How to Make Fat Quarter Shuffle Mats

Published Jan 2026

Join Tammy for the Fat Quarter Shuffle Mats, a clever set of four place mats designed by Kristine Poor of Poorhouse Quilt Designs. This tutorial focuses on the piecing technique, a simple shuffle trick that turns one set of identically cut fabric into four completely different-looking mats with nothing left over.

In this video, you'll learn:

• Why keeping your cut fabric labeled and in order matters before you sew a stitch.
• The shuffle technique that produces four unique mats from one set of fabric.
• How each section of the mat comes together the same simple way.
• Why consistent pressing is what makes every intersection nest.
• How to finish, quilt, and bind your finished set.

Check the links for everything you need.

Introduction

Kristine Poor of Poorhouse Quilt Designs comes up with wonderfully clever patterns, and the Fat Quarter Shuffle Mats are a great example. The fabric shown is Dear Scarlet by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics, a rich, antique-inspired collection that suits this pattern beautifully.

Your kit includes the fabric for the tops, the binding, and the backing. This tutorial covers the piecing technique. Cutting instructions are in the pattern itself, so grab that first.

Four completely different mats, exactly the same fabric. Every piece you cut gets used, and nothing is left over. The magic is entirely in how the stacks get shuffled before sewing, which is what the rest of this tutorial walks through.

Getting Organized

Once your pieces are cut, two habits set the whole pattern up to work.

1. Label every stack. The pattern's cutting diagram gives each piece a letter, and keeping your stacks labeled (H squares, F rectangles, and so on) is what keeps four mats' worth of pieces from turning into a jumble.
2. Keep the fabrics in the same order in every stack. If your first fabric is cream, followed by red, then tan, then a leaf print, that order needs to repeat in every single stack you cut. This consistency is what the shuffle technique depends on.

The Shuffle Technique

Every section of this mat is built the same simple way.

1. Take a stack of identically positioned pieces, cut in the same fabric order.
2. Move a few pieces from the bottom of the stack to the top.
3. Sew the pieces together in their new stacking order.

This one move is the whole trick. Shuffling the stack changes which fabric lands in which position for each mat, even though every mat is built from the exact same four fabrics in the exact same quantities. Repeat that shuffle across every section of the pattern and four uniquely arranged mats fall out the other side.

Because it's beginner friendly and hard to get wrong, this is a great pattern for building confidence with piecing.

Building the Sections

The mat comes together in a handful of sections, each built with the same shuffle-and-sew rhythm.

• The center square. Shuffle the H squares, then sew a piece to each end.
• The nine patch. Shuffle the G squares, add an F rectangle to each side, and sew into strips.
• The A and B section. Shuffle the A pieces and add a B to each side.
• The D and E strip. Shuffle the D pieces the same way.
• The F and G strip. This one gets made twice, since it appears on both sides of the mat.

Follow your pattern's pressing arrows as you go. Kristine, like the Shabby Fabrics team, is deliberate about pressing direction so that everything nests together later.

Nested seams are worth the extra attention to pressing. Pressing consistently in the direction your pattern indicates is what makes every intersection lie flat and sharp when the sections finally come together, with no open seams to fight.

Final Assembly

Set aside your remaining G, B, E, and C pieces as your pattern instructs. C is the large piece that anchors the final section of each mat.

Bring the center square, the nine patch, the A/B section, the D/E strip, the F/G strips, and the reserved C, B, E, and G pieces together following your pattern's layout.

If your pressing has followed the arrows all the way through, every seam should nest cleanly with no open intersections; the points line up on their own.

Finishing

1. Layer each mat top with fusible fleece. A heavier fusible fleece works well for place mats, since it gives the finished mat some structure.
2. Fuse the top on, then add your backing.
3. Quilt as you like. An overall print is a nice low-effort option, and a simple stitch in the ditch works beautifully too if you'd rather keep it simple.
4. Trim and bind.

You'll end up with four place mats that look nothing alike, made from exactly the same fabric with nothing wasted.

It's a real pleasure to bring one of Kristine's patterns to life. Clever, quick, and a lovely way to put a full fat quarter collection to use with nothing left over!

Pick up your Fat Quarter Shuffle Mats kit, in the Dear Scarlet collection or your own favorite fabrics, along with your fusible fleece and any notions you need.

For personal use only, not for commercial production. No part of this pattern may be reproduced, shared, or distributed in any form unless given express written consent by Shabby Fabrics. Not to be used with any online classes or video tutorials other than the official Shabby Fabrics tutorial. All designs, photographs, and images are protected by federal copyright law. All rights reserved.