Frog as symbol of rebirth,
hearts for love and good wishes,
and one just for fun - my personal favorite!Go here to find out more about this project... and feel free to join in!
And in honor of St. Valentine's Day, a couple of potholders I made earlier in the month to brighten up our kitchen:
A little closer look:
I began the potholders with a couple pieces of batting that turned out to be smaller than I thought they were (I was not in the mood to stop and measure them at the time). Even worse, they turned out to be polyester. (I thought I had gotten rid of all that stuff!) I turned the heat down on the iron as soon as I realized that so there wouldn't be more toxic fumes released than necessary. And I made sure to use cotton batting on the backsides. I make these potholders using the sew-and-flip method of construction, using the batting as a foundation. The back (which I didn't think to photograph) is a single piece of fabric. I layer the pieced top and the backing right sides together and then add another layer of batting to the bottom of the stack. Then I sew around all four sides, leaving a small opening on one side to allow me to turn the whole shebang right side out. Oh, I tuck a folded strip of fabric in there along the top edge for a hanger too. (That also sometimes comes in handy as an aid in turning the potholder right side out!) After I've closed the opening (by hand) I quilt through all four layers around a central patch or two. I made this pair specifically for decoration but I have made potholders the same way (with two layers of Warm & Natural cotton batting) and they work just fine. Most often we use them as trivets on the table. Because there's no counter space to speak of on either side of our microwave in its current location I also keep a potholder on top of it so I have a place to set down dishes that come out hotter than I expected. I prefer to use oven mitts if I have to reach into a hot oven to retrieve a dish or pan.
Here's wishing all my Valentines out there a weekend you will look back on with fond memories. :- )
I love how the stars have different size points (especially that last one, gorgeous!).
ReplyDeleteGreat looking stars for a very worthy cause.
ReplyDeleteYour potholders are so cute. I've made some in the past and I bound them like little quilts. I like your finishing method better because binding something that small is very frustrating.
hey thanks for visiting patchwork underground! your blog is so cute! i love the wonky log cabin and the frog star! =) happy late valentines day!
ReplyDeleteI got my stars off to Aus today. Can you believe it...I didn't wait until the very last minute. How unlike me!
ReplyDeleteThe heart potholders are fun!
Good idea on the potholders. I need to make some so colors in my kitchen will match better. I figure I'll make a valance for the window with the same fabric that goes into the potholders.
ReplyDeleteLove your wonky stars. Actually, they keep the blocks from looking static.
I love the "wonky stars"!! Your favorite is also mine - the colors are great!
ReplyDelete