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Embroidering on Straw Placemats

Add flavorful stitches to synthetic straw placemats to bring a beautiful look to picnic and patio tables. Learn the top tips and tricks for embroidering on straw placemats for tasty results. Synthetic straw placemats are lightweight, flexible, and come in a variety of colors. Find them at stores like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond, or online at Amazon.

Project Needs & Notes - Synthetic straw/woven polypropylene placemats (I used ones with a 15" diameter) - Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer - Lightweight water-soluble stabilizer (Sulky Solvy) - Air-erase pen for marking - Temporary spray adhesive (like Gunold KK100) For this tutorial, I used the fruit wreath and vegetable wreath designs. Find more tasty designs in the Food and Wine category here.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

A template is a printout of a design, and it's an excellent tool for placement and positioning.

Print a template of the design from your embroidery software.
If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom's TrueSizer is
a free program to use.

Then, position the center of the template so it is on the center of the placemat.

Mark the horizontal and vertical axis lines.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

Straw placemats are a little too thick to hoop. Instead, hoop a piece of cutaway stabilizer, and spray it with temporary adhesive.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

Put the placemat on top of the stabilizer, lining the axis lines made on the placemat with the marks on the hoop.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

Synthetic straw has ridges, so use a piece of lightweight water-soluble stabilizer (like Sulky Solvy) as a topping. That will help the stitches to land evenly on the straw.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

Pin the layers together.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

Attach the hoop to the machine, and check to make sure that everything is clear so that the hoop will move freely.

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so it's the best choice to penetrate the synthetic straw fibers.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

After embroidering, tear the water-soluble stabilizer away from the top. Use a damp sponge to remove any remaining bits.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

Trim the cutaway stabilizer away from the back.

Free project instructions to embroider on straw placemats.

Enjoy adding a fresh and flavorful look to your table with these embroidered straw placemats!

Questions or comments? Let us know! Send an email to us; the address is stitch@emblibrary.com.

Products used in this Project:

A Fresh Fruit Wreaths Design Pack	$31.97
Available in 5 Sizes:
7.80" x 7.80" \| 6.94" x 7.06" \| 5.88" x 5.98" \| 4.87" x 4.94" \| 3.88" x 3.87"

A Fresh Vegetable Wreaths Design Pack	$31.97
Available in 5 Sizes:
7.80" x 7.81" \| 6.91" x 7.17" \| 5.89" x 6.13" \| 4.89" x 5.09" \| 3.88" x 3.92"

A Sweet Symmetry Floral Wreaths Design Pack	$17.97
Available in 5 Sizes:
7.77" x 7.76" \| 6.91" x 7.23" \| 5.87" x 6.07" \| 4.87" x 5.02" \| 3.88" x 3.87"