You guys, you guys!!! You have made me feel over the moon excited! from all your comments on my pop bottle curtain post. I am super excited about it, but I've learned that that doesn't necessarily mean anyone else will be (and that would have been ok too), but seriously? Over 100 comments about it? I just want you to know I read each and every one and each one warmed my heart. Promise.
For today, I'm going to be sharing a brief how-to bind a crochet square and make it into a hot pad.
This idea all started a couple months ago when Rachel at Stitched In Color asked me to do a sort of guest post for her and she asked me to do a crochet project. I've been a crochet-er for over 20 years and have always loved it. And I love taking a common crochet project and making it a bit different by adding some sewing to it.
So let me present to you my "hooked and bound" hot pads.
To make your very own hooked and bound hot pads, this is what you'll need.
- a crochet square, using 100% cotton yarn (your choice on pattern and size. I used the pumpkin patch pattern here for the brown/creme one and pattern #30 out of 101 Stitches for Afghans for the red/creme one.)
- 2 3/4" strip of cotton fabric, pressed in half, for binding (the length of the strip will be determined by your size of crochet square.)
- cotton backing fabric, cut about 2" bigger than your crochet square
- insulbrite cut about 2" bigger than your crochet square
- cotton batting cut about 2" bigger than your crochet square
- 2"X6" cotton fabric for loop
- walking foot (this is absolutely necessary)
Directions:
1. Layer your backing (right side down), insulbrite (shiny side down), cotton batting, then your crochet square (right side up), and pin.
2. Using a walking foot, "quilt" the sandwich however you like. I used matching thread so you can't see the quilting so much on the crochet square, but can see it on the backing fabric.
3. Trim the batting, insulbrite and backing so it is flush with the crochet square. Make sure you don't trim any of the crochet threads. As you can tell from my pic, a lot of times the crochet square will not have a perfect square corner, but is kind of rounded. Trim your batting to a square point anyway and use the binding to cover this discrepancy later on. (I didn't do this on the red/creme hot pad, but curved the corners around the crochet square and it turned out a little wonky, so I don't recommend doing it that way.)
4. Using the 2X6" loop fabric, fold both the long ends into the center, then fold that in half (this is how double fold binding is made) and use a straight stitch to sew the edges together. Pin your loop onto the center of one side on the back.
5. Apply your binding by sewing the binding on the back first, fold the binding around to the front, then sew it down to the front. I use a machine for putting the binding on, but you can sew it down by hand on the front if you are concerned with the stitching looking perfect on the back.
And there you have it. I hope you are able to use this tutorial and make your very own hooked and bound hot pads!
Also, please come on over and join my sewtakeahike patterns and tutorials group on flickr, pretty please? I have no shame and will beg for friends, lol!
One more thing! Make sure and check back on Tues, Oct 18 when I'll be doing yet another tutorial. This one will be for the 12 gifts of Christmas blog hop!
Happy Friday!
~Penny
Penny those are brilliant. I've always wondered how to get some insulbrite into my crochet hotpads, and this is such a good idea! How did you quilt the granny square one? Concentric squares to match the crochet rows?
Posted by: Laura Jane | 14 October 2011 at 08:13 AM
Laura Jane,
thank you!!
I quilted around the center star, about 1/4 inch, then around the brown ric-rac in a straight line :) So, on the back of the hot pad is a quilted star in the center and a square a couple inches out from that.
Posted by: Penny | 14 October 2011 at 08:18 AM
seriously penny, these are amazing!!! i love them, and the colors you used are beautiful. send them to me, right?! :)
Posted by: anna | 14 October 2011 at 08:33 AM
so cute! I'm addiding a few of these to my growing "to make for christmas gifts" list
Posted by: Kelsey | 14 October 2011 at 08:36 AM
Penny!!! This is so stinkin adorable, I really need to work on my crochet skills so that I can make some. Thanks for the how-to!
Posted by: Amy | 14 October 2011 at 08:52 AM
That is darling! I've never seen a crocheted hot pad with a fabric backing. I love it!
Posted by: Allie | 14 October 2011 at 09:17 AM
These are adorable! But I don't crochet...so I'm going to share this with a friend that does! Thanks!
Posted by: Amanda | 14 October 2011 at 09:47 AM
I really like this; I'm going to try it myself. It's a nice combination of two of my favorite crafty skills (well, pretty much my only crafty skills). Good job!
Posted by: Linda | 14 October 2011 at 10:20 AM
Wowzers Penny! These are beeee-autiful!!! Did you read my mind? I've been dreaming up things along this line too. Great minds think alike! Thank-you so much for contributing this awesome tutorial.
Posted by: Rachel at Stitched in Color | 14 October 2011 at 10:38 AM
Very cute idea. I've made crocheted pot holder before and always managed to get burned due to the small holes in them This will totally eliminate that problem. I think I'll try again! Your tutorial is wonderful!
Posted by: Jill | 14 October 2011 at 11:00 AM
Love these!! Thanks for the tutorial Penny!
Posted by: Leila | 14 October 2011 at 11:42 AM
This is such a neat little project! I've never seen anything quite like it! Very clever! Thanks for sharing the tutorial.
Posted by: Staci | 14 October 2011 at 12:12 PM
Okay, first you've got me needing to learn to paper piece to make those adorable pop bottles. Now I need to learn to crochet to make pot holders!
