How to Sew Quilted Pot Holders

Today, I’m going to show you how to make these three fun potholders out of the quilting cotton included in our Winter 2020 Swatch Card.

If you don’t know about our swatch service, it’s awesome. If you subscribe, you’ll receive between 1 and 3 swatch cards in the mail every quarter. One card has a collection of 8 garment fabrics in cool tones, and another has a collection of 8 fabrics in warm tones, and the third has 8 quilting cottons. The garment swatch cards include tips and tricks for sewing with the fabrics and suggested patterns. The quilting cotton swatch card’s fabrics go with each other and are appropriate for the season. All three cards are accompanied by a linky email and a video, plus the quilting cotton collection is accompanied by a video of a suggested project like these potholders! If you’d like to subscribe, just click this link: http://bit.ly/2TXhhvF

I got the patterns for these potholders from this book: Year of Potholders 2. They are called, Connecticut, Dutchman’s Puzzle, and Crystal Star. The book contains patterns for 52 potholders, plus instructions for binding them and making the quilt sandwich. I have “Tuckerized” three of the patterns in the book to make these potholders.

To make all three, you’ll need a fat quarter bundle of the winter 2020 swatch service quilting cotton: https://bit.ly/37MGMGV

Although these potholders look very different, they’re all made with only 3 units: half-square triangles, flying geese, and square-in-a-square. I’m going to show you the Tucker method for making these 3 shapes, and then how to bind your potholder.

You’ll need 3 different Tucker rulers for this project: The Tucker Trimmer, the Wing Clipper, and Square Squared.

Shape #1 is the 2 ½” half-square triangle. To make it the Tucker way, first cut 3” squares of the two fabrics you’re using. Position the fabrics right-sides-together, and draw stitching lines with the quilter’s magic wand. Sew along the stitching lines, and then cut in between. Press toward the darker fabric. Then, using the Tucker Trimmer, trim the HST to exactly 2 ½”, using the diagonal to make sure everything lines up. You need 4 HSTs for the Connecticut potholder.

Shape #2 is 2 ½” x 4 ½” flying geese units. To make FG the Tucker way, cut a 5 ½” square of the fabric you want for the large center triangle, and cut four 3” squares of the fabric you want for the smaller side triangles. Place 2 of the small squares diagonally across from each other on the large square. With a quilter’s magic wand, draw two diagonal lines through the small squares. Sew along the lines. Cut in between the lines. Press the unit toward the small triangles. Place another small square in the corner of the previously pieced units. Mark 2 diagonal lines on the new small square. Sew along the lines. Cut in between the lines, and press toward the smaller triangles. To trim, position your unit so it looks like a valley. Align the diagonal lines on your Wing Clipper tool with the sewn seams. Make sure the 2 ½” and 4 ½” marks are inside the unit and trim the first two sides. Rotate your unit 180 degrees to the mountain position. Use the X on your tool, and the 2 ½” and 4 ½” markings to trim the next two sides. You’ll need a total of 4 FG units to make the Connecticut potholder.

Shape #3 is a 4 ½” square in a square. To make a square squared block the Tucker way, start with a 3 ½” strip of the center square fabric, and two 3 ¼” squares of the outer triangle fabric. I have made a full video just on the Square Squared blocks. I’ll add a card to YouTube, and include a link in the description below. You’ll need to make two Square Squared units to make the three potholders.

Then, you’ll sew your rows together. I’ll also include a link to my video on chain-piecing a 9-unit block.

Next, you’ll make a quilt sandwich with thermal batting and regular quilt batting. You’ll quilt the potholder. Then you’ll apply the binding.

Here is a link to my blog post about the ombre table runner: https://bit.ly/3gqVaZk


Originally recorded on Facebook Live 12/08/2020
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