Scraps to Stitches

Too many scraps taking up valuable space in your sewing area?

Older potholders -still looking good but - your 'creative itching' calling for new ones?

Here are some solutions for both problems.

Use your scraps to create new potholders; SCRAPPY was "the thing" back-in-the-day.  Sewers used old clothes, leftover quilt scraps and most any fabric (cottons mostly) that needed repurposing.  In the days before THROW-AWAY became currently popular.  Necessities were common as was 'save and reuse' when possible. Gee...interesting perspective. But I digress...

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAi_SZaF5hk

This example combines a scrappy approach PLUS one of the easiest and cutest forms of quilting I have seen; not sure what its called.  I have done this example and it works!  The 'trick' is to make sure your criss-cross lines are equal and that your positioning of the second/larger square is equally cut  AND equally positioned.  As well - make sure your CUTTING is equal. Gee...EQUAL seeems important here...you bet!

2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rhv34-Bre0

Maybe...turn off the sound here...BUT - a great tutorial on a slightly different way to use scraps AND to put these LOVELIES together. No particular way nor particular fabric is ever too 'out there' when it comes to creating the LOWLY POTHOLDER! What a little WONDER it is!

3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt8_AQyI_vg

This sewer uses one of my FAV ways to bring a LOWLY potholder to life!  No binding required. Easy to turn inside out!  Sometimes my machine (dependig on WHICH of my workhorses I use for this project), resists the extra thicknesses to make that final around-the-edge and crisscross seams.  Sometimes I skip the crisscross seam and just quilt a big HEART in the middle.  Your creative choice.

AI says ...rememer him? Always in your way anymore while you're typing, surfing, PRIVATELY atempting ANYTHING online.  But I digress.  AGAIN, sorry.

4) Repurpose old clothes into durable potholders by cutting denim, cotton, or wool into 8-inch squares, layering them with heat-resistant materials (like old towels), and sewing them with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Alternatively, cut T-shirts into strips to weave on a loom or create braided, coiled mats.

Alright, he MAY B on point here so.... we'll give Mr. AI - another chance...

Repurpose old potholders by turning them into functional home items like hanging oven towels, pot lids holders, or small storage caddies. They can also be transformed into coasters, small iron pads, or sewn together to create a unique hot pad table runner. 

1. Glasses holder. Let's MAKE It Academy / YouTube. ...
2. Sewing kit cover. Blessings Craft Therapy / YouTube. ...
3. Table runner. Parker on the Porch / YouTube. ...
4. Decorative table centerpiece. ...
5. Cup holder. ...
6. Towel clip. ...
7. Toiletry case. ...
8. Laptop accessory holder

OKAY - ways to REPURPOSE those OLD LOVLIES that have been your "kitchen heros" for too long.  But still - have some life???

5) https://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/2016/02/how-to-make-your-old-and-ugly.html

Don' forget # 4. Turn the potholder cover inside out and you will be left with a nice pocket to insert your old potholder.

To summarize today...

In the sewing room...NOTHING much is restricted to mainstream anything. CREATIVITY is King and your imagination is 'top dog'...incharge. Relax, Let your mind...soul...body... rejuvinate from the stresses of daily STUFF. Leave the phone off and in another room (lest we B possibly tempted to surf...)

Life is a journey: the sewing room is your sidetrip, your retreat. ENJOY!

The Magic of Making!

danielle

Old or New - Happy Birthday

 When did potholders come alive?  Were they always here?  Did the cave people use them over their fires? Probably not, tho surely they used - SOMETHING  to position their 'pots' on and off hot fires? We may never  know. Written history comes a bit after those days, so - lets look into "written history".

According to AI (yet again), what their research shows:

Potholders evolved from essential, handmade, or repurposed fabric scraps used in the early 1800s to protect hands from hot cookware, often featuring embroidery or abolitionist slogans by the mid-19th century. In the 1930s, commercial looms became popular for crafting woven loopers from factory waste, turning them into a common home craft and later a children's toy.

They go on to say...

