I May Have Helped Prevent a Fire
 

I was in Joanns today and I overheard 2 women talking about the potato bagshat go in the microwave. One lady was going to make some and the other one was telling her about someone she knew that used one and started a fire in the mw oven. My friend was talking to me at the time so I couldn't say anything right then. A few minutes later when i was free, I went to the cutting table where the one lady was trying to figure out how much fabric to buy. She had the prequilted stuff with the polyester batting init. I apologized for butting in and asked if that was what she was using for the bags. When she said yes, I told her the proper materials to use to avoid a hazardous gift! She kept thanking me. I told her that my conscience wouldn't let her buy that quilted stuff!

Good for you...sometimes butting in is OK.

Jp

glad you could help her you suggested insulbrite?

You did a good thing!

Every one appreciates a tip to prevent a hazard. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

She was going ahead with her plans even AFTER her friend told her about the fire??? That's kind of weird....

there was a reason that you were there ,God places us in situations to do the right thing so that we can be his little angels and that was what you were then, and as for butting I would be grateful if someone assisted me and gave me the information to prevent a possible fire. May God bless and keep you in the palm of his hand.

You can't use insulbrite in the Microwave, can you?

Um, that would be a big fat NO. It contains metal and could be what started the friend's fire. The manufacturer's website says in bold red lettering that it is NOT FOR USE IN THE MICROWAVE.

http://www.warmcompany.com/ibpage.html

Isn't great to have 'friends' in our world who would willlingly help us, just like you did. It surely makes quilting more enjoyable and fun. You not quilting police but a quilting angel.

There is batting for this. I believe it is called Warm Tater and may be made by the same company that makes Warm and Natural/White. I've seen it in quilt shops and higher end fabric stores. All the materials you use to make these needs to be 100% cotton otherwise you'll have a melting and fire issue.

My mom gave me a potato bag many years ago. She purchased them at a craft fair. I just love it. A few years later I was at the same craft fair with her and purchased a few to give as gifts. I gave one to each of my closest girlfriends, and brought one to my MIL. My girlfriends just love theirs, and frequently email me to say they were thinking of me while they used the awesome bag for dinner that night. My MIL decided to use hers for the first time while we were there for the weekend. Hers caught fire! I don't know if there was a scrap of a broken needle in hers, if the maker used the wrong batting by mistake, or if it was her super-powered convection microwave, but now I'm afraid to give them as gifts. In the past I would toss 4 potatoes into mine, start up the microwave for 6 minutes, and go outdoors, to start the grill, or pick veggies from the garden. I'm much more careful about leaving the house while it's in the microwave now!

I make the bags without batting, just use four layers of cotton fabric. No problem with them overheating and a great way to use up scraps for the middle.

Pellon has a new microwave safe batting that is called Wrap-N-Zap. Love the name. It's available at J's. It is a little thinner than Warm Tater and I used it on the microwave bowl holders. Like it a lot for those.

Good for you. If she would have given the bags as a gift and a fire resulted, she would have had difficulty forgiving herself. Thank you for going with your gut.

Love the boys!!!

Definitely NOT buttin' in when you are saving someone from potential hazards. Good for you for speaking up!

Insulbrite has metallic threads embedded in it. I wouldn't recommend it for potato bags or bowl potholders, but I would recommend it for potholders and tablerunners.
'

I certainly believe that if you can prevent a quilting disaster and especially not setting your MW on fire, I think you were right to "butt" in. Sometimes the people cutting fabric are not quilters and may not be familiar with all the new, wonderful products that have come out in recent years.

Not quite sure why potatoes would be put into fabric bag to microwave can someone let me know the benefits of using bag compared to just putting in as is. Thanks

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Fabric in the microwave is the dumbest ideas ever!
First I zap the potatoes, then splash with water, roll in saran wrap and drop into my large oven mitt and sit aside.
Then I fix the meal, by the time dinner is ready the potatoes are well done.
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->

I made tater bags with cotton batting several years ago, all went well, but then last year when I saw the new cotton batting made for potato bags I bought it & made several for presents-made sure all cotton material, even the thread! I used the one I made for me to try it out-it caught on fire. Very scary, obviously did not give out the others for presents, still trying to use them for something else, jewelry bags, kindle bag, etc.

OK, all this talk about what not to use but what are you supposed to use? This isn't a subject that I am familiar with other than having read about the fact that some of them have caught fire. I just received two microwavable bowl wraps as as a gift today and would like not to have to deal with the possibility of a fire.

I made the microwave bowl potholders for Christmas and myself. I've had mine in the MW for 4-5 min. And no problems. Potatoes are generally in there longer so maybe that's where the problem lies? I personally just wash, poke holes and then zap my potatoes in the MW. And after i heard that you don't have to wrap foil around the potatoes before they go in a regular oven, I was real happy about that too. Just a pain! LOL
I think a convection oven is hotter than a MW oven. I don't think i would use the potatoe bags in there. Isn't it like a regular oven with a fan circulating the heat so it cooks faster?
Walmart.com has wrap n Zap for $3.09 per pkg. FYI

Wrap n Zap by Pellon is an all cotton batting. It is thinner than Warm and natural and doesn't have a scrim on it. Then use 100% cotton fabric and thread. That is what is supposed to be used. I think people get in trouble when the proper materials aren't used or not used the way they were intended.

I just nuke them naked and when they come out I wrap them in a towel for 5 minutes.

You cannot use insulbrite in the microwave. It has aluminum in it. To make the potato bags you need to use "Warmtator" batting. You have to use all 100% cotton-fabric, thread and batting...

great save!!

I have the same question as Cannyquilter - why would you wrap your potatoes in fabric and batting to cook it in the microwave?

Count me as another who wonders this. I stab mine and stick them in the MW naked. They come out perfect. IMO, it's just a make-work project. Why do people embroider on toilet paper?

I'd had mine for a while, not used much, but did use it and it caught fire....WOULD NEVER EVER make or recommend the use of one of these.....who knows the correct way to make them anymore with all the mis information out there!!

The embroidery on toilet paper makes a cute gift or decoration, a friend made one for me with a snowman, I put in the bathroom for a decoration at Christmas-not on the toilet paer holder, just kinda of cute. I saw one at a beauty shop with beauty shop designs. Just something different, fun, whimiscal, not everything has to be practical

Safety is an issue we should all share, whether we are butting in or not