Sew a Heartfelt Pot Holder

Need a gift for the home cook who has it all? A handmade pot holder sewn in their favorite colors is a creative way to bring warmth into their kitchen.

article-post
by Dani Yokhna
How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Skill level: Intermediate

Time to complete: Approx. 1-2 hours.

If there’s one thing a home cook can never have enough of, it’s a pair of trusty pot holders. Over time, pot holders can singe and tear, and having a usable one at the ready is of utmost importance for kitchen safety. The pot holder shown below was made to match the casserole cover featured in the May/June 2014 issue of Hobby Farm Home, but you can customize it to coordinate with your kitchen color scheme or a gift recipient’s favorite hues.

Materials:

  • duck cotton fabric (or quilting cotton lined with interfacing)
  • wadding
  • fusible bonding
  • embroidery thread

Step 1

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Cut out your fabric and wadding pieces. You’ll need:

Subscribe now

  • 2 top pieces (3½” x 6½”)
  • 1 backing piece (6½” x 6½”)
  • 1 binding piece (29” x 1¼”), cut on the bias
  • 1 hanging piece (4” x 1¼”)
  • 1 appliqué heart (see pattern below)
  • 1 piece wadding (7½” x 7½”)

Step 2

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Throughout this project, use a 1/4-inch seam, unless otherwise specified. Sew the two top pieces together. Using the fusible bonding, attach the appliqué heart and sew into place by carefully stitching just inside the edge of the fabric, pressing everything into place as you go.

Step 3

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Pin the top piece onto the wadding, and quilt to secure into place using your preferred quilting design.

Step 4

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Trim the wadding down to size. Place the fabric backing face down. Line up the top piece and wadding, and pin into place.

Step 5

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

To round the corners, use a cotton reel or similar tool to mark a curved line on each corner. Carefully cut around the curves.

Step 6

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Prepare your binding piece by folding in half lengthwise and pressing. Then open and fold the two edges into the center line and press again. Open the binding fabric again and pin against the edge of the square, taking extra care to pin the corners neatly into place.

Step 7

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Turn the pot holder over and pin the hanging piece to one of the top corners (as shown).

Step 8

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Sew around the edge of the binding, again taking extra care at the corners so that the binding doesn’t pucker. Fold the binding around to the back of the potholder.

Step 9

How to Sew a Potholder - Photo by Sandra Paul (Hobby Farms.com)
Photo by Sandra Paul

Hand-sew the binding into place, using the pre-pressed folds to tuck the raw edge under as you work.

Step 10

Fold up the hanging piece, and give it a good press to finish.

Appliqué Heart Pattern
Add a heartfelt touch to your pot holders or casserole dish with these heart patterns.

Appliqué Heart Pattern (Hobby Farms.com)
Click to Download

About the Author: Sandra Paul is a stay at home Mum living in a small village in England. She spends her days trying to pretend that housework doesn’t exist so that she can use the time to sew, crochet and write her blog Cherry Heart instead.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CAPTCHA Image