Need tips on the stitching after turning my potholders?
 

I am finishing up some potholders that are turning out so nice, but after I turn one and have that little stitching to do to close it up, I always feel it doesn't look as nice as the rest of it that so evenly was sewn on the machine. So far what I do is turn that part under as even as I can to the rest of it, and pin before putting it under the machine to sew, and then continue that around the pot holder before completely quilting it.

I welcome any tips that I might not think of for a really nice finished look. These I am making for one gift requested by my daughter in law, and I am making them using fabrics for all the seasons. I will be finishing these tonight.

Thank you in advance. :)

I use binding around mine, just like my quilts.

Oh yes, that takes care of that issue when doing that. They are pretty too, but I am doing some that the fabric is just so pretty with big prints for her kitchen that on most of these I didn't want to use binding, and just to quilt them nicely. On one I will add an applique snowman on smaller print snowflake fabric. She likes the Christmas season one with snow type print so it will do all winter. :)

I do a double row of stitching around the edge. One round right close to the edge and one round 1/8' or 1/4" inside the first row.

Cari

Those are great ideas. I guess I could even do a bit of hidden hand stitch before putting it under the machine, and then do those tricks. Sounds Great! Thank you all.
I like coming here for tips, and sometimes someone else is wondering the same thing. :)

Susan, please show us your potholders when you're done with them.

Lynnie ok, I will do my best.:)

I'm also a fan of ladder stitch. Looking forward to seeing your finished potholders!

Sushi, I like your signature.:)

I agree with Tartan and Sushi--I do the ladder stitch and then do other stitching. I believe Sewing with Nancy said she use small strips of fusible, put on inside seams and then pressed area closed. To me, ladder stitch is faster. Please show us your potholders.

I've read a suggestion to put a line of stay-stitching where the seam will be. It prevents the fabric from stretching during the turning process. I think of it when I'm trying to fold that 1/4" under! Using binding is probably the neatest finishing but takes more time. Hopefully nobody will notice when they are actually being used.

I do the same as Cari. Less bulk than binding, and work up really fast.

Do the self binding using the backing fabric. 1 inch all the way around, fold to edge of top, then fold onto top and stitch down.....no flipping out that way.......

Here are a few things that help me a lot.
First, try to keep the opening on a straight part. That will make it easier to get the seam to lie flat.
Second, iron in the seam allowance before you sew. Now the seam knows where to be when you get there to sew it.
Third, stay stitching on the seam line. As someone else said, that keeps it from stretching while turning.

When the seam is ready to be sewn, I like to top-stitch as close to the edge as I can. That edge doesn't even go under the presser foot. I make sure I can see the very edge of the bottom piece as I sew on the top piece. They are almost even, but I need to see the bottom to make sure they are right. For certain applications, a very tiny zig-zag works here, too.

I would not turn them. I would use the technique where you bring the backing to the front to bind, but reverse it so you would bring the front fabric to the back.

Hi Susan. I seen a tutorial where the lady was sewing 2 squares of fabric around the edge with about 1/2 inch seam. She left a 2 " opening to turn it. She started off the fabric sewed in 1/2 inch then turned the fabric to sew around and ended by turning the fabric and sewing off it. I tried it and after turning it the opening kinda wants to stay inside all on it's own. Makes it a lot easier to sew shut evenly. I hope this makes sense and helps. I want to see the pictures too. lol

Boy, these ideas are great. I especially like the idea of making it with a bigger front and then turning it to the back making it like a fake binding. I have often pondered on how to do it nicely without using binding. This sounds a lot faster.

Thanks to all of you. So many great tips that will always be great to use. I will show pictures as soon as I can. Still working on a few things to get done in time. I have Christmas then my husband's birthday is on Christmas Day, and before that my son's birthday is Dec 21, and my daughter in law's birthday is Jan 2nd. lol....I get all of these in one wack sort of.

