Insulated Casserole Carrier/Tote

Each year I go to Paducah for the AQS Show with my sisters and friend I make some sort of gift to give to them and our hostess.  This year I made insulated casserole carriers for everyone. 

After searching the internet I came across the following web pages with tutorials and based mine on these with a few changes.  There are lots of other shapes and sizes of totes too so just Google “Casserole Tote” or “Casserole Carrier” to get more.
Two Little Hooligans blog
Sew For Home blog
Making It With Danielle blog

Here is how I made mine….all 5 of them.

Casserole Carrier/Tote for 9”x13” Pan

Materials List

1 3/4 yd cotton fabric (I purchased 2 yds for just a bit extra)
7/8 yd of Insul Bright Batting (I purchased 1 yd for just a bit extra)
OR 3/4 yd Insul Bright Batting  plus  3” x 40” iron on fleece
2” Velcro (2 – 5” strips)
Thread to match cotton fabric

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Instructions

Cut the following from the cotton fabric;
2 – 36”x 13”
2 – 32”x16”
2 – 3”x40”
Cut the following from the Insul Bright Batting
1 – 35”x12”
1- 31”x15”
2 – 1 1/2”x 40” OR cut these from the iron on fleece

1.  Lay the large cotton fabric pieces right sides together and center the piece of Insul Bright on each section. 
2.  Stitch around each rectangle with 1/2” seam just catching the batting in the seam.  Leave a 5” opening unstitched for turning.3.  Trim the corners diagonally to reduce bulk and turn right sides out and press flat, folding the 5” opening edges to the inside and pin.4. Topstitch around the rectangles and machine quilt some simple design to hold the layers together.  I used the grid below to quilt mine. 5.  If you have cut fusible interfacing for the handles the next step is to fuse it 1/4" from one long edge to the wrong side of the 2 handle strips.  Press under 1/4” on each long edge and press strip in half and pin together.
    If you have cut your batting for the handles from Insul Bright press under the 1/4” seam edges on the cotton fabric and press the strip in half then lay the Insul Bright inside and pin together.6.  Stitch close to each side of the handles and twice more like below.7.  On one side of the wider piece (the one you cut 32”x16”) measure up 3” and center one of the handles on this line and pin to secure.  Do the same for the other side.8.  Top stitch the handle down on each side 1” down from the quilting line that is 1/4 of the way down from the top.  I hope this makes sense but look at the photos and that will help.  I did stitch a box at the end of my stitching lines to make the handle more secure.9.  Lay the fat rectangle with the straps facing the table and the long rectangle on top, centering the two pieces and pin together.  Top stitch along the edge of the long rectangle on both sides where it overlaps the fat rectangle.  Back stitch at the beginning and ending of each line.10.  Flip the carrier over and top stitch along the edge of the fat rectangle where it overlaps the long rectangle, back stitching at each end.

11.  Place the Velcro on the ends of the two flaps and edge stitch around to secure.  Pay attention to how the flaps close so you get the pieces on the correct sides of the flaps.  I rolled the carrier up so it would fit in the machine as I stitched the rectangle of Velcro down.12.  Last step is to stitch the ends of the straps together.  Overlap them as far as you want and pin.  Turn under 1/2” on each end and press.  Edge stitch around each overlapped section.  Caution – make sure the straps are not twisted before you stitch!13. To use just set the hot/cold dish in the center, fold over the long flaps and secure with the Velcro then fold over the last two flaps and secure with the Velcro.  Raise the straps over the covered casserole to carry it.All done and ready to use.   Here are all five of them ready to give away. I am on my way to Paducah as this is posted since I wanted it to be a surprise for my sisters and friends.  Didn’t want them to look at my blog post about the carriers and spoil the surprise ahead of time.  I am sure I am having a good time so far and will post about my trip next week after I am home.

Until Later,
Lynn