Oilcloth Placemat from Laura Normandin at Wren Handmade

While looking through our favorite blogs last week we were inspired by Laura Normandin's beautiful recent post over at Wren Handmade. It's a beautiful oversized placemat made from Nani Iro oilcloth, a pretty and effective way to keep things clean when a baby is just learning to eat. We liked it so much that we wanted to share it with our readers!

Laura Normandin is one of our favorite designers, her work always gets us excited. (You may remember her crocheted bracelets pattern from last year right here on The Purl Bee). In addition to her great blog Laura also has a wonderful Etsy store, she currently has some amazing crocheted flower barrettes available there that would be so sweet for Easter gifts! You can probably tell by the charming image above just how lovely and inspirational her sense of style is.

This project struck us because of how useful, simple and pretty it is. (We also love this sweet picture of Laura's adorable baby son.) It's a great use of the Nani Iro Olicloth, which is such a distinct and beautiful fabric.

Please check out Wren Handmade for more inspiration and if you'd like to give something like this a try here's what you'll need:

• Nani Iro Oil Cloth (we also have other oil cloth options here)
• A binding fabric, we recommend Essex, Carolina Chambray, or Shot Cotton
• A 1-inch Clover Bias Tape Maker

If you're a beginner at making and sewing bias tape you also might want to check out Molly's Handmade Napkin Project Journal right here.

Thanks so much to Laura for letting us repost this inspiring project!

Comments

[flaky]

OILCLOTH!!!! Of course, its so obvious! I just set up my dyeing studio & have been trying to think of a way to cover the floor. Thank you for the timely inspiration.

(and thank you for the funny baby pic...you've got to be the right kind of guy to pull off that many bold prints at once)

[Mary Beth at Yarn U iPhone app]

Adorable...an idea I haven't seen yet. You could make a bunch for different seasons, holidays. One thing you'll need for sewing oilcloth....a slip mat, something that I've seen at Vogue Fabrics not sure of an online source.

[Mary Beth at Yarn U iPhone app]

Actually it's a Teflon press sheet with a hole cut out in the middle for the presser foot.

[Ghana]

You shouldn't have included that baby in the photo...all I could think about was wanting a baby, forget the project. That little face is priceless...steals the show!

[Paperdollygirl]

WOW! I love it. We have a round table with lots of spaces for crumbs to get trapped that is difficult to clean. This would be the perfect solution, especially with our new baby. Great post!

[Debbie]

I just awarded you the Stylish Blogger Award because you inspire me EVERY SINGLE DAY! Check it out at www.inspiredhoneybee.blogspot.com!

[Yolk]

Absolutely love the mat and I agree with the comment about the baby-face! He's delicious!

[Cherished Hearts Vintage]

Love this! My boys always required a bit of something on the floor when first beginning to feed. Oh the messes!

The little one is adorable!

[Lisa]

Thank you for the inspiration! We've been scratching our heads for a while trying to figure out how to keep our table clean with two kids. Today I used the idea and made a "place mat" that now covers the entire top of our table, fitted to the exact shape. A heavy vase with shells in it keeps the whole thing anchored and no more sides hanging down for the baby to pull off!