Simplified Pot Holder

These pot holders are easy to create  and look great in all colors, and they make great gifts too!

What you need: 

• Soft cutaway stabilizer or fabric, like old bed linen, the fabric will not be shown in the finished project.
• Batting for hotpads, you can also use an old terry towel 11” x 9” (28x23cm)
• Fabric for the front and back of the pot holder, 2 pieces, 11” x 9” (28x23cm)
• Coordinating thread for the stitching and quilting
• One strip of fabric 34” x 1½” (85x4cm) cut on the bias, or purchased bias tape for the binding of the hotpad
• Embroidery hoop size 260x200mm
• Embroidery Design

Making the Pot Holder

Hoop the stabilizer or fabric. Stitch out the first color, this will show where to place the batting. Take the hoop out from the machine and put it upside down on the table. Place the fabric for the back of the hotpad on top of the stitched area, right side facing up. Secure with tape in the corners. Turn the hoop over. Place the batting and the front fabric on top of the stitching, covering the line at all sides. 

Put the hoop back in the machine and stitch color two. This will secure the batting and fabric pieces and quilt the layers together. Use the same thread on top and bobbin since the stitching will be visible on both sides. Unhoop the pot holder and cut it out just outside the stitching lines.

Binding the edges

Cut a bias strip 1½” (4cm) wide and about 34” (85cm) long. Sew the bias tape on the wrong side of the hotpad beginning at the top using a ¼” (6mm) seam allowance. Make a corner turn at the point of the leaf: stop  ¼” (6mm) from the corner, stitch out to the corner point. Cut thread, fold the corner and start stitching from the edge.

To make the join at the end, stop stitching about 2” (5cm) before the top, go back to the start of the strip and turn it over to the right side, fold the raw edge in, making sure it  covers the stitching. Pin in place.  This will make the join neater.

Stitch the rest of the bias tape in place.

Cut off the bias tape 4” (10cm) from the edge, fold together and stitch close to the folded edge stop 1” (2,5cm) from the edge. 

Put the end of the folded bias edge under the edge, to make a hanging loop stitch in place.

Continue stitching all around the edge, making a mitered fold on the corner point on the leaf.

DONE!

If you want to create the patchwork version, you will find it HERE