A lot has to do with what you put inside the placemat. I've seen stuff at quilt shows for use for placemats and purses to give stability. I think Pellon as some. I'll have to go through my stuff and see if I can come up with the name of it.
I'm with Karen...sheets are great to use for both placemats, tablecloths and table runners. I like my placemats quilted, so I use a cotton batting and fabric backing and quilt them (along with some embroidery of course)...I love the look of washed, quilted placemats...like quilts, the more you wash them, the better they are.
That's another good idea, thank you! I love quilts so quilted placemats would be good too!
There are lots of fabrics you can use. I'm like you and don't want to have to do a lot of pressing. I have found sheeting is great. Sheets come in a huge variety of colors and prints and doesn't need a lot of pressing. Burlap is a fun fabric. And one of my favorites is painter's cloth. Unfortunately, it doesn't come in colors but it embroiders beautifully and you can add borders to make it pretty.
Thank you, I am loving the idea of burlap! Maybe a mixture of burlap with sheet material on the sides? Thanks for the ideas!