Quick and Easy Quilted Panel Potholder Pattern

 Potholders are an indispensable part of the kitchen for your baking and cooking needs. But, why pay $5 or even more for a potholder when you can make excellent potholders almost free of cost?

In this post, I share with you how to make quick and easy DIY quilted potholders.  From start to finish they can be completed in less than an hour.

The ideas from these potholders evolved from some pre-printed themed panel fabric leftover from a previous project. Ways to use scrap fabric is one of my passions.

The panels were leftover from the guild challenge where members were challenged to use a bright yellow Kona fabric.  See my finished highlight yellow challenge quilt here.

Why is this potholder pattern so quick and easy to make?

• No piecing is required
• Pre-printed themed panel fabric is used
• No need to make binding
• Pre-packaged double-fold binding tape is used
• No hand sewing required

Even if you don't have themed panel fabric, you can simply cut squares of scrap fabric from the leftover fabric you have laying around your sewing room.

Want more free potholder tutorials and patterns? Our DIY Potholder / Pot Pad Pattern page has many waiting for you to try.

Another easy sewing project is cloth napkins.  Try our simple cloth napkin tutorial.

To make this DIY quick and easy potholder, watch the video and continue reading this post for a photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions.

DIY quilted Panel Fabric Potholder

To make this DIY quilted potholder you will need:

• Fabric Panel or Scrap Fabric
• Backing Fabric
• Cotton Batting
• Insul-Brite
• Pre-packaged Double Fold Bias Tape 1/2" wide
• Pins
• Rotary Cutter, Ruler and Mat (optional)
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine

Step 1: Cut Out The Fabrics for the DIY potholder

Cut out the front potholder piece from the panel fabric (pre-printed fabric), a piece approximately 7-inch to 8-inch square. OR simply cut a square from any fabric.

For the back of the potholder, cut a piece of coordinating, fun fabric the same size as the front.  

Next, cut a piece of cotton batting and Insul-Brite the same dimensions as the outer pieces.

 The batting and Insul-Brite help keep your hands from being burned by the hot items.

STEP 2: Potholder Sandwich 

A quilt sandwich is when you layer the fabrics together.  To make the potholder sandwich place the backing fabric with the right side facing down.  Next put the batting and Insul-Brite on top of the backing fabric.

Finally place the front of the potholder on top, facing with the pretty side up.

Pin the potholder sandwich in a few places.

Step 3: Machine Quilt potholder

With all the layers together, it is time to quilt the potholder.  Let's make it simple.

With a quilter ruler, draw a faint pencil line on the top piece at a 45-degree angle.

The width of the quilting is really a personal choice.  For this homemade potholder, I wanted the width between quilting to be 1 1/4".

Insert a sewing machine guide bar into the presser foot and measure the desired width from the needle to the bar.

Increase the stitch length slightly and begin to stitch (quilt) along the pencil line. It is not necessary to backstitch at the beginning or end of the stitch because the binding will be covering the ends.

Then use the guide bar as a guide to quilt the rest of the potholder.

Trim and square the piece.

STEP 4: Attach Binding to the Potholder

Not having to prepare binding strips makes binding this potholder fast.  Simply purchase Extra Wide Double Fold Bias Tape from the store.

I like to sew the bias tape first to the back of the potholder so I can complete the binding from the front.   With potholder backing facing up, unfold the bias tape, with right sides together, line the bias tape up with a corner and align the raw edges of the tape and raw edge of the potholder. 

Begin sewing the bias tape to the side of the potholder using the fold in bias tape of a guide.

When approaching the corners, use the mitering method to go around the corner. Following is a written photo tutorial on how to miter potholder corners; however, we also have a video tutorial on how to sew mitered corners.

As you approach the corner, stop stitching 1/4 inch from the corner with the needle in the down position.  With the needle down, raise the presser foot,  rotate the fabric, and sew diagonally to the corner, backstitch to make sure it is secure.  The corner should look like this:

Remove the potholder from the sewing machine and trim thread.

Fold the working end of the binding away from itself forming a 45-degree angle. 

Next, fold the working end of the binding strip back on itself, making sure the fold is evenly aligned with the edge of the potholder.  Pin the layers together to hold them in place.

Start sewing the next side from the very edge of the potholder, backstitching at the start until you reach the next corner.  Continue sewing around the entire piece with the bias tape until you get to the starting corner.  This corner is not mitered. 

When you get to the end, cut the bias tape leaving a 4" tail (this will be used to make a loop).

To attach the bias tape to the front of the potholder, re-fold the binding to the way it was folded in the package.  The middle crease will enclose the raw edges of the potholder as the other half of the bias binding tape wraps around to the front. 

Mitered the corners on the front and make sure everything lies smoothly and isn't pulled or wrinkled.  Pin or clip it in place.

Now on the right side, edgestitch close to the inside fold.  Don’t forget to remove those pins!

Continue stitching all the way around the potholder and also stitch along the 4" tail.

STEP 5: SEW THE potholder LOOP

Lastly, fold back the loop fabric to make the loop as shown below.

Straight stitch or zig-zag over the raw edge. Go over it twice to be sure it will hold and not come apart with use.

The potholder is finished and has a nice machine binding that required no hand sewing!

Have fun making potholders!  Even if you are a beginner or newbie to sewing, this is a project you can make and use to teach someone to sew.

Need a hostess gift?  You can't go wrong with potholders.

Happy Sewing!

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