Project: Christmas Potholder

Just in time for holiday gift giving, wrap this potholder around kitchen utensils, or attach a favorite recipe for an appreciated host gift. Easy enough for beginners, this project teaches you how to applique, quilt, and sew binding on curved corners.

OLFA Tools:

Splash 45mm Rotary Cutter Quick Change, Navy (RTY-2C/NBL)

Splash Navy 24″ x 36″ Double-Sided Rotary Mat (RM-MG/NBL) 

6″ x 24″ Frosted Acrylic Ruler (QR-6X24) 

5″ Precision Smooth Edge Scissors (SCS-4)

 

You will need:

Fat quarter quilting fabric for potholder front

Fat quarter quilting fabric for potholder back

Fat quarter quilting fabric for binding

Scraps for appliques

4 ½” cotton print ribbon

Dark color thread for sewing illustration

Fat quarter Insulated batting such as Insul-Bright

Fusible web such as Lite Steam A Seam 2

Walking foot

Basic sewing supplies

 

Cutting instructions:

Potholder front: 9 1/2’’ x 10 1/2’’

Potholder back: 11 1/2’’ x 12 1/2’’

Binding: two (2) 1 1/2’’ x 24’’ , make sure it’s binding cut.

Batting: two (2) 10 1/2’’ x 11 1/2’’

Download the boiling pot design and cut the scraps for the appliques.

 

Finished size: 8 1/2’’ wide x 9 1/2’’ height

Notes:  Seam allowances are 1/4’’ unless otherwise noted.

 

Making the potholder:

1. Lay fusible web, paper side up, over pattern. Use a pencil to trace each pattern, leaving 1/2’’ between tracings. Cut out each fusible-web shape roughly 1/4’’ outside traced lines.
2. Following manufacturer’s instructions, press each fusible-web shape onto wrong side of designated fabric, let cool. Cut out fabric shapes on drawn lines. Peel off paper backings.

3. Arrange the cutout pieces on the potholder front fabric and press to fuse.
4. Set up sewing machine with 28wt or 40wt dark thread. Sewing through all layers, slowly stitch just inside the edges of the boiling pot appliqué and repeat 2-3 times if you are using 40wt or 50wt thread.

5. Layer backing fabric wrong side up, with two layers of batting on top. Then layer the sewing illustration front on top right side up and baste. Quilt as desired. I quilted diagonally 1/2’’ apart, except the design.

6. Trim to 9 1/2’’ x 10 1/2’’
7. Using a spool, trace and round the corners with a scissors. Trim the excess and sew around with 1/8’’ seam.

8. Fold the cotton ribbon in half and pin the top center of the potholder. Stitch just to secure.
9. With raw edges together, stitch the binding to the edge of the potholder front. Turn the binding over and stitch the folded edge to back of the potholder.

10. Machine stitch or hand stitch the binding in place.