My pot holders represent the seasons, but none are done festive like. They are more using the color way, and in prints. More conservative.

I did make one festive thing, but it's for my hubby so I can't say that now, because he reads everything here. He loves seeing all the pictures. lol..

I just did this for the first time on some ufo holiday tablerunners - pieced last year, but didn't have time for traditional binding, so packed away for this year....asked here on board, watched a YouTube, and tried it....I'm now a fan! Did five tablerunners lickety-split!!!!!! So why not on hotpads, or mug rugs......!

I do a ladder stitch to close it up and then top stitch. Another way of doing it if you are doing an applique is to apply your applique at the end. With this you stitch all around the outside edge of the potholder, make a slit in the fabric where you are going to apply the applique and turn the potholder through that slit. Once it is turned and pressed then apply your applique which covers the slit. I usually use a blanket stitch around the applique which I have fused on. This also works as quilting to hold all the layers together.
Another way I finish potholders is to make the backing larger than the front and bring it around to form a binding. You can either hand stitch it or machine stitch it which is what I do. I hand stitch the corners together. Here is a short video on how to do that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npTvVGouO6Y but there are other links as well.

have you thought of using Elmers School Glue to close the opening and then stitch the finishing 1/4" around the edge.

Please show when finished if you can.

Here's a potholder tutorial I made several years ago. No hole-closing or binding needed. They fly out the door at craft fairs. :)

http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...rs-t60544.html

Now isn't that just the best idea! Thanks for re-sharing.

Well..I had no idea how to help with this question. I will admit I have just learned a few tricks! Thank you!

I used a small strip of steam-a-seam 2 (1/4 inch) and tucked it into my microwave bowl cozy seam allowance in the opening to close them then topped stitched 1/8 inch from the edge.

I used a 1/4 inch strip of Steam-a-seam 2 placed in the seam allowance opening to close my bowl cozies. I then top stitched 1/8 inch from the edge.

Moonrise---- thanks! Cool tute.....like that technique!

Here is a pic of my 4 potholders. They represent in color and print of the 4 seasons. (Not the singing group) lol...
The one in the very front is spring, then summer, fall, and winter. The back one (winter) looks like it's not straight, but it is. I think it got pushed up a bit when I was trying to fix them to take the pic. It's smaller print of snowflakes, and little yellow stars on blue back ground. The light blue color in the first one is close to the color of her kitchen. Her kitchen is maybe a tad darker. (A country blue)
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I just now went to read the tutorial by Moonrise. That tutorial is really neat. I will be trying some out that way through out this next year.
I did a lot of quilting on these.

You can finnish your potholders using a "Ladder Stitch" then you don't see where you have sewn it, I used the ladder stitch when I was finnishing off my fold and stitch wreaths.

Just go to "Dr Google" and search for ladder stitch.

Thanks Carol and everyone for all your wonderful tips. Believe it or not with other things I have made the only potholders I have ever made were crocheted ones, and those mostly for a cute decoration. :)

I cut the back piece oversize to allow for the extra seam, cut the piece in half and sew the two pieces back together starting at one end, leaving a space in the middle of the seam for turning, and finish sewing the seam. Then assemble batting first, then front and backing piece last, sew all around the outside edge. Turn through the space left in the seam on the back. It is much easier to do the blind stitch in the seam on the back than to do it on the edge of pot holder. Quilt your pot holder and top stitch around outside edge if desired. (You could stitch the closing gap by machine as part of your quilting if you didn't want to hand stitch.) Sometimes I will attach a loop or one of those plastic rings for hanging if I am using it for decorative purposes but for regular use, I prefer to leave it without any hangers.

I cut the batting out of the seam allowance, turn it in, press and then get out the Elmers Washable to make sure it stays right where I want it when I sew around the edge.

I usually don't add the little hangers either. It's easier for me.

I make sure that my thread matches and then I take small slip stitches. When done, I run a line of top-stitching around the perimeter.