Stitching Up Christmas Gifts–Bowl Potholder Or Bowlholder?

My sewing machine has been humming lately making Christmas gifts.  Still have some to go but I did get the bowl potholders done.  Not sure whether to call them bowl potholder or a bowlholder but what ever you call them, I stitched up 8 of the reversible fabric things recently. 
The first one pictured above I made for myself to try out the pattern size and construction to trouble shoot any changes I might want to make but had very little tweaking to do to the pattern so full speed ahead to get the other 7 done.

I found 3 webpages with instructions for making these and I combined ideas from all three so please take a look at them.  Syzygy Of Me June 6, 2012,  Quilting Board-Microwave Fabric Bowls, Quilt in a Day-Hot Bowl TuteI cut two pieces of quilting weight fabric 11 1/2” square for each bowlholder.  The 2 cotton batting squares were cut 11”.  I cut 2 circles from batting to put in the center to pad the very bottom a little more.  I traced around a CD like one of the tutorials suggested.  If you want to use these bowlholders in the microwave the batting must be 100% cotton with no scrim.  If it has any polyester in the batting or scrim it might catch on fire if used in the microwave.  My batting was mystery batting scraps so I am going to advise the people I gift them to not put them in the microwave to be in the safe side.

Fabric Selection VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I tried to select favorite colors or patterns of the people I was going to give them to.  Center the batting squares and batting circles on the wrong side of each of the 2 fabrics. Flip over carefully and pin the layers together and quilt.  I quilted the entire square but some instructions say just quilt from corner to corner diagonally.  I wanted the batting more secured to the fabric for when it was laundered it would not get so misshapen.Fold the quilted square in half to mark the darts which will shape the square into a bowl shape.  I marked 1” from the fold and the point positioned 2 1/2” down from the top.  Mark and pin one dart on each of the 4 sides and stitch, backstitching at the tip.Trim the dart down to 3/8” and press all the darts on both pieces in one direction.  When the two halves are put together the darts will nest together this way.Pin the two halves together with right sides facing each other.  Stitch with a 1/4” seam, leaving an opening on one side between the corner and one dart.

Trim the corners to reduce bulk before turning it right side out and poke out the corners.  Press the seamed edge flat, making sure to turn under the edges of the opening you left for turning.  Pin the opening closed and top stitch around to close the opening and secure the outside edges.  TA, DA…..it is done.  Below are photos of the ones I made.  It was a little difficult to get photos of the two sided bowlholders so flipped them and took photos of the bowl in each side.  Also have detail photos of some of the quilted fabric squares.

		Bowlholders VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I can check this project off my list now but have another in the works.  Need to do some serious sewing in the next few days as we are celebrating Christmas with our daughters and their families this coming weekend and need to be all finished by then.

Until Later,
Lynn