• Early Origins (1800s): Early, rare examples were often crocheted or embroidered, sometimes used as display items in parlors rather than solely for the kitchen.
• Abolitionist Connections: Mid-1800s, specifically around the Civil War era, some potholders featured embroidered slogans like "Any holder but a Slave Holder," acting as political statements.
• The 1930s Loom Boom: During the Great Depression, commercial, small square, pegged, metal looms were patented to repurpose waste "loopers" from sock factories, allowing housewives to create durable, heat-resistant pot holders.
• Evolution of Materials: While early items were cotton, wool, or scrap fabric, the late 20th century saw the introduction of more synthetic materials, though cotton remains popular.
• Modern Day: Today, potholder weaving is a popular hobby, and these items are often considered a form of folk art, with handmade, quilted, or crocheted versions still highly valued. 
• Lets take a look at WEAVING potholders.

According to KIMBERLY DOMICK, from THE MONROE NEWS...

Fibers from plants and animal fur were being woven into material for clothing and shelter as early as the New Stone Age.

OK...the cave people MAY have made the 'basic potholder' a few years earlier...

She goes on to say that...

...by the mid-1800s in the anti-slavery bazaars of Boston and during the abolitionist movement, the first home-made potholders (as we know them) began to be crafted.

Interesting.

https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/local/bedford/2018/12/18/cooking-with-kim-story-woven/6611470007//

According to KIMBERlY'S research, woven potholders were some of the first potholders officially on record, using odd pieces of old socks and hosiery. LOOMS were made of varying materials and childen enjoyed this basic WEAVING.  Do you recall making potholders on those cute little looms? I do!  Was such fun! But I digress...

If you care to contact KIMBERLY, here is her email: kbdomick@yahoo.com.

Crispina French has an amazing twist on the potholder loom; his is why I originally used this domain "name", so I could spread out a tad to ideas that sort of - linked to potholders. This certainly does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUEk4Oml9Q8

Though a short video, her idea opens a large area from which a "potholder loom" matures and serves OTHER purposes.  Depending on how much your heart cares about our planet...depending on how crazy you are about weaving...this just might be an avenue to pursue.

But I DO...digress - yet again; you noticed - did you?!

LOOMS! Here are sites where you can obtain potholder looms:

https://www.officesupply.com/craft-supplies/needle-arts/latch-hook-hook/latch-hook-kits/metal-loom-hook/p1316138.html?ref=pla&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp1316138&sc_intid=1316138&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21717468648&gbraid=0AAAAAD8HNCNICRLzVmJgyJqy8W1blXy37&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnJHMBhDAARIsABr7b866DxlDuacdoLnwQAUL-KKNVdPoQRaUpWl8iYgZQPuxePFlM61ce8saAnq2EALw_wcB

walmart.com/ip/4Pcs-4-Sizes-Wood-Weaving-Loom-Kit-Square-Knitting-Tools-Notched-Basket-Adult-Beginners-Lovers-2-3-4-6-Inch-Beige-DIY/18165217631?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=102947326&adid=2222222222718165217631_102947326_14069003552_202077872&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=pla-2449037643288&wl5=9057181&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=5642426783&wl11=online&wl12=18165217631_102947326&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=202077872&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIqdpRozyLJqB0kgk1WX3WnK3&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnJHMBhDAARIsABr7b84IBZjciLyQLSfeRQ3aq-b1M0rVJEFzAurX2CDlHaXtpONYMD_l6jEaAiqIEALw_wcB

Lastly - even looms to create MUG RUGS.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1221692360/mini-mug-rug-loom-kit-beginner-weaving?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_ps-a-craft_supplies_and_tools&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQiAnJHMBhDAARIsABr7b87of1-4Gk0zsAr7JFkAZLeIpHzWur-_w_4NwPW4It8gFVPdM_gMHQkaAuDiEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_21500568222_167985818119_716809480255_pla-295462056867_c__1221692360_106696263&utm_custom2=21500568222&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21500568222&gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRJNA2iEKz8xr-rQMa4Q8DTrz&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnJHMBhDAARIsABr7b87of1-4Gk0zsAr7JFkAZLeIpHzWur-_w_4NwPW4It8gFVPdM_gMHQkaAuDiEALw_wcB

These potholder looms are excelllent childrens projects, not just for - possibly more mature humans?? There might be a sleeping ADULT WEAVER hiding patiently in one of the children that use these looms: who knows how that might guide their future journeys.

