Thanks guys.

Jay, I can think of a nice way to do placemats. Our local Wal-Mart fabric and crafts section sells a sturdy clear vinyl material. I would cut the tartan into the desired shape, leaving seam allowances, and then sew a piece of the vinyl material on either side using clear mono filament quilting thread. If you had enough of the material, I would think that cutting it so that the pattern was on the bias as you faced it at your table would be quite nice. Great idea, Jay!