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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Arrange the cutout pieces on the potholder front fabric and press to fuse.
- 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.
- 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.
- Trim to 9 1/2’’ x 10 1/2’’
- Using a spool, trace and round the corners with a scissors. Trim the excess and sew around with 1/8’’ seam.
- Fold the cotton ribbon in half and pin the top center of the potholder. Stitch just to secure.
- 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.
- Machine stitch or hand stitch the binding in place.