So - if weaviing is your preferrence, or you want to digress a bit from your sewing machine  - then woven potholders may be your next project.  Check out the above links...maybe surf some more to find your perfect project...your PERFECT POTHOLDER just waiting patiently to be created.

The magic of making!

danielle

Mini-Quilts

 Are you a frustrated quilter, never enough time in your day to cut out ALL those little pieces, match them, for all the HOURS it takes to at least complete a throw quilt, if not a bed quilt of varying sizes?

Well folks, onto your frustrated scene marches the lowly potholder.  Only takes an hour or three...can be displayed in your kitchen either on the wall or in/on other spaces.  Not to mention the utility it creates for those hot chores that can aggravate your skin cells as they attempt to navigate your hot pot handles! OUCH.

There are as many ways to quilt a lowly potholder as there are ways to traditionally quilt:

-log cabin

-rail fence

-scrappy

-crazy

and so forth. Allow me to bring to your attention some of these exciting methods, to enhance your quilting skills, add to your kitchen design, pick up and support your color scheme there, use up scraps in your sewing room and maybe most importantly - exercise your creative sewing energies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfn13KReGCU

Erica from SEW.QUILT.CREATE shows off an easy example of a traditional pattern with her pretty christmas fabrics. Then she adds a traditional quilting finish with a quick binding and a neat way to connect the ends. Presto, now she has a quick holiday item to add to her baking area, or a lovely gift to wrap and add to her holiday giving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcX-tQhVtbU

Sherri from THE QUILTING LIFE presents an easy, detailed tutorial on a 16 and 20 patch quilted potholder.  She shares several interesting points for making these lovelies.  

-How she does her quilting

-How she adds batting to the Insul-Brite for a thicker potholder

-How she rounds her corners

-How she uses BIAS binding because of the rounded corners - instead of regular binding

-Explains her reasons for HAND STITCHING the binding on the opposite side instead of machine finishing.

-How she includes a little 'hook' to hang the potholder - if desired.

A more detailed tutorial, yet all points are succinctly explained for even a beginning sewer.  Have at it folks: hands down, the lowly potholder is a beautiful way to express your creativity - no matter what your sewing level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9WNLONQnQo

Becca from SEW BECCA presents a 30 plus minute tutorial on 4  different types of potholders: the last is my fav! So sit back, maybe with your fav drink and be prepared to enjoy. Some parts may be familiar, some not.

RE: the last example: I have also used 4 triangles to make this jewel, your choice.  As well, most people use only 2 choice fabrics.  Be creative - use 4 different fabrics to sparkle up your creation! 4 examples of the lowly potholder...magic again!

One of life's MAGIC ways to reboot...rejuvinate your day, your hours - can be easily achieved by an hour or two - in your sewing area.  Don't think you have an area?  Yes indeeddy you do, your kitchen table!  Get a small plastic tote and fill with your basic sewing necessities...scissors, thread, pins, ruler. Use a small, vintage portable machine and set your "sewing area" up. Eating on your TV trays for a nite or two...won't erase your lifestyle. Change - particularly TEMPORARY change...can stir up your energy, your creativity.  Can't hurt to try.  In a few hours, you will have a new LOWLY POTHOLDER; something YOU created - to adorn your kitchen area. 

The MAGIC of making!

Thankx for sharing.

danielle

The MAGICAL Potholder

 WHAT IS A POTHOLDER? It's 2026, AI is here, so - let's begin with that:

Potholders are essential kitchen textiles, typically 7-9 inch squares, designed to protect hands and surfaces from hot pots, pans, and baking sheets. They are commonly crafted from 100% cotton fabric, cotton batting, and heat-resistant insulating material like Insul-Bright, or made via crochet and knitting. Durable, heat-resistant options include quilted, silicone, or thick terry cloth, often featuring loops for hanging.

