Stitching this trivet couldn't be simpler -- and spices hidden inside give off a delicious aroma when you set a hot dish on top! We made ours to suit an Old West saloon, but it'll look great with an endless variety of themes. Make one for all your friends!
Read below for these free project instructions!
Supplies & Materials:
- 1/2 yard cotton fabric (we used quilter's cotton, but canvas is a good choice too)
- 1/3 yard Insul-Bright
- Medium weight cutaway stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive
- Air-erase pen or dress maker's pencil
- Ground cloves, cinnamon, or other aromatic spices
The designs used in this tutorial include:
Using an air-erase pen, mark a 9-inch square on the fabric. Mark the center of the square by measuring the distance between sides and dividing by two. Connect the lines so that they cross in the middle of the square. This is your center point.
Cut a piece of medium weight stabilizer large enough for hooping, and make sure it also covers the entire back of the 9 inch square (the stabilizer will double as interfacing for the top of the trivet.) Spray the stabilizer with temporary spray adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric.
Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design. Move the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point on the fabric. Embroider the design.
Do not trim the stabilizer from the back of the design.
Cut out the square along the line you marked earlier, leaving stabilizer on the entire back of the square. Cut another 9 inch square of the same fabric.
Place the two squares right sides together and stitch, leaving an opening along most of the bottom edge, as shown in photo. Clip corners, being careful not to cut stitching.
Turn the square inside out, and poke out the corners so that they're square. Press, folding under the raw edge so that it matches the rest of the square.
Cut three 7 1/2 inch squares of Insul-Bright. If you don't have Insul-Bright, cotton batting is a good choice. Avoid synthetic materials. We're using several layers to give the trivet some physical height in addition to its insulating properties.
Insert the Insul-Bright squares into the trivet, shiny side up, so that everything lies flat. This may take a bit of manipulation.
Sprinkle cloves or other spices onto the top layer of Insul-Bright.
Hand-sew the opening closed.
Your trivet is done!
Experiment with variegated thread to create pattern and depth in the background stitching. We used Madeira variegated thread for these examples. Shop it here: <ink>
High nap fabrics like faux fur and thick terrycloth can create even more textural effects and are particularly fun with animal machine embroidery designs.
A heavy water-soluble stabilizer topping is key to success when stitching embossed designs on high nap fabrics.
