This is a great idea. Do you have a pattern for it?
Thanks, Diane

HI jenni,

Your placemat is adorable, love the bright colors and the idea of a chalkboard on the back - super!
Just thought I would pass along a link to some neat
placemat patterns (free), they are shaped like fish, frogs and turtles and are so cute for summer.
Go to: http://www.sewyoungsewfun.com/freeprojects/freetext.html

I just finished a set of the fish ones for a party that
we are having on May 21 - hubby's 61st B-day!

Hugs - Jude!

I love that idea.Do you have the pattern for these placemat.I would like to make these for my grandchildren.Thank you.

Oh heavens no pattern needed. Just cut your fabrics to whatever size you want and bind the edges.
I scotchguard the fabric side.
Couldn't be easier.

I love your placemat. What a great idea.
What did you use for the back for the chalk board.
I have some brightly coloured fabric for kids that would work well in the placemats. We have an auction coming up in a couple of months for a group I belong to. These would be great to make a donate.
Thanks
Penny

The back is chalkboard fabric. It is like a vinyl.
Just don't touch the iron to it.

Thank you for the information. Now to see if I can find it in Canda!

Those are great Jenni! I love the fabrics you use. How come they never had stuff like this when WE were kids? Huh? Huh?

I found this info on the web, just wanted to share it....
Of course there is one of my all time favorites, Chalk Cloth, by Oil Cloth
International. This Chalk Cloth comes in black or green and yes, acts just
like a blackboard but it is flexible for tablecloths, kids work surfaces,
books for kids or even a bulletin board for your sewing room. The web site doesn't have Chalk Cloth up yet but you can see their other products at http://www.oilcloth.com/ and email Cardie at info@oilcloth.com for information where this product can be purchased retail.
Kathy G in MI

Hancocks has it as does JoAnns and just about every online fabric site.
I looked at this page and it looks like it is only sold wholesale, which doesn't work for lots of people.

These are GREAT. The only place I can find chalk board fabric is online at $9.98 a yard. Where did you get your fabric and what did it cost. I would like to make these but because fabric is so expensive don't know if it is worthwhile. Would like to make for pre-school. Can you give me info on where, how much, etc. you got the fabric? I will get reimbursed by presch. but can't spend alot. Fabric is the main costs. Thank you.....

Thats about what it costs. Its not cheap. Sometimes you can get it on sale for 8.99 a yd.
You can order it from several places online and some Hancocks fabric stores carry it. JoAnns did for a while but it was terrible, not good quality at all.

I got the fabric at Hancocks. Its 6.99 a yard and I used a 30% off coupon. So it ended up being less than 5.00 a yard. Its about 58in wide. I asked for a tube to roll it on so it wouldn't wrinkle.

We made these for our church bazaar. 13X18 I used a one pound coffee can lid to round off the corners. I also stuck a loop of elastic under the left side edge (for the chalk) while i sewed the binding on. It worked well. We sold them 2 for 5.00 or $3 each. They turned out really cute. Next time i will make them 12 X 18 so i can get an even 9 mats out of a yard.

Roselake,

At 2 for $5, is it worth the time and effort to make them? Do they sell quickly at that price--so quickly that a higher price would be more appropriate?

They sure are cute and unique!

I sold them on Ebay for $15 till I was tired of making them!
One Saturday I sold 11 of them.
I have a pretty big ebay client base tho so I'm sure that helped.

jenni - What did you use for binding? It's so smooth.

Carol

Carol it is wide double fold seam binding.

Jenni, I'm having a problem with bonding the material and vinyl together. Can you give any hints about that. What kind of bonding do you use? Also what size are yours?
Donna

Donna I use Heat & Bond Light.....iron that onto the FABRIC wrong side. Then put the chalk fabric and the fabric wrong sides together. Make sure you have the fabric side up when you iron it. If you even touch the iron to the chalk fabric it's ruined. Once the two pieces are together I trim everything square....then I round the corners. Then I sew on the seam binding.
Finished placemats are 11x17.
Hope this helps.

Jenni thanks for the info. Got the Heat&Bond today (I used ultra hold when I tried the first time) will try it again. One more thing, do you sew the elastic (chalk holder) on before of after the fabic is bonded?

