The Ultimate Guide to Making Hot Pads from Two Fat Quarters

The Ultimate Guide to Making Hot Pads from Two Fat Quarters

Have you found some beautiful fabric but you are unsure what to use it for? Kitchen hot pads are ideal: they don't require a lot of fabric, they're quick and easy to make, and you get to look at the pretty fabric every day! All you need for a set of 4 pads (because you know you'll use them a lot) are two fat quarters.

Making hot pads from just two fat quarters is a great way to add a personal touch to your kitchen while also being functional. So let's get started!

What You'll Need

Before you get started, make sure you have the following materials on hand:

Step 1: Cut Your Fabrics

If your fabric is not cut into fat quarters (typically 18" x 22"), you can cut two 9 1/2" x width of fabric (WOF) strips from your yardage. However, I cut my fabric into four 9 1/2" x 22" pieces, two pieces for the front, and two pieces for the back because smaller pieces are easier to quilt.

Cut the Insul-Bright and the batting the same size as your fabric. In my case, I needed two pieces of each.

Step 2: Layer the Fabrics

Stack in this order:

  1. Fabric (right side down)
  2. Insul-Bright
  3. Cotton batting
  4. Fabric (right side up)

Secure with pins or basting spray.

Step 3: Quilting the Layers

Mark your quilting lines using your preferred marking tool. I used a Hera marker to trace one single line at a 60 degrees angle.

I set my sewing machine at 3.5 mm stitch length, to obtain those beautiful stitches through all these layers. 

I used my seam guide to quilt parallel lines 1 1/2" apart.

Once the entire surface was quilted with the parallel lines, I marked another 60 degree line using my Hera marker, but this time leaning in the opposite direction. The result were these beautiful diamonds.

If you don't have time for this, feel free to be creative, and use a wavy line, random lines, or use this as a chance to practice your free motion quilting. You are making a functional item, where perfection is not a requirement.

Step 4: Cut the Circles

Use a circle template roughly 9" in diameter. If your fabrics have shifted during quilting, which is completely normal by the way, use a smaller template. I measured all the plates in my kitchen and finally found a pot lid that was just the right size.

Using a fabric marker (I used this Sewline chalk pencil, my favorite on dark fabrics), trace around your circle template.

OPTIONAL: Before cutting, sew a basting stitch at 5 mm length inside the circle about 1/8" away from your drawn circumference. This basting stitch will keep those edges together while you are sewing the binding.

Using scissors or a cutting mat and rotary cutter, trim the hot pads on the drawn line.

Step 5: Add Hanging Loops (Optional)

If you want to add hanging loops, here's how I did it:

  • Cut a 20" strip of bias tape
  • Sew 1/8" away from each side of the bias tape. Ensure the tape is fully folded, as if it had "imaginary" fabric in between the folds. This will create a strip of fabric.
  • Cut into four 5" pieces
  • Make a mark on the edge of your hot pads. If your fabric is directional, mark it at the very top.
  • Make two marks 1/2" away from either side of the mark you made in the previous step. 
  • Line up both raw edges of the loop with the two marks you made. Ensure the loop is not twisted. Pin the raw edges at the edge of the circle.
  • Baste in place 1/8" away from the edge to ensure they stay in place during the next step.

Step 6: Sew the Bias Binding

I chose to use premade double fold bias tape because it was very convenient. You can definitely make your own. If you do, ensure you are making BIAS binding, as it stretches over the curved edge. Regular quilt binding will not stretch. However, if you want to make the pads squares or rectangles, you can definitely use regular quilt binding.

You will notice that the way I sewed my binding on is a little...unconventional. I do mine differently than the traditional way to save some time. My way of sewing it involves sewing around the circumference just once, thus making this process faster.

So here's how to do it my way:

Place the binding folded over the edge, and pin it in place for about 3/4 of the circumference. Leave a hanging tail of about 5". If you have a hanging loop, make sure the loop portion is out of the way, and only the raw ends are tucked under the binding.

 

Sew 1/8" away from the inward edge of the binding; a stitch in the ditch foot (also known as edge foot) is very useful for this step.

Once you reach the end of your pinned section, secure your stitch and cut your thread. Join the two hanging sides of the binding the same way as you would regular quilt binding. Instead of joining at a 45 degree angle, I joined the two edges straight. Even if this created a little bit more bulk, the premade bias tape is thin enough that it didn't make a significant difference. Fold the sewn bias tape back in and complete sewing it for the remainder of the circumference. 

Check the back side of the hot pad to make sure this stitch secured the bias tape to the back. If you find sections where it did not, you can stitch over that section again, or use a running stitch to secure it by hand.

You're Done!

Once you have completed these steps, you now have a set of homemade hot pads ready to use in your kitchen or to give as a thoughtful gift to friends and family. Get creative with different fabric patterns and colors to match your kitchen decor!

Now that you have the ultimate guide to making hot pads from two fat quarters, it's time to get sewing and add a touch of handmade charm to your kitchen. Happy sewing!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love.

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