Potholders

Nary a Christmas season passes without me making at least a couple of sets of potholders as gifts. This year has been no different, and the first set I made was a new-to-me pattern from Quilt Expressions - The Folded Pot Holder. The original maker folded her potholders and gifted them with recipe cards and a spatula tucked in tied with a bow, thus the 'folded,' but there's really nothing folded about the making of them.

I used up the little bit of dala horse print I still had after making a table runner for a friend a few years ago. It's from Katarina Roccella's In Blue line. Backed with a reddish Cotton + Steel basic, I quilted them simply, with different patterns on the background and pocket. I also did not make a separate hanger, as the pattern suggested, but tried to duplicate the method Marla/@pennylanequilts uses. I got close at least. You should check out her beautiful scrappy potholders!!

And then I made an old favorite out of Zakka Style, compiled by Rashida Coleman-Hale. This particular pattern, Patchwork Pot Holder, is by Kim Kruzich. I happily pulled cotton-linen scraps to coordinate with that floral from Anna Graham's Forage collection.

Again, simple quilting, and I was happy I had enough of the floral to make the pockets on the back of both potholders. Bias binding was in order, of course. And for all of these, I used one layer of batting + one layer of Insulbright, which is my standard for potholders.

As much as I love making quilts, these other sewn projects provide me with much joy. 'Small sewing' is where I began my creative journey years ago, and it's never really gone away.