Blast from the Past: Hotpad Tutorial

I’m doing a little series of posts that feature old blog posts. I have been going back and looking at them. It’s been fun. I started blogging in June of 2009…WOW. Over ten years. I’m so glad I’ve kept the blog as a diary of sorts…today I’m revisiting a tutorial I did for a potholder.

Although I made this using my Accuquilt Go and the 4″ basket block, you can make this with any small block. Here is a link for some small blocks that will work.

I wrote:
“I got a new Accuquilt Go! die, the 4″ finished basket, and had to try it out. Previously there had been lots of discussion on how to create the basket handle. Thankfully Mary over at Quilt Hollow contacted Alex Anderson, designer of the die, and “took the basket by the handle”..so to speak. Follow this link if you need help with that basket handle….watching the video REALLY made it a breeze…without the video, I would have been LOST…Thanks Mary! Now on to the tutorial.

Anyway…back to the die. I typically am not a basket girl, but these little 4″ finish guys are just so darn cute. In the middle of the making my test basket block, I had to go get something out of the oven when I saw my AWFUL looking hot pads and decided to create this….a hot pad holder with a little basket pocket on the front.

This is my favorite hot pad….I love the pocket on the front so I don’t burn my hand, yet it’s not a oven mitten. Totally my favorite…

If you don’t have this die…don’t worry. You can make this potholder with any small block.

Here’s a little tutorial for you showing you how to make it….
To create the front pocket:
Make one basket block following the directions in the packaging. Cut two 4.5″ squares, cutting in half on the diagonal. Add them to the sides of the basket block making it square.

Trim this new block to be 6″ x 7″. (If you don’t have the basket die, improvise….use any small block. Add borders to it until it is 6″ x 7″.)

Cut a backing piece and piece of hot pad batting (it’s a special kind that is better for protecting your hands) the same size, 6″ x 7″. Layer the pieces, backing, batting, quilt block, and quilt. I quilted around the basket and then just did a stippling type design on the rest.

Trim the piece. Cut and sew BIAS binding strips totaling about 47″. Sew binding down at the top of the basket piece as shown. Set aside the pocket piece and the BIAS binding.

Cut two pieces of fabric and a piece of the same batting that are 9″ x 7″, layer, quilt as desired. I did a crosshatch pattern.

Trim to 9″ x 7″. To round the corners, I took a glass from the cupboard, laid it on the corner, and traced the curve. Then I cut on the line to create the curve. Do this on all 4 corners. Take your pocket piece with the basket and round the two corners on the bottom.

If you want a hanger on your hot pad, cut a 5″ piece of BIAS binding. Iron it to hide the raw edges. Topstitch down each edge. Fold and pin in place on the top back, in the middle as shown. Now place the basket piece on top of the back piece (the opposite side and end of the hanger). Pin in place.

Bind your hot pad making sure you catch the hanger in your stitches.

Everyone binds a bit differently….I cut 2.5″ strips. I folded them in half. I sewed them to the BACK of the hot pad. I brought the binding around to the front and sewed it in place. I thought this would be hard but honestly….not hard.

Then I turned the hanger up and in place. I sewed a small line at the very edge of the potholder to tack the hanger in place….

Wa-La….you have a nice new hot pad holder….These would make nice grab bag gifts, secret Santa gifts, or hostess gifts….something you stuff in a Christmas stocking. Better yet, they would make a nice addition to your OWN kitchen.”

I did a video on how I made these. You can check it out HERE or watch the embedded video.

10 years later I still have one of these potholders in my drawer and use it all the time. I really think it might be time for me to make another batch. I think it would be so fun to use some of the orphan blocks I have…or simply sew a crazy quilt crumb block for the front….Hmmm…that has me thinking. Christmas is just around the corner. If I made some now, I’d have them ready for gifts.