned in place.

27. The strip of freezer paper is used as a sewing guide to sew the next seam. The extended ends need to be marked where they should overlap the previous sashing width.

28. Stitching the seam marked in previous photo.

29. Seam is trimmed. I have shown a standard quilt ruler here in case you think that the yellow one is essential. (Its not!)

30. The third sashing turned and pressed.

31. The width is determined with pins and ruler as before and the sashing strip is stitched using a strip of freezer paper also as before.

32. The next seam stitched.

33. The previous seam turned and pressed. This sequence can be continued with whatever width or number of of sashings you like. Anything suitable can be used as guides freezer paper, quilters tape, masking or painters tape etc.

34. The back view of the previous seams. Not how they overlap slightly. I have used a tiny stitch (0.5) to start and end each line instead of back stitching (or threading the ends back in!)