It's all about Heart and with Pauline you can certainly expect that and more...look..!

....and Mme Samm's theme for February is 'Heart and Hand'.

Thank you Mme Samm for inviting me once again to share a sewing project.

I'm Pauline and you can visit my blog at Quiltnqueen to see what else I am up to.

Yesterday was Valentines day but that doesn't mean we have to stop sewing hearts.

I have made a lot of these pot holders...

You can use Christmas, Valentine or any fabric to go with your kitchen decor. 

Today's project is a heart shaped pot holder...with hand pockets...

The embroidery is a free design from Bird Brain Designs.  

The instructions are for the pot holder with the hand pockets.
You can download the small heart template here and the large heart template here.

Materials needed:

• 4 - 10" squares of fabric...
• 2 squares are the same fabric for the hand pockets
•  the other 2 can be the same or coordinating fabrics
• 3 - 10" squares of batting
• 1 - 10" square of insul-bright
• Bias binding
• Walking foot

Using the larger heart:

• cut 2  fabric hearts
• cut 2 batting hearts
• cut 1 insul-bright heart

Using the small heart:

• cut 2 fabric hearts that are from the same fabric for the hand pockets
• cut 1 batting heart

Cut the batting heart in half....Do not cut the fabric hearts...
Trim 1/8" off the straight edge of both of the batting half hearts...




Sandwich the batting between the wrong sides of each small heart.  









Stitch 1/4" on straight edge...




Place the half hearts on top of the large heart you are using as your top fabric...




Matching edges as shown in the diagram above.  There is a 1/4' space at the top where the hearts do not meet and the bottom is about a 1-1/4" space.  Place on top of a large heart of batting and stitch a 1/8" to a scant 1/4" around the outer edge sandwiching all 3 layers.


Stitch the back of the pot holder, a batting heart and the insul-bright heart together. Make sure the batting is placed on the wrong side of the heart fabric and then the insul-bright.




Stitching the top 3 layers together and then the bottom 3 layers together makes it easier to keep the edges even.   Your final step is to stitch the 2 pieces together.  I find it easier to stitch the 2 -3 part sections first and then sew the 6 layers together.  It is easier to keep the edges even.  I always use a walking foot and because of the thickness I lengthen my stitch length a bit.


Once you have all the layers stitched together you will stitch a straight line down the center of the heart...because of the thickness I use a longer stitch length...3.0 on my Janome.





You are now ready for the binding.  This project requires bias binding.   I make my own binding using 2-1/2" strips of coordinating fabrics cut on a 45 degree bias.  It is constructed the same way as you do a regular quilt binding.  I use a generous 1/4" of 3/8" seam allowance.




I start my stitching close to the bottom of the heart...because you want the straightest part of the heart when you go to join the ends.  Remember to leave about an 8" binding tail before you start to stitch your binding down.

This is the tricky part as you do not have a lot of space to work with.  Remember to pin a pleat to give you more room to stitch the closing.  You can check out my tutorial on binding I did a year ago right here on Sew We Quilt.  It was my first every tutorial....and this one is #3....not quite so stressed about this one as the binding one.

Now you have a completed pot holder and it is time to make another...(o:.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and if you have any questions please email me.

I've enjoyed sharing my time with all of you...♥♥♥

Please come and visit me and enter my giveaway.

Leave a comment on this posting and over on my blog to win....
I will pick the winner February 18 from comments posted here.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Hugs and Happy Stitching!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day yesterday!!

OHHHH look we have GIVEAWAYS too..
to make more HEARTS

This FAT quarter bundle 
and pattern from our very own Amanda Murphy...
( take a peak at her newest patterns too)
Caramel and Cocoa and her
Swiss Chocolate and Ambrosia lines....

SEW let us know --have you made any pot holders lately?

winner announced tomorrow...

CONGRATS  DEB,
You won this lovely collection from Amanda Murphy.
email sent, please send me your mailing details
sew this pck among some extras will be sent out
tomorrow...