For our sewing project for Fall Fortnight, I thought it would be nice to make something small that everyone can easily do on a domestic machine, then send to a charity to lift the spirits of the seniors and disabled folks on the Meals on Wheels client list. We need 275 placemats to meet their need here in my county. In order to help you decide what you’d like to do for yourself, your friends, or to help with our charity project, we have a special blog hop today of my fellow blogger friends, each one with a tutorial, including me!! Plus there will be a drawing for Quilter’s Dream batting! It’s an exciting day, read on!!
Let’s start with my design. I’ve shown you this before, but it remains my favorite one. It is a fussy cut center, square in a square illusion with flying geese so it appears to be on point. The center is 12-1/2 inches and the sidebars are 3-1/2 inches, bringing the size of the mat to 12-1/2 x 18-1/2. Start with a fabric where you can fussy cut motifs in 6-1/2-inch squares. Pull a dark and light coordinating print.
Make a gaggle of flying geese from a dark coordinating print so the center will appear set on point. The No-Waste Method makes four geese at once.
Using a Wing Clipper Tool makes trimming fast and easy. Trim by placing the point in the crossed diagonal lines where there is a bit of overhang past the final trimmed size.
Turn the goose around and finish trimming by placing the previously cut edge on the 3-1/2-inch line and the point in the marked diagonal lines where they cross. Final size 3-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches.
Place the flying geese units around the fussy cut center motif to create the illusion of the block being on point. Place background 3-1/2-inch squares in the corners. Sew in rows using the web method.
Press the geese on the top and bottom to the outside and the center row to the inside so the seams nest and the least amount of bulk is created.
The turkey block is 12-1/2 inches square at this point.
Add sidebars of light coordinating print 3-1/2-inches wide x 12-1/2 inches high. This will bring the placemats to 12-1/2 x 18-1/2, a nice size for a table.
Quilt all at once if you have a longarm, or individually on a domestic machine. I put mine on the longarm, and stitched down the edges, then quilted across two at once. This pantograph is a favorite for fall with pumpkins and leaves.
Make binding. For contrast, I used the same darker print as the flying geese. Apply as you like. I like to sew to the top, then turn to the back and finish by hand. You can sew to the back first, then turn to the top and finish by machine.
Be sure you use a quarter-inch seam allowance so you do not cut off any of the points.
I finish by hand. I know many of you find this tedious, but I find it relaxing, like a meditation.
Download the pdf with cutting instructions and assembly – Turkey Talk Placemats.
The batting I love the most for this kind of project is Quilter’s Dream Green. QD says ” Quilter’s Dream Batting Earth friendly soft polyester batting is made 100% from recycled plastic bottles. Each pound of Dream Green Batting keeps 10 plastic bottles out of our landfills. Plastic bottles are cut into chips, washed, melted and extruded into fine polyester fibers. These recycled fibers are indistinguishable from virgin polyester fibers yet are made without depleting our precious natural resources. To avoid additional processing the soft “natural” green bottle color has been kept. But you can rest assured that Dream Green is colorfast and compatible to all your finest quilts and projects. Finished quilt may be machine-washed and dried with little to no shrinkage and is wrinkle resistant. There are no scrim or resins and you can quilt up to 12 inches apart. Your needles will glide through this unique eco-friendly batting. Twin size, 93 x 72 inches, this size keeps 13 plastic bottles out of the landfills.” As far as I know, Quilter’s Dream is the only batting company using recycled materials in a product, and I buy this often to support that idea.
Continuing with designs using 12-1/2-inch center block with 3-1/2-inch sidebars, these placemats from the 2019 edition of Autumn Jubilee are another one of my favorites with flying geese borders. Find the tutorial for this one at Autumn Jubilee Placemats.
For these placemats, I made a quick nine-patch using an embroidery I had done and never put to use. Sidebars are floral fabric in coordinating colors. This one had the backing sewn to the top right sides together with a layer of batting, then turned, pressed and topstitched all around to close the opening for turning. Then I stitched in the ditch to quilt it.
