Pretty Potholders

Potholders are superfun scrap busting projects, so customizable and great for a bit of fabric you want to see every day but don't want to like, wear.

I made this one with a little pocket for your hand, just because I prefer being able to grab a hot pan handle that way. Umm, I have old lady hands. Don't look.

I said don't look!

Sigh. Learn How to Make A Potholder after the jump...

Make one yourself and enter it into the SEWING MACHINE DOUBLE DOWN CONTEST for your chance to win a new Brother Sewing Machine!

Prudent Baby Pocket Potholder

Isn't this fabric soooo pretty?  It's Robert Kaufman Night and Day 3 Cluster Floral in Yellow from Fabricworm.

You'll need some double fold bias tape.  I made some in gray using our How To Make Bias Tape tute as well as Jacinda's Bias Tape Eureka trick.


Cut your fabric & batting. You want to use all cotton batting (polyester can melt) or you can buy insul-brite batting which is great for protecting you from heat. You'll need two 8" squares of fabric and batting (you can use one layer of thicker batting, but i used two layers of low-loft), and two 5"X8" rectangles of fabric and batting.


Lay one 8" square of fabric wrong side up and place your batting on top.


Lay your other 8" square of fabric right side up on top.


Quilt as you please, which just means sew the layers together.  I just did vertical lines.  I used my walking foot, but it's not a requirement for a project this small, your regular foot will be fine.


Make the same sandwich with your rectangles of fabric and batting.


Quilt them together as well.


Cut an 8" piece of double fold bias tape and fold it over one 8" side of the rectangle:


Sew in place:


Now choose which side of your pieces you want to show.  Lay your rectangle piece with the unfinished 8" edge aligned with one edge of the square.  Baste in place on the three unfinished sides:


Attach your bias tape, for step-by-step details on how visit our How To Sew With Bias Tape tutorial.  I did single-step binding because I am lazy and prone to rushing, it would probably be best to do two-step binding.


Sew a 6" piece of double fold bias tape together at the edge. On one corner opposite the pocket, insert one end of the 6" strip under the bias tape:


Fold it up and pinch to hold it in place:


Flip the potholder over and insert the other end of the 6" strip under the other side of the bias tape:


Pin in place:


Sew the bias tape in place at the edge all the way around, securing your loop in the process:


Done!