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.
Designs Used
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-5.jpg)
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.
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-6.jpg)
Straw placemats are a little too thick to hoop. Instead, hoop a piece of cutaway stabilizer, and spray it with temporary adhesive.
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-7.jpg)
Put the placemat on top of the stabilizer, lining the axis lines made on the placemat with the marks on the hoop.
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-8.jpg)
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.
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-9.jpg)
Pin the layers together.
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-10.jpg)
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.
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-11.jpg)
After embroidering, tear the water-soluble stabilizer away from the top. Use a damp sponge to remove any remaining bits.
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-12.jpg)
Trim the cutaway stabilizer away from the back.
![](https://public.emblibrary.com/production/commerce/how-tos/180/PR1974-13.jpg)
Enjoy adding a fresh and flavorful look to your table with these embroidered straw placemats!