For this one, I had the quarter-square hourglass units in the stash. I put them together to create the center square, and added sidebars of a fall print. This one has the binding put on by machine.
A simple square works as well. These have simple quilting and are bound by machine.
Want more great ideas? I’ve gathered some of my blogger buddies to help you with even more great placemat designs. Visit all of them for more ideas!
Carole at From My Carolina Home – Placemat Blog Hop and Charity Project (you are here)
Diann at Little Penguin Quilts – Fall Fortnight Placemat Blog Hop
Mary Ellen at Quilt Mouse – A Blog Hop with Fall Fortnight 2026
Vicki at Colorways by Vicki –Placemats for a Cause
Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl – Fall Leaf Block & Placemat Tutorial
Kathy at Sewing Etc – Fall Placemats
Mary at Stitchin’ Grandma – Fall Placemat Tutorial
Kathleen McMusing – Maple Leaf Placemats
Alycia Quilts – Fall Fortnight Placemat Hop
When you have decided which design you are going to do, if you can make a couple of placemats for the Meals on Wheels drive, I’d love to have them. And you’ll be entered into a special drawing for a fabulous goodie bag which will include Quilter’s Dream batting! You only have two weeks to get them in the mail, though, so sew fast!! Placemats need to be postmarked no later than October 30 so they arrive in time for the scheduled delivery.
Ship to –
Carole Carter
PO Box 524
Mountain Home, NC 28758
Quilter’s Dream has sent craft size batting in several fibers for today’s drawing, perfect for placemats. We’ll split these up for two winners! One for today’s comments, and one for someone who sends in placemats for our drive. Find Quilters Dream at Fat Quarter Shop and Quilters Dream Green on Amazon.
To enter the Quilter’s Dream drawing for today’s post, visit the links for Quilter’s Dream and then leave a comment, which batting would you most like to try?
I think I’d like to try the Dream Green. Let’s keep that plastic out of the landfill!
I’d like to try the Quilters Bamboo or Fusible 80/20. Thank you for the giveaway.
I would like to try the dream green. I like the idea of keeping the plastic bottles out of landfills. Your placemats are beautiful. They are a nice way to display some of those great novelty fabrics.
I think I have something suitable for autumnal placemats, I’m in! I won Quilters Dream Green in a previous Fall Frolic. Since plastic packaging isn’t going away, it’s important to have a recycling process in place & this certainly fits the bill.
I have used Quilters Dream Green batting before and liked it and would use it again. If I were to try something new, however, it would be the Wool batting. Thanks! Your turkey placemats are “gobbly” cute!
I love all Quilters Dream products . Just finished a quilt with their wool. It was incredible. Zero fibers and will not crease when folded.
Gail
I don’t know that I have ever tried Quilters Dream batting so any of them would certainly be great to use.
Good morning. I’d love to try the Natursl cotton select mid loft batting. Enjoying Fall Fortnight!
You always have great ideas for placemat designs! I love these with the fussy cut center piece and then using the flying geese to make it look as if you set it on point. I would really like to try the Quilters Dream Green batting- it would feel good to use a recycled material in a quilt project!
I .i,e the quilters dream bamboo. It’s drape is so nice.
These are all really cute and that is such a lovely and thoughtful charity idea. I should think the recipients would be delighted!
I love Quilter’s Dream batting and used Dream Green in the placemats I created and sent to you! This was such a fun blog hop to participate in, and I hope you more than exceed the goal of 275 placemats. Thanks for asking me to join!
Love the Green Dream! Color is very subtle and doesn’t show under white fabric. QD is my favorite batting!
Great ideas for placemats. Your blog is where I come to find something creative! I haven’t tried the Quilters Dream green batting, but I will consider it the next time I shop for batting. Let’s keep the plastic out of the waste stream, along with keeping our scraps out of the waste stream!
Carole…
What a great charity idea!
Ive been making small quilts for our cancer center…and blocks for our Quilts of Valor group…
and baby quilts for our church’s “baby shower” in january ..those will go to the womens center downtown to help new struggling moms… also make kitty mats for pet finder…i love doing charity projects!!
