Take a look in the kitchen section of any store, and you'll find that potholders have a fresh new look: pockets!
Now you can make a potholder with a pocket, and add your favorite embroidery designs for a personal look.
Below you'll find the tasty recipe for making these crafty and clever kitchen helpers. Read on for project instruction
Supplies & Materials:
- 1/4 yard canvas for outer surface of potholder
- 1/4 yard pre-quilted fabric for inside of potholder pocket
- 1/4 yard Insul-Bright (or other brand) insulated lining
- Extra wide double fold bias tape
- Medium weight cutaway stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive
- Potholder template
The designs used in this tutorial include:
The embroidered area is 4 1/2 inches wide by 3 1/2 inches tall. That leaves a quarter-inch space between the edge of the design and the edge of the potholder, after the bias tape is added. We used the Delectable Flower Cupcake design in the instructions below; if using a different design, keep the above dimensions in mind.
Finished Size:
6 inches wide by 7 inches high
Project Tip:
The project instructions us pre-quilted fabric for the inside of the pocket. However, you can use terrycloth as well.
First we'll embroider the design on the canvas. It isn't necessary to cut the canvas in advance.
To do this, spray a piece of medium weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary spray adhesive. Smooth the canvas on top. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together tightly. Attach the hoop to the machine, and embroider the design.
When the design has finished, trim away the excess stabilizer on the back of the embroidery. Leave about 1/2 inch of stabilizer around the design.
Download the printed template here for the potholder and use it to cut out one shape each of Insul-Bright, pre-quilted fabric (or terrycloth), and canvas.
In this picture, the shiny side of the Insul-Bright is facing up. When the potholder is completed, the shiny side (covered by the green canvas) should be facing toward your hot objects, to reflect heat away from your hands.
Cut off the top part of the template along the printed line to leave a smaller template for the pocket. Then, cut out one shape each of Insul-Bright, pre-quilted fabric, and canvas, centering the embroidery in the canvas pocket piece.
Layer the fabrics for each piece as follows: pre-quilted fabric on the bottom (with right side facing down), Insul-Bright, and canvas (with right side facing up)
Baste around the edges of each "sandwich" to hold the pieces together.
Cut a piece of bias tape a bit longer than the top edge of the pocket piece. Unfold one side of the bias tape, and pin it to the top edge of the pocket, matching raw edges.
Stitch along the fold closest to the edge.
Wrap the bias tape around the top edge and pin in place.
Stitch the bias tape in place, very close to the folded edge.
Trim the excess bias tape from the ends.
Lay the smaller embroidered piece on top of the larger piece as shown. Pin together.
Use the same method as before to apply bias tape around the edge of the potholder.
Cut a piece of bias tape long enough to go around the edges of the potholder, with at least 6 inches extra to form the loop later. Unfold one side of the bias tape and pin it to the back side, matching raw edges.
Use plenty of pins on the corners to ease the curve into the bias tape as much as possible.
Stop pinning just short of where the bias tape would join. Keep the free end clear of the corner for now.
Stitch along the fold closest to the edge, starting at the end where you started pinning.
When you get near the corner where the ends meet, fold the beginning bias tape up and out of the way. Stop stitching just short of where they meet.
Fold the bias tape around the edge of the potholder and pin in place. Stitch, starting at the same end as you did before.
(For a neater finish, you can hand-stitch this if you like.)
When you get to the end, fold the bias tape around the beginning point at the corner and keep stitching along the bias tape only, to close it up.
Curve the bias tape to make a loop and pin it in place.
Stitch the loop securely in place and trim off any excess bias tape..
Here's the finished product - sweet and tasty for the kitchen, and the insulated lining keeps things nice and cool.
