Personalized Recipe Potholders

Our family has a favorite recipe for romaine dressing which was developed by our beloved Grandma Jean.  We serve this often at family gatherings, but with all the commotion we tend to forget to write down the recipe.    Since Grandma Jean passed prior to Christmas, not long after marking her 90^th birthday, I thought this would be a fitting tribute to her and her culinary skills.  

 

PS The PhotoFabric material pictured is fully capable to being washed after completion.   These are working potholders, not purely decorative.  

Materials:

Fabric

Batting

Coordinating seam binding

Insulbright (at fabric stores)

PhotoFabric (at fabric stores)

Sewing  tools:  Scissors, Pins, Needles, Ruler, Sewing machine, chalk or erasable air pen, disappearing ink or tailor’s chalk

Favorite Recipe, Photos if desired

Gather materials needed:

Start with your favorite recipe. I typed  the recipe and added the photo within a simple word processing program.  Once I had the layout the way I wanted, I printed it to the fabric sheets.  This can be on a roll or 8 ½ x 11” sheets  which go through your regular home printer.  I added a picture of Grandma Jean on the corner.  Transfer the recipe to fabric following the instructions on the PhotoFabric sleeve. 

Now we can mark the sandwich for quilting. 

 

Adjust layered sandwich.  Pinning or basting around the edges keeps layers together. 

Start at one corner and start marking diagonally every 1 ½ - 2” away, depending on the size of the squares you wantI use a long ruler to make it easier.  I also used a disappearing ink pen, but you can use tailor’s chalk also. 

 

Mark the entire piece of sandwiched material. 

Start sewing on the diagonal. 

And continue sewing.  Then mark and sew going the opposite direction.  This is the most time consuming part, but put on some good music and it goes fast.  Not really, but it makes it more enjoyable, and a glass of wine even more so.  You can use matching or contrasting thread for a statement. 

Then do the same for the recipe on the PhotoFabric, which will be the pocket of the potholder.  Mark diagonal lines, sew.  Mark opposing diagonal lines, sew. 

Position quilted recipe pocket on top of your quilted sandwich,  leaving enough room to make potholders. Choose the size arrangement to get the most from your material.   I mark with an erasable pen first, to try and help prevent mistakes.  Things do happen though, and I just try to go with the flow. 

Add seam binding to the top of the pocket.  Position the pocket on the cut material, then square up edges with a ruler. 

Pin then sew seam binding around edges.   

Here is the final product.  I made a little loop with the seam binding up in the corner, to hang on a hook.

I added a coordinating dish towel with each potholder to make it a set.  Ta Daa

It was time consuming, but well worth it.  I think Grandma Jean would be proud.