These placemats are such a cute and easy idea to bring holiday cheer into someones home!!
Ive never tried the Dream Green batting…neverceven heard its full story …thanks for that !!
I would like to try Quilters Dream 80/20 Fusible for placemats.
You have the perfect fabrics for these placemats!! Very nice. I love Quilters Dream battings – and love the green too!! What a nice prize! Hope you get lots of placemats!!
Carole, great idea to provide placemats with meals on wheels. I will try to get some done and sent to you. Time to explore my stash! I think i would like to try the Quilters dream 80/20. Sounds like a good multi purpose batting. Niki
I’ve used a lot of Quilter’s Dream 80/20 but also like the bamboo. I just finished up more that 60 placemats for our Guild’s collection for Meals on Wheels. I love using orphan blocks and fabric remains from quilt projects to make cheerful placemats. Thanks for your examples to inspire other ideas for placemants. They all are lovely.
Your turkey fabric is so wonderful for these projects 🙂 Lovely!
I have used their 80/20 and love it, but I have been wanting to try their bamboo.
I love making placemats, but it’s been awhile since I’ve made any. I guess this is a good time to make more.
I would like to try the Quilter’s Dream Bamboo as I have not tried bamboo before. Also, you make a good case for the Quilter’s Dream Green batting! I don’t use polyester often, but when I do the green version sounds like a good choice.
There is such wonderful inspiration in these placemats. They really make for a festive table.
Quilter’s Dream Green would be an interesting new product to try. Placemats are the perfect quick and useful project!
Those are great placemats. It is fun to see some other options too. Thanks for leading this great fall adventure!
I’d like to try the bamboo batting. However, the recycled bottle batting has me intrigued.
I would like to try the bamboo!
So many placemats, thanks to all. I’ d like to try the Quilters Dream Green. Thank you Carole.
Alexandria
Love the placemats and I will make some for our counties meals on wheels! What a great charity! I love that they use recycled material. I would love to try the recycled bottle batting.
I would be interested to try Quilters Dream Green to see how it feels and quilts. I believe in recycling and want to support the system.
I would love to try the Wool Light Yet Lofty batting. I wonder how lofty it is? Your placemats are sweet…just perfect for Thanksgiving!
I enjoyed the blog hop today, seeing everyone’s different placemats and techniques was inspiring and I went and dug through fall fabric and have some ideas. Hopefully can pull something together before the end of the month. I would like to try dream green batting. I’m a proponent of recycling so this would be a great choice for me. Thanks for continuing your blogs. I enjoy them immensely. DorisOn Oct 14, 2026,
What great options! Thanks for organizing the blog hop.
I would like to try the Dream Green or the Dream Bamboo. Thanks for the giveaway and for the blog hop and placemat ideas. I have had so much fun visiting.
I’ve heard so much about the Dream Green, I would definitely like to give that one a try.
I love your placemats especially the ones from 2019 Autumn Jubilee. I used Quilters Dream Poly batting in my placemats. I’ve not used the Dream Green but like the idea of recycling the bottles. This Blog Hop is so much fun & love seeing all the creative ways everyone used scraps. Thank you for including me. I look forward to seeing what else you have to share during Fall Fortnight!
Littlest penguin quilts
I would like to try the wool batting. It sound so cozy. Kudos to Quilters Dream for recycling bottles.
I enjoyed looking at the placemat projects as I am getting ready to make placemats for Christmas gifts. Got some great ideas! I would like to try the Dream Green batting. Didn’t know a product like that was available!
I’d love to try the Dream Green too! I’ve used their Dream Wool and it is great.
Their batting is fabulous, I would try the bamboo, as I have a friend who swears by it.
Hi Carole,
If I win, I would like to try the DREAM Bamboo. Thank you!
I would love to try the dream Bamboo!
I have used the Dream Green and liked it–I would definitely use it again–especially like that you can stitch further apart when quilting.
I would like to try Dream Big Bamboo. Thanks for the beautiful pattern.
The bamboo sounds interesting, I’d like to try that one.