Patchwork potholders

By: Ann Solyst

Have you ever found it hard to throw away fabric scraps, the ones that are too small or strangely shaped to be of practical use in a project but large enough to seem wasteful to throw away? I am very guilty of saving fabric scraps. Sometimes I stand fixed with my outstretched hand hovering above the kitchen trash, a precious piece of fabric clutched in my fist, unable to release this charming textile into the bin to be soiled by week-old beans and the contents of the vacuum cleaner. So instead I shove it into my increasingly taxed bag of scrap fabric vowing to use it one day.

Well folks, today is that day! I'm excited to tell you about a fun and practical way to use up that scrap fabric and reduce waste. I've used old jeans, faded towels, and even a sheet or two (see our previous blog, Five Uses for Old Sheets). Handmade patchwork potholders can add some extra ambiance to your cooking experience, especially if, like me, you don't particularly like cooking and need all the encouragement you can get. They also make great gifts, are easily customizable, and are a low stakes way for you to practice new skills like quilting or sewing with bias tape.  

So let's get started!

Supplies:

- scrap fabric

- old towel

- thread (whatever color you think best)

- pins

- bias tape

- sewing machine

- old potholder

- fabric scissors or rotary cutter

Instructions

1. Make pattern: find old potholder and trace outside of potholder onto piece of scrap paper, like newspaper. Cut potholder shape out of paper. This is now your new potholder pattern. I like to make my pattern just a little bigger than the original potholder to allow for fabric to shrink.

2.  gather all your scrap fabric into one place and choose colors and patters you think look good together. *Important: only use scraps that are 100% cotton so you know the fabric can withstand extreme heat.

3. Iron selected fabric scraps and cut them into shapes with strait lines.

4. Choose two pieces of fabric and pin them together. If the pieces are not the same length, trim the longer piece to be in line with the shorter one.

5. Continue sewing pieces together until you have a patchwork piece large enough for your potholder pattern

6. Use the pattern you made in step one to cut patchwork pieces to the correct size and shape.

7. Now it's time to make the other side of your potholder. You can repeat the patchwork process from step 2-6 or you can select one piece of fabric that you really like. For this potholder I decided to use this cute chubby squirrel fabric that I designed featuring one of my original drawings. 

8. In order for the pot holder to protect your hand from heat it needs to be insulated. I like to use an old towel because it is thick and soft. You can also use an old pair of jeans or any fabric you have on hand that is thick and won't melt.
Cut 2 pieces from your chosen thick material using your potholder pattern.

9. make a fabric sandwich by placing one piece of potholder fabric face down on a table, placing the two thick fabric pieces directly on top and finishing the sandwich with your other potholder fabric, face up. The right side of the fabric should be facing out. 

10. Pin your sandwich together and sew around perimeter with a .5" seam 

11. Quilt potholder by stitching a design through all layers of fabric. You can stitch whatever kind of pattern you want. Make a gerometric design, leaf shapes, circles. I am going to stitch around the squirrel. If you want to quilt a particularly intricate pattern a washable fabric marker will come in handy. You can draw the design on your fabric, stitch around the drawing, and just rinse the marker away.

12. The next step is to sew on bias tape. This is my least favorite part of the process but it is worth it! It gives your potholder a finished, professional look. If you have never used bias tape before here is a good video demonstrating how to sew bias tape onto a similar shape that we are sewing today. 

    a. Start your bias tape at the center of the top of your potholder. Sew around the perimeter (like demonstrated in the video) until you meet up with the beginning of your bias tape. At this point we are going to make the loop so you can hang the potholder in your kitchen.
    b. Begin by bending the tail of your bias tape up and off the end of the potholder and sew along the edge of bias tape for about four inches, so tape is sewn shut. 

    c. Now you can experiment with what size loop you want. I like a loop that is big enough for two fingers to fit comfortably inside. Fold loop around back of potholder, tuck end under, and stitch to secure.

13. Throw it into the wash and lay it flat to air dry, pulling and stretching it so it drys smooth and flat.

Now your potholder is ready to use!

Variations and Customizations

One of the things I love best about making these potholders is how easy they are to customize. Maybe you want a potholder to be a little bigger or smaller than is usually found in stores. No problem! What if you want it to be a specific shape like a heart or a shamrock or (my personal favorite) a wonky, asymmetrical blob! Perhaps someone in your life really likes sharks or rainbows or Star Wars. Well, then you can use themed fabric to make the potholder, and just to make the gift a little more special you can pair it with your favorite recipe or a cook book or even a hand carved spoon from Zak's Woodcrafts. Basically the possibilities are endless!

So explore, experiment, and have some fun with your potholder and it may just bring a smile to your face the next time you start cooking!