DIY How to Make a Quilted Sewing Machine Mat With Pockets and Thread Catcher - Bravo Dada! Sewing Tutorial

Hi everyone!

In this sewing tutorial I’m going to show you how to make a quilted sewing machine mat with pockets and a thread catcher. This mat is very helpful to organize your sewing materials so you can find them easily and also keep your sewing table free of little pieces of thread and/or fabric.

Important note: I use the metric system and make the exact conversion from cm to inches in the hope of helping. Please adapt these measurements to your ruler.

Hope you enjoy this tutorial. 🥰🪡

NOTE: Dimensions in inches are approximated.

The materials and techniques I used are the ones I thought were the best for me as a self-taught creative seamstress. It doesn’t mean they are the best for you, so feel free to use your creativity and make it your own! You can adjust the measurements as you like and also add other features.

- My sewing machine measurements are 38cm | 14 61/64” wide and 18cm | 7 3/32” deep.

- My sewing machine plus the extension table measurements are 60cm | 23 5/8” wide and 28cm | 11 1/32” deep.

- The finished mat measures approximately 62cm | 24 13/32” wide and 52cm | 20 15/32” long. Adjust fabric requirements for your sewing machine, if needed.

- Important note: You should take into account the quilting shrinkage. After quilting the front fabric piece and the pockets, I have cut all the fabric pieces to the same size before sewing them together. My pieces shrank 2cm | 25/32" after quilting (66cm | 26 63/64” x 54cm | 21 17/64”).

Tip: Use a piece of non-slip shelf liner underneath your sewing mat to keep it from sliding.

FABRIC MEASUREMENTS AND SUPPLIES

Sewing mat:

- 2 fabric pieces for the front and the back: 68cm / 26 49/64” x 56cm / 22 3/64”

- 2 fabric pieces for the smaller pocket (1 for outside fabric and 1 for inside fabric): 68cm / 26 49/64” x 14cm / 5 33/64”

- 1 fabric piece for the bigger pocket: 68cm / 26 49/64” x 33cm / 12 63/64”. If you prefer to use two different fabrics for the bigger pocket you will need 2 fabric pieces (1 for outside fabric and 1 for inside fabric): 68cm / 26 49/64” x 17cm / 6 11/16”

Bow:

- 1 fabric piece for the bow: 19cm | 7 31/64" x 9,5cm | 3 47/64"

- 1 fabric piece for the center of the bow: 6cm | 2 23/64” x 6cm | 2 23/64".

Thread catcher:

- 2 fabric pieces for outer fabric: 15cm | 5 29/32” x 16cm | 6 19/64”

- 2 fabric pieces for lining: 15cm | 5 29/32” x 16cm | 6 19/64”

Heavy-weight fusible interfacing (thread catcher):

- 2 pieces of fusible interfacing: 15cm | 5 29/32” x 16cm | 6 19/64”

Heavy-weight polyester batting (top of the mat):

- 1 piece for the front of the mat: 68cm | 26 49/64” x 56cm | 22 3/64”

Light-weight polyester batting measurements (mat pockets):

- 1 piece for the bigger pocket: 68cm | 26 49/64” x 16cm | 6 19/64”

- 1 piece for the smaller pocket: 68cm | 26 49/64” x 14cm | 5 33/64”

Bias tape:

- 2 pieces for both pockets: 68cm | 26 49/64” x 2cm | 25 / 32”

Dark brown ribbon:

- 13cm | 5 1/8” x 1cm | 25/64”

“Handmade with love” wooden button:

- 2.5cm | 63/64”

Metal swivel lanyard snap hook:

- 1cm | 25/64”

Needle sizes:

- 90/14

- 110/18

General purpose hand needles.

Sewing machine.

- Mark your quilt lines with a heat erasable pen leaving 5cm | 1 31/32" between them.

Pink stars pocket:

- Place the right sides of fabric facing each other and clip them together (don't forget the polyester batting). Sew with a seam allowance of 1cm | 25/64".

Pink pocket:

- Fold the fabric (wrong sides of fabric facing each other) and the polyester batting between them.

- Mark your quilt lines with a heat erasable pen leaving 3cm | 1 3/16" between them.

- Place and sew the bias tape to the pockets.

- Before sewing all the pieces together, cut them to the same size because the fabric will shrink after quilting.

- Sew the pockets to the mat as close to the edge as possible.

- Use a 110/18 sized needle.

- Place the right sides of the outer fabrics of the mat facing each other and sew with a seam allowance of 1.5cm | 19/32". Leave an opening of 20cm | 7 7/8" to turn the mat right side out.

- Clip the edges and trim the excess fabric.

- Turn the mat right side out.

- Press the mat.

- Close up the opening with an invisible hand stitching.

Distance between the pockets:

- 1st pocket: 12cm

- 2nd pocket: 10cm

- 3rd pocket: 15cm

- 4th pocket: 10cm

- 5th pocket: 15cm

- Sew the pockets as shown in the images.

- Make sure to sew the reinforcement stitches (stitch back and forward a few times over the same area).

- Top stitch all the way around 0.7cm | 9/32" away from the edge.

- Press the pockets.

- The mat is finished.

- Use a piece of non-slip shelf liner underneath your mat to keep it from sliding.

- Fold the fabrics as shown in the pictures and hand sew the bow.

- Apply the fusible interfacing to the outer fabrics.

- Cut 2.5cm | 1" squares from the bottom edges of the 4 fabrics.

- Place the right sides of fabric facing each other.

- Sew the top of the fabrics together with a seam allowance of 0.7cm | 9/32".

- Press the seams open.

- Place the right sides of fabric facing each other and sew all the way around with a seam allowance of 0.7cm | 9/32", leaving the square corners unstitched. Leave an opening of 6cm | 2 23/64" to turn the thread catcher right side out.

- Now align the corners as shown in the images and sew with a seam allowance of 0.7cm | 9/32".

- Turn the thread catcher right side out.

- Press the thread catcher.

- Edge stitch 0.3cm | 1/8" away from the edge of the thread catcher.

- Fold the thread catcher at the middle and measure to add the snap buttons to it.

- Install the snap buttons.

- Sew the opening closed.

- Apply the snap buttons to the mat at the same distance as the ones in the thread catcher.

- Place the metal swivel lanyard snap hook at the middle of the ribbon and hand-sew the ribbon and the wooden button to the thread catcher.

- Hand-sew the bow to the mat.

- Decorate your sewing machine mat as you wish!

Happy sewing! 🥰🪡