Round pot holders aren't something weird or strange. Let's face it, most pots and pans are round not square. Yet it never occurred to me to make anything other than square. I take that back, one time I made a couple sets that were really a weird and funky shape. But not round!!
I had a request for round red pot holders using improv. At first I hesitated, but not because they wanted round. Again that is not weird! Because of red. I have red fabric. I was worried I wouldn't have enough contrast between each shade. And they were going to need at least a spot or three of something else. I ended up picking a few woven stripes that had red tones and also black and dark grey.
I pieced some strips together trying to follow an imaginary curve hoping I wasn't wasting my time. For this particular design, I felt it was important to have curves to keep the round flow. Like the wheels on a bus. (I know, you are singing it now!)
When making pot holders, I make a tidy little pot holder sandwich before quilting. Starting with the backing, then a layer of Insul-Bright, cotton batting and the top. Insul-bright has a reflective film inside poly fibers that reflects hot and cold energy.
With the layers secure, the quilting can begin! With small 'quilts' like these, you can really get creative with the quilting. Machine quilt or free motion. These were a combination of both. It that the best of both worlds?! I think so!
I just happened to have the perfect thread for the quilting! Not always the case with me. I'm slowly trying to build my thread stash, as there is nothing more frustrating than not having that perfect match for a project.
Aurifil Burgundy #1103 was just right. These pot holders have a lot of different shades of red. The burgundy thread was perfect!
I will admit that I may have shied away from round pot holders because I didn't want to deal with cutting something round...that was until I found the perfect tool, the perfect sized tool! Kitchens are the best place to look for tool alternatives!
The pot lid is round, which made my job a whole lot easier! I used a marker to trace the circle and cut it out with scissors. Scissors just to be safe. I could see the rotary cutter slipping and slicing off part of my curve...nightmare!!
With that, circles aren't so bad! One thing that was easier was stitching the binding to the back. I didn't have to worry about mitered corners! Hopefully I won't be asked to make oval pot holders...I do not have an oval lid!
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