NewFO Quilt Challenge February 2014

Another month of New Quilting Projects!!! To join along, visit Barbara over at Cat Patches and learn what this is all about!!!

This month I decided to continue on with another small quilting project in the form of some potholders. The basic idea and instructions can be found HERE. I didn't follow this exactly, but did get the basics and the idea here, so I wanted to credit the original.

I found the cutest kitchen themed fabric in colors that I really like.

 

I also found this really cool batting to go in between the fabric layers. I have a homemade potholder that was given to me as a gift years and years ago. I love that it is homemade, but I can't use it much because the heat goes right through it. So I went looking for something that would work a little better and I found this....



 

It's the same thickness as regular batting, but it has a very thin foil layer in it that should help with the heat issue. It does have one drawback as the lady that cut my material repeated several times - it can't go into the microwave!! Apparently she had a customer that did just that and ruined her microwave. Well, I would have thought that would be a no-brainer, but it's just as well, we don't have a working microwave, and haven't for years, so it won't be a problem here. And just for curiosity sake - how many of you actually put your potholders in the microwave while you're cooking anyway? I've never heard of anyone doing that until now, so I was just wondering. :0)

 



Okay, back to the project... This was a very simple project that included cutting the fabric and batting a bit bigger than you intend the potholder to be, drawing sewing lines, quilting down the sewing lines and then cutting the fabric away at the outer edges. The original instructions said to mark lines 1 inch apart, but as I was trying to quilt them, the fabric kept bunching up, so I did mine 2 inches apart and it worked much better. You see that I got two of them quilted above.

 

And after a few failed attempts, this is where I stopped. I will cut the kitchen themed fabric into strips that will be sewn over the top of the potholder to make it cute:) and the brown will be used as the trim around the edges. I am pretty sure I already cut the kitchen themed fabric, I was just sure I had, and the fabric looks like it's been cut, but I can't find the pieces anywhere!!! I have plenty more fabric so it's not a problem, just a bit frustrating:)

 

I really need to take my machine in and have it looked at. I know there are a few problems and I'm pretty sure that is why I was having trouble with the fabric bunching up on me. Maybe I will get it in next month.

 

I already have an idea and most of the fabric for next month's project. It'll be a little bigger, but still manageable for me:) Happy sewing!!!