I made 6 of these this past week and am so pleased with the results.

I used 505 spray to keep the layers together and applied the bias tape edging.

I used 1/4" black elastic tucked into the binding on one side and made 3 loops for chalk. I found by using invisible nylon thread it wasn't too visible from the fabric side.

You're right about the iron damaging the oil cloth side. My first attempt has 4 iron marks where I attempted to warm-press the binding flat (thought I had used bias tape, it wasn't and has no intention of EVER laying flat on the corners)

I'll be making a lot more of these as unique gifts.

dian57 Where do you find 505 spray and what is it? I checked at HL and a fabric store today with no luck.
Donna

505 is a fabric basting spray available at quilt shops. JoAnn's carries a similar product--Dritz Spray Adhesive. Yellow cap, I think. Good luck.

Sounds like a great project. Has anyone ever serged around the edges instead of applying binding?

I just can't imagine they would look at all finished if only serged. The binding is what really finishes them off.

I've never seen chalk cloth before! Will the chalk cloth hold up in the washing machine? How do you "erase" it, special treatment, or just a rub with a tissue?

I am on a very restricted (read unemployed) budget this year, and I may have just found the answer to "what to give the kids for Christmas"

I have never tried to wash them in the machine.
I scotchguard the fabric side and the chalk side you can just wipe clean with a damp sponge.
I wouldn't even try to put them in a washing machine.
Just use a tissue or napkin to erase.

This is really neat. With some great-nieces & great-grandkids under 4, I'll have to keep this in mind for next year (07 already figured out). Thanks for posting the extra pix. The pix was gone from the initial post, and I wasn't quite 'getting' the mental image :-0 These sound like fun! Now, to be able to find the chalk board material. We only have HL & WM, and we 'all' know how limited WM is ine the fabric/craft area now-a-days. Thanks, again, for a really neat, fun gift idea.

You can buy it online from Hancock Fabric!
It has come down in price since the last time I bought it!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Chalkboard fabric

Such a nifty idea. I love it. I have started embroidering kitchen towels with anthro/animated 40's patterns for Christmas presents and was looking for something to make for children, how perfect. Thanks

This is the cutest idea. I don't sew but I would like to try and make these for my nephews for Christmas. Where can I buy this fabric. I just called JoAnne fabrics and they said they don't sell it. I saw the instructions on how to make these but since I don't sew I'm not familiar with the products mentioned. It looks easy but I'm not to sure about myself. LOL- I live in Willow Grove, PA so if anyone knows where to find this material I would greatly appreciate it. If anyone has easy instructions for us non-sewing people I would appreciate that too!!! Have a great day...

Hancock fabrics has the chalkcloth. I used heat and bond light to adhere the fabric to the chalkcloth.....be careful to NOT touch the iron to the chalkcloth!!!
I don't know how you would do the edges with binding without sewing it...maybe FabricTac glue would work. Never tried to glue it on.
I just can't see how to make them without sewing.

When you do the binding can you hand sew it or do you have to use a machine? I don't own a sewing machine but I do know how to hand stitch. I will see if there are any Hancock fabric stores in my area. Thank you.

I doubt you could hand stitch through all the layers...chalkboard fabric is pretty thick,
then there is the fabric layer, and bias tape is on both sides.
That would be very hard to sew through.
I just don't think they can be done without a machine.
They are really cute and I have made and sold so many of them.
One Saturday alone I sold 15 of them!
I don't know who likes them more, the kids or the parents.

Do you think someone who doesn't sew could make them? What I mean by that is if I got someone to sew them for me I could make them myself by looking at the picture or is there a pattern to follow?Thanks so much for all of your information. It's greatly appreciated. I would really like to give these a try and give them as Xmas gifts... My brother-in-law sews so maybe I could ask him. Thanks again

I have never seen a pattern or instructions for them...I just made them.
Sewing the bias binding on the edges is TRICKY! It takes alot of practice to do it and have it look right. Going around the corners is not easy.
I have been sewing for over 50 years so for me its easy, but wouldn't be if you didn't have alot of experience.

Is oil cloth the same as chalk board cloth? Could someone please send me a picture? Thanks!