Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects (13 page)

•
¹
/
₄
yard (45″-wide) cotton batting

OTHER SUPPLIES

• Coordinating thread

• 1 (
¹
/
₂
″) grommet

• Scissors

• Straight pins

• Ruler

• Chalk pencil or fabric marker

• 1″-wide masking tape

• Hand sewing needle

NOTES

• All seams are
¹
/
₂
″ unless otherwise stated. (The
¹
/
₂
″ seam allowance is included in all cutting measurements and the pattern pieces.)

• Preshrink your fabric by washing, drying, and pressing it before starting your project.

Step 1. Cut out all pieces from the fabric.

a.
First, cut out the Square Pot Holder pattern pieces provided in the pocket at the front of this book.

• Square Pot Holder patchwork panels A, B, C, and D

b.
Then pin the pattern pieces to the fabric and, using your scissors, cut out each panel according to the outlines on the pattern pieces.

FROM THE PRINTED FABRIC FOR 2 PATCHWORK PANELS AND HAND COVERS

• Cut 1 panel: Use pattern piece A.

• Cut 1 panel: Use pattern piece D.

• Cut 2 hand covers: 8″ wide × 9″ long (Mark these dimensions directly onto the
Wrong
side of your fabric, using your yardstick and chalk pencil. Then, using your scissors, cut out the hand covers following the marked lines.)

FROM THE SOLID-COLOR FABRIC FOR THE OTHER 2 PATCHWORK PANELS

• Cut 1 panel: Use pattern piece B.

• Cut 1 panel: Use pattern piece C.

c.
To cut out the back panel, bias binding, and batting panels, simply measure and mark the dimensions below directly onto the
Wrong
side of your fabric, using your ruler and chalk pencil. Then, using your scissors, cut out each panel following the marked lines.

FROM THE SOLID-COLOR FABRIC FOR THE BACK PANEL

• Cut 1 back panel: 9″ wide × 9″ long

FROM THE PRINTED FABRIC FOR THE BIAS BINDING

• Follow the instructions in step 6 to cut and make the bias binding.

FROM THE COTTON BATTING

• Cut 2 panels: 9″ wide × 9″ long

• Cut 2 panels: 4″ wide × 9″ long

Step 2. Make the patchwork front of the pot holder.

a.
Place panel A and panel B with
Right
sides together, matching up the side raw edges, and pin them in place. Stitch a
¹
/
₄
″ seam along the matched raw edges, backstitching at each end. Press the seam allowance to one side. Then, repeat this step, attaching panels C and D together.

b.
With
Right
sides together, place panel A/B on panel C/D, matching up the long, side raw edges, and pin them in place. Attach by stitching a
¹
/
₄
″ seam across the matched raw edges, backstitching at each end. Press the seam allowance to one side.
(
FIGURE 2B
)

Step 3. Quilt the front of the pot holder.

a.
Place both layers of batting onto the
Wrong
side of the front panel, matching up the raw edges. Then, place the back panel with
Right
side facing up on top of the batting layers and pin through all of the layers to hold the panels in place.

b.
On the
Right
side of the back panel, place a piece of masking tape diagonally across the back panel. Using the masking tape as a guideline, stitch down both sides of the tape, backstitching at each end. Now move the tape, lining up one side of the tape with one of the stitching lines, and stitch down the opposite side of the tape. Repeat this process all the way across the width of the back panel, with the diagonal stitching lines all going the same way. Then, place the tape on the opposite diagonal and repeat, stitching the quilting lines across the width of the back panel, backstitching at each end. This will make a diamond-shaped quilting pattern on your pot holder.
(
FIGURE 3B
)

c.
Using your scissors, trim around the cut edge of the patchwork panel to cut away any excess batting and threads.

Step 4. Make the quilted hand covers.

a.
With
Wrong
sides together, fold the first cover in half across the 8″ side and press a crease. Then, open up the cover. Place your first 4″ × 9″ piece of batting onto the
Wrong
side of the hand cover along the center crease, matching up the side and bottom raw edges, and pin it in place. Machine baste
*
with a
¹
/
₄
″ seam completely around the batting to hold it in place.
(
FIGURE 4A
)

*
See page 171
for an explanation of machine basting.

b.
Then, fold the hand cover again at the center crease over the batting and pin the raw edges in place.

c.
On the
Right
side of the hand cover with the batting attached, place a piece of masking tape diagonally across the hand cover, and follow the instructions in step 3b to create a diamond-shaped quilting pattern on your hand cover.

d.
Follow the instructions in steps 4a through 4c to make the other hand cover.

Step 5. Attach the hand covers to the back of the pot holder.

Place the back side of the first hand cover onto the
Right
side of the back of the pot holder, matching up the top and side raw edges, and pin them in place. Then, machine baste a
¹
/
₄
″ seam around the matched raw edges. Repeat this step to attach the other hand cover to the other side of the pot holder. (The finished edges on the hand covers will be across the width of the pot holder facing each other, with a 1″ gap between them.)
(
FIGURE 5
)

Step 6. Make the bias binding.

a.
First, open up your fabric for the bias binding. Fold it on the bias by taking one of the selvage edges
*
and matching it up with one of the cut edges to make a triangle shape, and press along the folded edge. You will measure and mark your bias binding directly on the
Right
side of your fabric.
(
FIGURE 6A
)

*
See page 171
for an explanation of the selvage edge.

b.
Open up your fabric. Using the crease for the bias fold
*
as your starting point, measure 2″ over, parallel to the bias fold at each end of the fabric panel, and make a mark with your chalk pencil. Using your ruler and chalk pencil, match up the 2 marks and draw a line connecting them. Repeat this step, measuring 2″ over, parallel to the chalk line, to make another strip for the bias binding.
(
FIGURE 6B
)

*
See page 171
for an explanation of the bias fold.

c.
Then, cut along the folded edge and down the chalk lines you just made. You will have 2 bias strips.

d.
Attach the bias strips together by placing them
Right
sides together, matching up the angled raw edges. (This will form a V shape.) Stitch the bias strips together across the matched raw edges with a
¹
/
₄
″ seam, backstitching at each end. Press the seam allowance to one side, pressing the strip flat. Trim any small “tails” of fabric at the seam of the bias binding.
(
FIGURE 6D
)

e.
Fold the bias strip in half lengthwise with the
Wrong
sides together and press a center crease. Open up the strip. Using the center crease as a guideline, fold the long, side edges of the bias strip toward the center crease and press. Then, fold the bias strip at the center crease again and press. This will enclose the raw edges. You will need approximately 38″ of binding to go around the Square Pot Holder.