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Wonky Circle Mat | Sewing Pattern

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This vibrant circular mat is the perfect project for those who aren’t confident in sewing straight lines because everything is a bit wonky, and deliberately so.

Wonky is back! This mat looks fabulous at the centre of a table but can also be used as a playmat. If it is to be used outside, it’s a good idea to use a laminated fabric on the back so it can be wiped clean.

The mat is made in four quarters, one for each season, and edged with semi-circles of scrappy fabrics. This is a great way to use up those odd bits of fabric you didn’t want to throw away, and roofs and circle edges fit perfectly on the pieces of a 5in (13cm) charm pack!

About the mat

I’ve designed four house shapes, and their roofs can be interchanged. Windows, doors and chimneys can be quite fiddly, so this time I’m leaving it to you to cut out these shapes freehand – it’s a chance for you to grow your confidence in this type of appliqué. Go ahead and add your own elements to make your mat unique too!

Free-motion embroidery is a fun way to attach the appliqué pieces – remember, wobbly is best! Sew around the shapes two or three times and don’t worry about straight lines. Sew on the appliqué pieces with a standard straight stitch on your sewing machine or sew them on the by hand, if you prefer. You may find it a bit tough to sew through the appliqué pieces by hand if using fusible webbing (Bondaweb®, Heat n Bond®), so use a basting spray instead. As we’re leaving the edges raw, eventually they will fray slightly, which all adds to the charm of the mat!

As the appliqué shapes use up your scrappy stash, I’m not putting exact measurements for these in the materials list, and you’ll be cutting your own simple shapes for things like doors and windows. I’ve used a mixture of prints, plains and stripes, but the mat would also look stunning in shades of blues or greys if you prefer a monochrome look.

You can embellish this mat further using templates from some of the other Wonky Street projects, if you’d like. You’ll find patterns for grass, potted trees and an umbrella with the Wonky Street Draught Excluder, for example; there’s a fine tree and a pillar box with the Winter Christmas Wonky Street Cushion Cover; you’ll find patterns for bunting and sun rays with the Summer Wonky Street Pillow and some trees, windows, doors and chimneys with the Autumn Wonky Street Cushion. And of course, from the Wonky Street Haunted House Wall Hanging you could use the windows, cat, bats or pumpkins, if you’d like. Of course, you might like to make some of these other Wonky Street projects as well! The only thing I would say is that you should stick to the houses provided here because these are all shaped to move inwards as they move up, to fit the perspective of a circular mat.

By the end of this project, you’ll have:

1. Gained confidence with your free-motion embroidery – this piece will give you plenty of practice!
2. Discovered just how easy it is to add your own appliqué shapes to a project like this.
3. Used some of the leftover fabrics in your stash to make something fun.
4. Learned how to combine elements from similar projects into something new and unique.

Note: use a ¼in (5mm) seam allowance.

Finished size: approx. 31in (79cm) in diameter.

If you'd like to chat with other members about making the mat, remember to go to the forum or the Half Yard Sewing Club™ Facebook page.

For further inspo, you can also check out the Half Yard Sewing Club™ Pinterest

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You will need:

Equipment

• Sewing machine with a standard foot and free-motion embroidery foot
• 24in (61cm) ruler 
• 4½in (11.5cm) circle template
• Erasable fabric marking pen
• Embroidery needle if you plan on adding a few details with embroidery
• Pins and/or fabric clips
• Basting spray, such as 505
• Optional: fabric glue pen to adhere any very small pieces of appliqué, such as the three trunks and bunting
• Optional: free-motion embroidery gloves which help you grip the fabric as you sew

Materials

• 27 x 27in (68.5 x 68.5cm) of top background fabric: I used plain cream cotton fabric
• 27 x 27in (68.5 x 68.5cm) of backing fabric: I used the same plain cotton fabric as for the front for mine, but if you are planning to use yours outside, you might prefer a wipe-clean fabric here
• 27 x 27in (68.5 x 68.5cm) of wadding/batting: I used 80/20 wadding
• A selection of printed, plain and striped fabrics for the appliqué – or whatever fabrics you wish to use
• Four 20 x 6in (51 x 15cm) pieces of fabric for the ground: one in green for spring, one in yellow for summer, another in amber for autumn and the final one in white for winter
• Four 3in (7.5cm) squares of yellow fabric for the sun (or one 4½in/11.5cm circle)
• Twenty 5in (13cm) squares of fabric in various prints for the scalloped border
• 16 x 24in (40.5 x 61cm) piece of paper-backed fusible webbing (or you can use your basting spray)
• Sewing thread for your machine – I used black
• Embroidery thread if you plan on doing any embroidery
• Embellishments such as pompoms and buttons: I had a couple of pumpkin -shaped buttons that worked perfectly with my autumn section!

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