<h3>Potholder Tutorial<a name="Potholder Tutorial"></a></h3>

These are the pictures for the potholder tutorial. The instructions are at the end. I am still learning how to coordinate pictures with words on the blog so please hang in here with me. I hope you enjoy my potholders.

I have just finished making 20 potholders for holiday presents. I have been making them for years. I remember sitting in my daughter's and actually, also in my son's kindergarten classes with each child on my lap sewing potholders for Mother's Day. I would bring in the fabric markers and the cut muslin and help the children draw a picture and put their name on the block. Then they would sit on my lap and help me sew the border on my sewing machine. Then through the years, my children would make a similar potholder for their various favorite teachers. A few years back, I met one of my son's former teachers from years ago. She told me that she still had the potholder in her kitchen and how much it had meant to her. So although I know that everyone makes potholders differently. I thought I would show my way on this blog. I love to choose the fabric to suit the recipient.

First step it to cut the muslin foundation and insulation pieces for the potholder 8 inches. The muslin goes down first with the batting on top. Nothing is measured here but the 8 inch blocks, so the strips are loosely cut with the rotary cutter. Take a squarish scrap ,put it in the center on top of the batting. Take a strip and sew it right sides together on the block, press, and continue with this till the batting is covered with scraps. Turn the block over and trim with ruler and rotary cutter until it is squared up. Cut a backing from quilting fabric about an inch larger than the block. Put down the backing wrong side up, then either two pieces of denim or one piece of the Insul-Bright, then the quilt sandwich. Bring the backing fabric around to the top of the potholder and pin two opposite sides and sew with walking foot. Pin the two other sides and sew with walking foot. Hand sew the white ring for the hanger. This is found at places like Walmart or Michaels or you can make a fabric hanger. I hope this is easy to follow and that you enjoy my examples.