How to Make Quilted Potholders

Not only will I show you How to Make Quilted Potholders, I’ll show you how to make quilted potholders larger than the average size found in stores!  I was sick and tired of always being so careful, with our store bought average-size potholders, not to burn my fingers or wrists! I decided to make potholders big enough for not only my hands but my husbands hands too! I call them Texas-Size Quilted Potholders!

The picture below shows the measurement of one pair of our average-sized potholders. (7″ square)

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Materials needed to Make Quilted Potholders

• Cotton Fabric for Potholders
• Cotton Batting
• Insul-Bright (insulated batting)
• Thread
• Bias Tape for finishing (store bought or homemade)

Simple Directions for Making a Potholder

Making and Cutting out the potholder pattern

1) Get a piece of paper, and draw an 8 1/2 inch square.

**Choose how you want your potholder corners to appear before you cut your pattern: 

     A) You can make your quilted potholder pattern with four square OR curved corners AND with a hanging loop as shown in the above picture.

     B) You can also round three corners and leave the last corner as a 90 degree angle; to attach a loop handle, like the picture below.

     C) Curved corners can be achieved by folding your potholder pattern into fourths keeping a square shape. Place the cup on top of the pattern at the outside corners. (corner without folds)  Trace a new curved line using the edge of the cup.

     D)  If you would like your potholder pattern to have all corners rounded, cut on the tracing line on all four layers of the paper.

     E)  If you would like your potholder to have three rounded corners and one angled corner to place a loop,  fold back the bottom layer of paper and only cut the top three layers of paper on the curved line. 

I actually like the placement of the loop, in the picture above.   So decide how you want to make your pattern depending on where you want to put a loop OR no loop at all.  If you choose the NO LOOP way or the loop in the center of your potholder,  you could round all four corners of the pattern. TIP: Sewing  the bias tape (step #4) is easier if the potholder has at least three rounded corners.

Cutting out fabric, batting and insulated batting potholder pieces

2)Use the pattern from step#1,  to cut out  front and back fabric pattern pieces from the cotton fabric of your choice.  Use the pattern to also cut one layer of Insul-Bright and one or two layers of cotton batting. I used two layers of cotton batting; you need to use at least one layer of cotton batting to absorb moisture.

Pin all layers together starting with bottom layer.

Layer as follows:
— Bottom/back fabric piece; wrong side of fabric  facing up
— Layer of cotton batting
— Layer of Insul-Bright
–Layer of cotton batting (optional)
–Top/Front fabric right side of fabric facing up

3) Pin all layers together and quilt as you wish! I used a free-form quilting** on some of my potholders, and used basic straight stiching for the other potholders.

4) Add binding to your pattern, making sure you have extra binding to make a loop for hanging your potholder, if you so desire. I have given you a link for help with making your own Bias binding. See the link above in the materials list-click on the ‘homemade’ link.  

 If you have any questions about these directions,  please contact me. I’d love to hear from you!

**What is free-form quilting?  This is when you have a quilting foot on your sewing machine and drop/lower the feed dogs on your machine. You are then able to move the fabric around in any direction and make any design you want.

These quilted potholders can also be used on your table as quilted hot pads which helps to keep pots/pans and food warmer/cooler for longer! Check out my tutorial for a casserole carrier for taking food on the go AND a review of Itty Bitty Quilts Book that has CUTE patterns you can easily use for Pot Holders!

Click here to read more about Insul-Bright

If you have any specific comments or questions, send an email to amy@amyssewingstudio.com

Thanks for reading and sharing!

Happy Sewing to you,
Amy