These potholders are so quick and easy to make! Perfect for placing on your table at gatherings surrounded by cozy foods or for quick gift idea for the bakers in your life. So pour yourself a warm drink, snuggle up to the machine, and lets get started!
Materials Needed
- (2) circles cut on the fold – 1 lining and 1 main (pattern below)
- (4) mirror half circles – 2 lining and 2 main
- Matching thread
- (3) circles cut on the fold of regular cotton batting*
- (6) mirror half circles of regular cotton batting*
- 2” double fold bias tape store bought or home made
- 6 inch cut of 2” double fold bias tape
*Alternatively you could omit the 3 layers of regular cotton batting and use 1 layer of Insulbright plus one layer of regular cotton batting.
Download the 9 x 9 circle pattern here!
Instructions
Gather up all your materials. Create three sets, each with 1 main, 1 lining, and 3 cotton batting pieces. Layer your pieces in the following order: lining (right side down), batting, then main (right side up) on top. You should now have three sets: 2 half circles and 1 full circle.
Pin or clip your full circle group together to prevent it from slipping. Mark the top center point on your main fabric. From here, measure ½” to the right. Draw a line through the entire circle from top to bottom with a water soluble fabric marker. Trace another parallel line 1” to the right of that line. Repeat until you have finished that half of the circle. Repeat on the other side starting 1″ to the left from your first line.
Topstitch along the lines, quilting through all three layers.
Repeat quilting on the two half circles. Be sure your lines run perpendicular to the straight edge.
After all three sets are quilted, take one of your half circles and place it main fabric up. Cut a strip of bias tape to match the length of the straight edge of your circle. Open the strip up and pin right sides together along your straight edge.
Stitch together with a 3/8” seam allowance. Fold your bias tape again and fold it over the raw edge.
From the main fabric, stitch in the ditch to secure your binding making sure to catch it on the other side. Repeat on the other half circle. (Stitch in the ditch means to sew two pieces of material together over an existing seam line. This creates a near invisible stitch line.)
Lay your full circle piece on your table with the lining side facing up and your parallel lines running up and down. Place your half circles on top, main fabric up, to cover the full circle entirely. Your opening will look like a mouth running side to side.
At the center top point, place both ends of your 6″ bias tape side by side with the loop turned into the center of the holder to create your hanging tab. Pin or clip the three sets and strip together to prevent shifting. Baste together.
Cut another strip of bias tape the circumference of your circle plus 1/2”. Iron one of the edges under 1/4″ to the inside of the bias tape. With the folded end first, pin the tape to the full circle side of the potholder with right sides. Pin it all the way around.
Place the raw edge on top of the folded edge. This will enclose it once the bias tape is folded over the circles raw edge. Stitch into place with a 3/8” seam allowance.
Refold your bias tape and enclose the potholders raw edge. Pin into place.
Sewers Choice: To finish your binding you can either topstitch all the way around the circle making sure to catch the tape on the other side, OR you can ladder stitch your binding to the other side. Here I opted for the ladder stitch. It’s fast, it eliminates the hassle of pushing a lot of bulk through my machine and it gives me a nice clean finish. Learn how to do a ladder stitch here.
You are finished!
-- Originally written by Veronica Burnham. Archived by Holly Hetzner.