Week #37 - Saucy Saucepan Holders

Just doing a little catch up here at Lazy Crafternoons to bring you Craft #37 and a new tutorial for making saucy little saucepan holders! (Although yours don't have to be so saucy).

I have had a few 'out-there' prints lying around from some swaps I've done which I've been struggling to find a use for - It's not that they aren't great prints, they just are so bold and bright (and one a bit saucy) that I haven't known what to do with them... So I decided to use this 'Look of Love' Fabric by  and this 'Los Novios' Bride and Groom fabric, both of which are by Alexander Henry.

To make your potholders and pot 'pinchers' you'll need to cut and prepare

Main Fabric
- 2 x 7" squares (pot holder) and
- 2 x 8"x4"rectangles (pot pincher body)
- 2 x 4"x3"rectangles (pinching pockets)
Binding Fabric
- 2 x 4"x3"rectangles (pinching pockets)
- 2 x 2.5" strips at least 28 inches long and/or sewn together to get that length
Heat Proof Wadding
- 1 x 7 inch square
- 1 x 8"x4" rectangles
- 2 x 3"x4" rectangles

You'll also need thread, a sewing machine and a hand sewing needle (a rotary cutter, quilter's square and cutting mat would also be a big help, but are not necessary).

Step 1 - Cut it out. Cut your fabrics and wadding and lay them all out. I cut my wadding and backing piece slightly larger and trimmed them after quilting, but this was not necessary. You can cut all your pieces to the correct sizes for the first steps.

Step 2 - Round your corners. Round the edges of your squares with a gentle curve (I folded the piece into four and cut all corners together - see photo).

At the same time round two corners of your pinching pocket pieces (3"x4" pieces) as in the photos below.

Then use your rounded corners to shape the corners of your rectangle by laying your rounded pieces on top.

You'll have one square with 4 rounded corners, two rectangles with 4 rounded corners, two smaller pieces with two rounded corners and your binding colour fabric pieces still not rounded... plus your wadding pieces.

Step 3 - Get your quilt on. Layer your quilt sandwiches with your wadding between the front and back pieces for both the square and rectangle, and quilt them any way you like (curvy quilting, straight quilting, it's up to you!).

Step 4 - Your Pinching Pockets.  Lay your 3"x4" rectangle with rounded corners on top of your 3"x4" rectangle cut form your binding fabric and lay that on top of your wadding pieces of the same size.

Stitch down the long (non-curved) edge of your pieces with a 1/4 inch seam stitching through all three layers.

Turn your pieces right side out by folding at your seam and pressing, then sew a finishing stitch 1/4 inch from the edge.

Trim down the corners of the wadding and binding colour fabric to match your main fabric.

Step 5 - Hanging Option. If you want to have a little tag for hanging your potholder, then create one by taking a 2.5 inch by 5.5 inch strip and pressing it so that the raw edges are pressed into the centre. (Press the raw edges to the centre and then press again along the centre line).  Sew this with finishing stitches down each side.

Trim this piece to your desired length, and baste in place in the centre of one edge of your square potholder.

At the same time, baste stitch the pockets to your quilted pot pincher so that both your Square and Rectangle pieces are ready for binding. 

Step 6 - Bind away. Press 1/2 inch in at one end of your binding strip and sew a finishing stitch 1/4 inch away from the edge. Press your binding in half lengthwise so you have one folded edge and one raw edge.

Attach your binding to the edge of your potholders by lining the raw edges of your binding with edges of your potholder. Leave a 2-inch tail and begin sewing, pinching and pleating around the corners as you go.

When you have sewn all the way around, stop sewing and cut your thread so that you have a tail that overlaps the one you left at the start of your binding.  Trim the tail with the raw edge so that it overlaps your tail with a finished edge by at least an inch, and then tuck it inside so that your finished tail shows. Sow the remaining gap to finish attaching your binding.

Step 7 - Attach your binding to the front. Fold your binding around from the back to the front, and attach it with a top stitch (although your stitches will show through the other side) or hand stitch it by sewing around the perimeter of your pieces.

Repeat the binding steps for your smaller pot pincher, being sure you catch the edges of your pockets as you sew around the perimeter of your pincher.

Check out these little beauties!

These little beauts will be on sale on Ebay starting tonight, along with a few other items left over from the last few weeks crafting! please check them out and bid generously!

Ebay auctions will appear below as they go live.