The Irish Countrywomen’s Association Book of Crafts: 40 Projects to Make at Home, is published by Mercier Press in hardback at €22.99. It’s also available as an ebook from all the major outlets. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for the craft lover in your life.

Projects range from a quilt, a beautiful children’s Aran jumper or delicate Carrickmacross lace, to adding finishing touches to your home with redwork embroidery, fabric-covered boxes or seasonal decorations.

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You will need

1m of Christmas fabric

¼m or ‘fat quarter’ of contrasting Christmas fabric

1m of calico (unbleached or bleached)

1m of plain fabric for base of mats and runner

1m of batting

½m of Bondaweb

Templates (you can make these yourself by drawing simple Christmas-themed shapes onto stiff card, or for a real shortcut you can buy festive fabric that comes with the shape pre-printed on it)

Cardboard and pencil

Sewing thread

Sewing needles and pins

Sewing machine (optional)

  • Cut six 33 x 25cm pieces of calico for the place mats and three 21 x 21cm pieces for the runner.
  • Trace designs onto cardboard and cut out the templates. Trace around the templates to mark the design on the main Christmas material and cut out.
  • Iron the pieces of Christmas material onto the Bondaweb, right side facing you. (To protect the iron I use a piece of greaseproof paper over the material).
  • Peel the material from the Bondaweb backing and iron the pieces onto the calico (again using greaseproof paper to protect the iron).
  • Stitch around the designs using whatever stitch you like, eg backstitch, buttonhole, blanket stitch, or machine using zigzag or straight stitch.
  • For the runner, from the contrasting material cut four 21 x 9cm pieces and two 90 x 9cm pieces.
  • Stitch the four shorter pieces of material to either side of the three smaller calico squares to make a long strip. Open seams and press flat.
  • Sew the two longer pieces of material to each side of this long strip and press the seams flat.
  • From the batting, cut one 90 x 38cm piece for the runner and cut six 33 x 25cm pieces for the place mats. Cut pieces the same size from the plain fabric.
  • To assemble the place mats and runner, place the plain material on a flat surface, then the batting and then the top piece with the design on it, and pin in place.
  • Cut 6.5cm strips across the width of the main Christmas fabric to bind the mats and runner. You will need at least nine strips, maybe more, depending on the width of the fabric.
  • Join three strips at the short ends, press seams flat and fold the strips in half wrong sides together and press. Fold and press the other strips also.
  • To attach to the runner and mats, place raw edges together with right sides facing. Pin and stitch in place making sure to allow sufficient material to turn the corner. Fold over the material and slip stitch into place on the underside.