Posted by: Michelle | 14 October 2011 at 01:11 PM
Great tutorial, easy to follow. I have just started to do crochet and am totally addicted. Great way to combine with quilting. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by: Melissa Bloom | 14 October 2011 at 02:41 PM
Ohmygosh Penny -- those are just adorable. They'd make great gifts too! You're brilliant!
Posted by: Thimbleanna | 14 October 2011 at 03:09 PM
i can't wait to try these = thanks so much!
Posted by: lynn | 14 October 2011 at 04:15 PM
Penny, this is awesome! I have been wanting to do some crocheting again. What a perfect project, at a perfect time--right before the holidays!
Posted by: liveacolorfullife | 14 October 2011 at 06:01 PM
Penny, these are adorable! I'll have to get out my crochet hooks now!
Posted by: dawn | 14 October 2011 at 08:28 PM
These are wonderful! I'd love to make some of these as Christmas gifts this year!
Posted by: Sheila | 14 October 2011 at 08:33 PM
You are a super thinker outside the box! Wonderful!
Posted by: MariaH | 14 October 2011 at 11:44 PM
I'm just learning to crochet and love love love these. Thanks Penny
Posted by: MelodyJ | 15 October 2011 at 08:47 AM
O. MY. WORD!!! I don't crochet...sadly:( These are beyond adorable!!! Love the colors, the fabrics you used to got with them, all of it! A*DORABLE!!! I don't think I commented on the pop bottle post but those are way way cute too!! And your new house looks like it's beautiful! Many exciting things in your life right now:)
Posted by: Janna | 15 October 2011 at 10:33 AM
Adorable!!! I just made my first crochet project not too long ago. I think these should be easy enough for me to do...maybe lol!!! Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial!
Posted by: Sasha | 15 October 2011 at 07:53 PM
What a fun combination..crochet and fabric!!! Thanks for the great tutorial!!!
Posted by: Terry | 15 October 2011 at 10:27 PM
Another adorable idea! Love your colors too!!
Posted by: suesue | 16 October 2011 at 03:11 PM
love this idea! I want to try it soon!
Posted by: Casey | 16 October 2011 at 10:36 PM
What a great idea. That's really inspired me and I can't wait to have a go at making one!. Thank you.
Posted by: Freddie | 17 October 2011 at 08:05 AM
Oh my goodness, those are so cute! Thank You.
Posted by: di | 17 October 2011 at 05:42 PM
I love this!!! I like to crochet, but I don't like the asthetics of it as much as quilted fabric. This is a wonderful way to make a crochet project look more "finished" and practical too with the addition of insul-brite. Good thinking and thanks so much for sharing! :-)
Posted by: sariah | 17 October 2011 at 10:00 PM
Wool would be a great insulator too wouldn't it..perfect for this task..great thinking there! It looks so home-y and one could get very creative with the colours and combinations..thanks again for a great tut and idea. Blessings!
Posted by: poppyinpink | 17 October 2011 at 11:22 PM
So striking. Maybe I should take up crochet again.
Posted by: Sue Bone | 17 October 2011 at 11:37 PM
Love that red and White crochet pattern! Your hot pads are lovely!
Posted by: Susan | 18 October 2011 at 12:09 AM
i love the mix of crochet and sewing. i'm not a big crochet fan, but once you give it the clean lines with the binding, it changes everything.
Posted by: quirkygranolagirl | 19 October 2011 at 09:35 PM
Great thinking there! It looks so home-y and one could get very creative with the colours and combinations..thanks again for a great tut and idea. Blessings!
Posted by: Check Insurance | 20 October 2011 at 09:28 AM
Just had to say that I love your idea with the potholders. This would be such a great idea to use on some antique potholders.
Posted by: Elaine | 20 October 2011 at 10:27 AM
Wonderful pattern and design in the clothes. I like this so much. I like the color matching which is red and white.
Posted by: טויוטה לנד קרוזר | 16 November 2011 at 11:48 AM
These are amazing! I'm an avid crocheter and I would love to make a baby blanket one.
allthingsbrightandbeautifulcrafts.blogspot.com
Posted by: Andrea Baker | 16 November 2011 at 11:49 AM
Awesome! This may inspire me to pull out my grandmother sewing machine. Linking up at Tangled Happy next week. Thanks so much for sharing this tutorial!
Posted by: Sara | 18 November 2011 at 03:37 PM
Love this!!
Posted by: Kelly W | 22 November 2011 at 07:56 PM
Love these. I knitted some dishrags. Didn't really like the way they turned out, so now I think I'll convert them into these cute potholders. A great way to use up alot of my stashes. (yarn and material)
Posted by: Deanna | 09 December 2011 at 05:02 AM
I just purchased the book so I can make the red and cream one. Love it!! Thanks!!
Posted by: Donna | 12 June 2012 at 02:39 PM
I love these so very much!! I'm currently in the middle of making a set. I think I'm going to have to hand quilt mine because my Janome just does not want to sew through all of the layers...this really surprises me because she sewed through the making of an Amy Butler purse, and we all know how many layers that requires =) Can't wait to get them all finished!!
Posted by: Debbie | 01 July 2012 at 02:31 PM
Why can't we Pin this? I very much want to try it and want to share the idea with others.
Posted by: Brenda Melahn | 15 August 2012 at 07:23 AM
I LOVE these! Do you have patterns for the crocheted squares?
Posted by: Marilyn | 07 January 2013 at 05:30 PM