The Liberty Book of Simple Sewing: Book Review Part 1 – Table Mats

Liberty, Liberty, Liberty – there’s something about that word that makes my heart skip a beat. If you don’t know, Liberty of London is a department store on Regent Street, London, that sells all sorts of lovely things – including Liberty print fabric which, to be fair, is absolutely PERFECT and I want to make EVERYTHING out of it. Unfortunately it’s also quite expensive and so this remains a dream for the future…

A couple of weeks ago, however, I received this wonderful new book in the post. Published by Quadrille, The Liberty Book of Simple Sewing (RRP £20) is the most recent publication by Liberty of London and is an absolute delight to read. The book is perfect for the beginner seamstress and features all sorts of little projects, from chair pads to coasters to pet beds to pillowcases. It’s also making me wish that I owned a bike so that I can make the very cute bike seat cover and basket liner!

Alas, I do not have a bike, nor the need for a chevron quilt, a cafetiere cover or some children’s pyjama trousers. I do, however, need some new place mats for my dining table – and that’s exactly the project I decided to begin with!

OK, so my finished Liberty table mats don’t look EXACTLY like the ones in the book – namely because I can’t afford that much Liberty print fabric – but I’m very pleased with the finished result nonetheless! I substituted the Liberty print for a lovely floral linen and added a decorative pink top stitch around the edge. I did, however, use Liberty print for the pockets (remember a few weeks ago when I had my first encounter with Folksy?) which I think adds just enough interest/luxe to my table mats.

If you want to copy this cute pocket idea for yourself, then here’s how!

• Take two 8x16cm rectangles in contrasting fabrics and sew them right sides together, leaving a small gap in one side.
• Turn the fabric right-side round, press flat and slip-stitch the gap closed.
• Fold over the top 4cm of fabric to create a ‘cuff’ and stitch in place.
• Use a decorative top stitch to attach 3 sides of the pocket to your place mats. Voila et bon appetit!

Have you tried this pattern for yourself? I’d love to hear what you think! This is a great pattern for a beginner sew-er (or for those who want to whip up something that’s both quick and visually stunning!) and the instructions in the book are very easy to follow. Stay tuned for the other project I chose to make out of the book, too!