IN REALITY... what are the real live BASICS of a potholder? After all, running to the nearest big box store may not be the easiest solution at any given time when a REAL potholder is needed. Lets think about scooting over to your sewing area and putting one of these little jewels together. WHERE TO BEGIN?

-Fabric for the outer parts, front and back, (usually cotton since they will be near hot areas: other types of fabrics (like polyester, nylon, etc.,) can melt, "OUCH"

-"Stuffing" to keep your delicate little (or big) hands safe.  Remember "SAFE"? 2026 folks...we are now ALL about SAFE. 

So...INSULBRITE, if you have some on hand; if not, then cotton batting, cotton felt or cotton flannel (or even several layers of LEAVEDOVER scraps taking up precious space in your sewing area) will suffice. Anything NONMELTABLE so these little guys can do their job - be a SAFE barrier between you - and the heat of whatever you are handling.

In real life....hanging on your wall, next your stove, your counter, etc., let's see how a REAL potholder comes to life. These lowly little beauties may be "just" a utilitarian part of your home, yet - once you get into their creation...can be MAGIC.

-Thread, scissors, a sewing machine OR your willing hand/fingers ready to do a bit of work. (And MAYBE...a thimble, remember those little life-savers?!).

Let's explore some examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnCniQeTAiw

Stacy from STACY LEE CREATIVE shows how easy it is to create a simple little potholder.  Simple...little...but OH SO NECESSARY in your kitchen area.

But - is that all there is to a "potholder"?  Oh my gosh, NO! Let's begin a creative journey that may be small...or a 'cross country' ride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sipzCAflJQ8

Sue, from CRAFT SANITY (a few years ago...) demonstates a more complicated version that OH-SO-EASILY finshes the edge of a potholder with ease and beauty. Sewing magic to behold - in 8 MINUTES!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZPgJQBw89I

Vanessa from THECRAFTYGEMINI demonstrates an easy way to BIND your little potholder without the someimes - more complicated finishes that many quilters use. Again, easy, fast and finished so you can return to your initial KITCHEN project, without the sometimes OUCH that can occur - using a towel or your apron corner for the job more suited to the magical "potholder".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPB8jhQIN_Q

Cheryl (sp?) from THE SEWING ROOM CHANNEL gives a detailed, easy-to-follow video for making a potholder with traditional quilting type binding. This may be a more involved, more  detailed/creative version of our lowly potholder - if you are so called to follow.  I call them..."little quilts in a heartbeat!"  Certainly beats a 3 day quilting effort to express your creative energy.  AND - indeed does create something quickly displayed and USEABLE at the same time.  MAGIC again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPyB4C4jD6k

THE SALT FAIRY nicely gives us another different version of an easy, no edging needed - quickly created "magical" potholder. Different stuffing, secured with criss-cross sticthing to hold everything together with extended use.

And the list goes on. JUST a lowly potholder....me 'tinks NOT.

With the life-business that fills your days (and sometimes nites...), making a little METIME in your sewing corner can not only add beauty and utility to your home...but can - as well, reboot, rewire the YOU that can get slightly LOST as you race through your hectic days.

Be BRAVE! Try a few minutes of creating just ONE...lowly little potholder; see where this little bit of magic takes your being...MAYBE...on an amazing little 'DE-tour' in our life.

THE MAGIC OF MAKING...

Thank you for visiting

 danielle

Back From The Brink, sort of...

Hello to sewers and crafters - using all types of machines, needles, thread, media etc. Three cheers for HOBBY LOBBY's fabric department!

Welcome to life and all its twsts and turns and sideroads and valleys and...

This will be short, talking about LIFE and its many roads.

I heard a saying today...one that tops all sayings that I have heard in my many, many years.

Enjoy.

THE MEANING OF BEING HUMAN

"A SMALL SPARK....IN A BIG UNIVERSE....LINKED TO TIME".

Andreas Kalcker

NAMASTE, NAMASTE.