Green Filet Leaf Square Doily Placemat

A square of airy filet mesh worked from the centre outwards, crossed by four bold solid lines and eight floating leaves, each held in a fan of fine lacet bars. In bright spring green on a warm wooden table it is fresh, graphic and modern – but the construction is pure traditional lace craft. This pattern is written for makers who want to learn (or master) centre-out filet in the round, a technique that opens up a whole world of square doilies.

About this design

Most filet crochet is worked in rows from a chart. This piece is worked in rounds from the centre, so the design grows in all four directions at once. The solid diagonal lines you see are the corners of each round – every corner is a solid block, so they line up into four straight diagonals. The solid horizontal and vertical lines are a single solid block placed in the centre of each side on every round. Together they divide the square into eight triangles, and one leaf sits inside each triangle. The leaves are filled blocks that grow and shrink round by round, framed by lacet (ch 3, sc, ch 3) bars that make the delicate fan of lines around them.

Filet basics, refreshed

• Open mesh = dc, ch 1, skip 1 (or dc, ch 2, skip 2 for larger mesh). We use the ch-2 version here.
• Solid block = dc in each of the 3 stitches (the dc + 2 chains or 3 dc below).
• Lacet = ch 3, sc in the middle of the next 2-block span, ch 3, dc – it covers two mesh squares.
• Bar = ch 5, dc – worked over a lacet on the next round, spanning two squares.

The corner rule

Every round, each corner is worked as (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) into the corner ch-2 space. Because the corner is always solid, the four diagonals build themselves without counting. Each round adds two mesh squares to every side. Count the mesh squares along each side at the end of every round – that is the only number you really need to track.

Using the leaf table

In the round-by-round instructions you will see a table for each round of the leaf zone: how many mesh squares to work, then how many solid blocks for the leaf, then mesh again, then the centre-side block. Because every half-side is a mirror image, you work the instruction for one half-side, put the centre solid block, then work the same instruction in reverse for the second half. Mark the centre of each side with a locking marker and you can never lose your place.

Thread

We used size 8 perle cotton (or a fingering-weight mercerised cotton) and a 2.0 mm hook – about 120 g for a 45 cm square. Size 10 thread with a 1.5 mm hook makes a 36 cm doily; DK cotton with a 3.5 mm hook makes a 75 cm table topper. The bright grass-green in the photo is a strong statement; filet also looks exquisite in white or ecru.

Keeping it square

Filet squares easily skew into a parallelogram if your dc lean. Keep each dc vertical, work the corner (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in one tidy group, and turn the work over every two rounds if you notice a spiral forming – working alternate rounds from the wrong side cancels the lean.

Blocking

Block on a grid mat: pin the four corners to a 45 cm square, then pin the centre of each side and the end of every solid line. Mist with water, then starch lightly. The mesh will open into perfect little windows and the leaves will lie flat.

Uses and styling

Use it as a placemat or centrepiece under a small plant, as in the photo, as a cushion front lined with white cotton, or make four and join them into a 90 cm table topper with the leaves meeting at the joins.

Ready to make it?

All rounds, the leaf table, abbreviations, FAQ and troubleshooting are right here, free. Once you have made this square, you can design your own centre-out filet motifs.

It is graphic, fresh and modern, but it teaches a timeless skill – centre-out filet in the round, with leaves you build square by square.

Make it in white for a classic heirloom, ecru on dark wood for a farmhouse table, or rust orange with the leaves for autumn.

Amigurumi (Japanese: ami = knitted/crocheted + nuigurumi = stuffed toy) is the craft of making small crocheted characters. You start with a magic ring, work in continuous spiral rounds of single crochet, and shape the piece through increases and decreases — no seams, no joins, no turning.

The magic ring creates a closable centre with no hole. Wrap yarn around two fingers, insert the hook, yarn over and pull through. Work your first round into this ring, then pull the tail to close tight. Practise a few times — it becomes effortless quickly.

The invisible decrease — insert your hook through the front loop only of the first stitch, then the front loop only of the second stitch. Yarn over, pull through both loops, then yarn over again and pull through the remaining two. Working through front loops only makes the decrease blend into the fabric instead of leaving a bump.

Tension matters most. Amigurumi needs tight, firm tension so stuffing can't show through. If you can see white fiberfill peeking between your stitches, go down one hook size. The fabric should feel dense and firm — like a tightly woven canvas, not a loose net.