It's Sew Sunday: Pot Holder Towel

I fell in love with a fabric - I didn't buy it the first time I laid eyes on it, because that's not my style.  I'd rather think about it, obsess over whether or not I need it, decide I do, and then go on a mad dash to find it again. (It's usually cute and popular enough that finding it a second time can be a real disaster!)

But I knew it was true love - we're talking orange and bicycles!  So I went on that very mad dash to find the fabric again, and after I was about to leave the fabric shop empty handed and sad, I saw it out of the corner of my eye behind the cutting counter!  I marched on over and got it! 

Not a lot, just 1/4 yard to make a Pot Holder Towel:

What you'll need:

1/4 yd. fabulous cotton fabric
1/4 yd. terry cloth (or really an old towel)
matching thread
scissors
ruler
fabric pen
sewing machine or the ability to hand sew (I do not possess this ability)

Begin by cutting both the cotton and the terry cloth down to an 18 x 23 inch rectangle.  With the remaining cotton cut out two triangles that are about 7 1/2 inches at their peak and that match the opposite corners of your original rectangle.  I outlined where the triangles should be placed below.

Before we begin to pin the whole thing together, remove the triangles and press and sew the inside seam of the triangles that will serve as the actual pot holder opening where your hands will slide in.

Then pin the triangles onto the main cotton fabric with wrong sides together.  The rough edges are all the way around on the outside of both fabrics.

Then with right sides together, pin the terry to the cotton fabric (that already has the triangles pinned on).  Simply sew the perimeter of the fabric - leaving a 4 inch opening to turn it all right side out! 

Once it's turned right side out - use your finger or a chopstick (my new favorite sewing tool) to push out the corners.  Press the seams until flat and set being sure to press under the 4 inch opening (as if you sewed it).

Then topstitch around the entire towel.  I think this makes it look so much more finished as well as takes care of that pesky opening without having to hand sew it shut!

There you have it!  I hang mine on the oven door, use it as a towel when needed, but also grab it to pull items out of the oven with in a pinch!

I'm linking up to:

The Inspiration Gallery and Made from Pinterest

Custom Pockets

A few months ago I made a super cute pair of green chords for Fender and wouldn't ya know it, he's grown out of them already!  Well, since I worked so hard on them, I am repurposing them into shorts for summer time!  I wanted to jazz them up a bit more (does anyone use that term?) so I made custom pockets just for Fender!

I've never added pockets to anything, so I just sat down and looked at a pair of his existing pants, traced a pattern onto regular paper, added a seam allowance and just went for it.  I had bought some silver thread the last time we were at the fabric store and thought it would be fun to use silver as the contrast color for not only hemming his pants, but for adding his initials to his pockets.

For the initials, I used my pocket pattern and drew a cursive "F" onto it making sure it was centered and as high or as low as I wanted it.  Then like carving a pumpkin, I poked holes in the paper along the "F."  I put the pattern over the pocket fabric and used a fabric pen on each of the holes to transfer the pattern over to the pocket.  The "C" was done free hand - both on a tight zig-zag stitch on long stitch length!  (Who needs an embroidery machine!)  Should I have used fabric stabilizer?  Sure...but who has time to hunt that stuff down!  Plus he'll grow out of these shorts in a few weeks anyways!

Then I sewed them on - it was as simple as that!  I love how they turned out and now feel even more confident in my self taught sewing skills!