Handy Heart potholders - construction tips at post 39
09-18-2014, 07:58 AM
#39
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Alabama
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Handy Heart Potholders
The pattern is Handy Heart Potholder, by Eva Holen. It's available at Nancy's Notions, Amazon.com, and eBay, etc.
My tips:
1. To go between the main fabric and the lining fabric, the pattern calls for one layer of insulated batting, like Insulbrite, and two layers of cotton batting. With Warm & Natural I find that two layers are just too thick to deal with, so I use only one plus the layer of Insulbrite, and it's enough to protect my hands.
2. Stitch with a walking foot.
3. The directions say to layer main fabric, Insulbrite, cotton batting and lining fabric together and zigzag around the edge. To keep my layers from shifting, I first straight stitch the main fabric and Insulbrite together, and the lining fabric and cotton batting together, with fabric on top in both cases. Then I put those two layered pieces together and zigzag around the edge. It's an extra step but pays off for me.
4. Finger pocket flaps--directions are fine.
5. Binding:
I cut my bias binding 2-3/4" wide, to accommodate the thickness of all the layers. It takes about 26 inches to go all around. The binding starts and stops at the top of the heart, where the little dip is.
After folding the binding in half and pressing it, I also turn in about 1/4" on the beginning edge and press that, then beginning at the top dip, stitch the binding around the heart with a scant 3/8" seam. It's a good idea to ease in just a little around the big curves. When I get back to the top on the other side, a couple of inches before the dip, I stop stitching and cut my threads; turn under and press the binding where it will meet the beginning edge, then stitch the rest of the way.
6. After pressing the binding away from the seam on the right side, I turn the potholder over and iron down the folded edge a little past the stitching line. Like Kwiltr, I use Elmer's school glue for this. (I used to use pins and got stuck over and over. Glue is the way to go!) It helps to put in a few stitches by hand to hold the edges together at the top dip. Then it's just a matter of stitching in the ditch on the right side, which catches the folded edge on the wrong side. I don't use a walking foot for this last step.
Daffy
My tips:
1. To go between the main fabric and the lining fabric, the pattern calls for one layer of insulated batting, like Insulbrite, and two layers of cotton batting. With Warm & Natural I find that two layers are just too thick to deal with, so I use only one plus the layer of Insulbrite, and it's enough to protect my hands.
2. Stitch with a walking foot.
3. The directions say to layer main fabric, Insulbrite, cotton batting and lining fabric together and zigzag around the edge. To keep my layers from shifting, I first straight stitch the main fabric and Insulbrite together, and the lining fabric and cotton batting together, with fabric on top in both cases. Then I put those two layered pieces together and zigzag around the edge. It's an extra step but pays off for me.
4. Finger pocket flaps--directions are fine.
5. Binding:
I cut my bias binding 2-3/4" wide, to accommodate the thickness of all the layers. It takes about 26 inches to go all around. The binding starts and stops at the top of the heart, where the little dip is.
After folding the binding in half and pressing it, I also turn in about 1/4" on the beginning edge and press that, then beginning at the top dip, stitch the binding around the heart with a scant 3/8" seam. It's a good idea to ease in just a little around the big curves. When I get back to the top on the other side, a couple of inches before the dip, I stop stitching and cut my threads; turn under and press the binding where it will meet the beginning edge, then stitch the rest of the way.
6. After pressing the binding away from the seam on the right side, I turn the potholder over and iron down the folded edge a little past the stitching line. Like Kwiltr, I use Elmer's school glue for this. (I used to use pins and got stuck over and over. Glue is the way to go!) It helps to put in a few stitches by hand to hold the edges together at the top dip. Then it's just a matter of stitching in the ditch on the right side, which catches the folded edge on the wrong side. I don't use a walking foot for this last step.
Daffy
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