Feels Like Fall Blog Hop: Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of our Feels Like Fall blog hop! Today we're moving to the kitchen, an ideal destination for autumn accents. Melissa from My Fabric Relish is here sharing how she replaced some well-used oven mitts with new handmade ones. As a nod to fall, these kitchen helpers sport a squirrel and his nut, and are made using the modern Daily Zen and Burlap prints. 

Fall is in the air! FINALLY! Here, in Texas, the true marks of fall are lows in the 60s and the State Fair of Texas opens its doors. I enjoy both of these things immensely! You also know it's fall because you have a hankering to bake lots of goodies, especially things with pumpkin. Lots of pumpkin. I love baking pumpkin bread and pecan pies during fall holidays and for anyone that bakes, you know having a good set of oven mitts is crucial! I have a pair that I received when I went off to college and they have always been my favorite, first ones I reach for, pair. Last Christmas, I finally got around to making a pattern from my beloved mitts and so excited to share it with you today!

When Benartex asked if I would like to share a Fall-inspired tutorial, I said absolutely and my oven mitts were perfect! It was easy to choose my fabrics for my project: Daily Zen and Burlap. Both these lines have beautiful saturated tones, prints with leaves and quills that just screams FALL, but still keeping it modern. I just had to applique my favorite woodland creature, a squirrel friend with his nut on them, too!

Before we get started, I am providing a convenient printable pattern with instructions and templates for you to print out. You can download them here! Enjoy!

 Fabric Requirements:

• 3 FQs - Front/Back Panels and pockets 
• Scraps for appliques
• Binding - 3/8 yard (cut on bias for total of 80") 
• Insul Bright by Warm and Natural - 3/4 yard 

Cuts:

• Outside Panels - Cut (2) 14 x 20
• Pockets - Cut (2) 6 1/2 x 13 " 
• Binding - 2 1/2" x 41" bias binding PER mitt
• Insul Bright - cut (2) 14 x 20 

Instructions:

• Make Front/Back Panel Quilt Sandwich - Take the two outside panels and make a quilt sandwich with two layers of Insul Bright in the center. I like to use two layers of Insul Bright because for me one layer isnt enough. You could also use one layer of Insul Bright and then one or two layers of batting.  Be sure right sides are facing out. I recommend spray basting lightly or basting with large basting pins. Quilt as desired.If you would like to make more than one set, then make a quilt sandwich using the uncut FQs. Sorry I don't have pictures of steps 1,2, and 4. I accidently deleted them had some technical difficulties. 
• Take the two pocket panels and fold in half, creating a 6 1/2" square. If you wish, you can add batting to the middle and also quilt. 
• If you wish to add applique to your mitts, you will do that now. See How to Applique in 5 Steps (below). I like to applique after quilting, but feel free to do this before step 1.

•  Place the pocket on the bottom half of the mitt with raw edges lined with the raw edges and the fold in the center of the mitt.
• Mark each corner with template provided (page 3) and trim all four corners on both mitts including the pockets.

• Apply the bias binding taking care around the curve edges. Optional - Add a tab using extra bias tape by folding the raw sides in, press, and stitch down open side. Attach before stitching the back of the binding down. Hint: After applying the binding to the front, trim the raw side of the mitt creating a narrow binding on the front and then stitched the binding down from the back.

How to raw-edge applique:

• Print out applique pattern (download here).

• Trace the applique pattern on the paper (not waxy) side of the freezer paper.

• Fuse woven interfacing (I like to use SF 1O1) to the wrong size of fabric you wish to applique.

• Press the freezer paper onto right side of fabric that you wish to applique. Cut around the outline of the traced image.

• Applique to project as desired. I like to use a washable glue stick to keep my applique pieces tacked down. Stitch your applique as desired.I like to use a straight stitch, zig-zag, or blanket stitches.

Voila!

They might be really stiff at first, but become more pliable once you start using them. 

 Download

In case you were curious about my beloved oven mitts, I took a picture of them for ya! 

(see, they are pretty gross and kind of smell like stale food)

Thanks so much for checking out my oven mitts and I sure hope you give them a try! Be sure to come visit me at my blog, My Fabric Relish or follow me on bloglovin! 

 

Thanks Melissa! What fun for the kitchen! Head over to Melissa's blog and enter to win a fat quarter bundle of Daily Zen--use it to make these fun oven mitts or something else!

This is the third of six autumn and/or Halloween themed tutorials coming your way, from Wednesday, October 1 through Wednesday, October 8. Be sure to check out all six and enter for a chance to win a fun fall fabric bundle!

Here's the line-up:

Day 1: Kelly from My Quilt Infatuation featuring the Harvest Song collection
Day 2: Christina from Sometimes Crafter featuring the Spooktacular collection
Day 3: Melissa from My Fabric Relish featuring the Daily Zen collection
Day 4: Benartex blog design team featuring the Fall Festival collection
Day 5: Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts featuring the Spooktacular collection

Day 6: Erin from Why Not Sew featuring the Indian Summer collection