Crochet Edging Tutorial - 6" Round Pot Holders!

I've been having so much fun
 playing with my latest 
fabric collection...

Bake Sale 2!

A few weeks ago I made these 
potholders for my kitchen...

and today I'm going to 
show you how I did it:)

I really LOVE the look and feel

 of fabric and crochet together...

so vintage!!

 I cut a bunch of squares

 from my Bake Sale 2 

so that I can make some 

super fun projects using my

 Chunky Thread 

and fabric together.

First project up are the 

6" round pot holders 

with a crochet scalloped edge.

I'm using just the 2 1/2" squares 

for today's project.

I grabbed six of my design boards 

and laid out a 

scrappy happy nine patch block

 on each one...

using the 2 1/2" squares:)

I used just one 

Sampler Package of

 100% Cotton Chunky Thread...

one cute little skein

 for each pot holder.

 Also... a Bake Sale 2

 5" Stacker 

would also work perfectly

 for these potholders!

I sewed the nine patches together

 using a 

1/4" seam allowance 

and pressed them nice and flat.

Next I cut six 7" square of batting

 and another 7" square of that silver

fabric that's used to 

cover ironing boards. 

I layered the block on top...

silver fabric on the bottom

 and batting in the middle.

I machine quilted them 

using a walking foot 

and also using the 

foot as my stitch guide.

All quilted!

From this point on I'm going to 

show you how I made one pot holder...

but keep in mind that 

I did all six exactly the same way:)

This is what the back 

looks like after quilting!

It's the back now...

But will soon be in the center...

Because I cut 2 - 6 1/2" squares

 to use for the final back:)

I pressed them in half like this...

And laid them over the center

 of the quilted block like this.

But I didn't pin yet!

First...I used my

 6" Circle Ruler 

and placed it exactly in the center.

The lines marked on the ruler

 make it easy peasy to line up!

I traced around the ruler like this...

for my stitching line:)

And then I pinned it into place...

And stitched directly on the line...

all the way around and backstitched 

over the folds in the center.

I trimmed an approximate

 1/4" seam allowance.

And turned it right side out!

I used the 

Clover Point to Point Turner 

to help shape it.

See? 

Now the silver fabric is in the middle

 and I can put a hot plate on it:)

YaY!

I could easily hand sew this

 opening closed with a blind stitch...

but I like that these are open 

so that I can place my hands inside.

They work perfectly for hot plates...

but also to save my fingers when I'm

 getting a hot mug or bowl out of the microwave:)

Or maybe some muffins:)

Before I started playing with the

 Chunky Thread

I used these 5 prints and finished up

 the other 5 pot holders 

up to this point as well:)

Now for the Chunky Thread!

I grabbed my "Chunky Needle" from my 

Nifty Needles 

There are six different 

types of needles and all are 

color coded for 

easy identification.

Meaning..the aqua is for embroidery...

the mint ones are for appliqué etc:)

You can see here that the

 red ones are for my Chunky Thread:)

I cut about 2 1/2 yards from the

 little skein of the pink

 and used it to do a button hole stitch

 all the way around my pot holder.

This is so that I have a base

 to do my crochet in:)

I did them about 1/4" apart 

for an ideal total of about 95.

When I did the other pot holders...

some ended up with 97 or 92 etc...

it really doesn't matter...

that's close enough!

I started and stopped inside the back

 because its a perfect place 

to hide my knots!

Button hole stitching completed.

Here's a view of the back:)

I used a E/3.5mm size hook

 which is the smallest in my

100% Cute Crochet Hook Set!

I started by doing a

 single crochet stitch

 in each buttonhole stitch.

A close up of the back:)

Now for the scallop!

These single crochet stitches are now the base that I used to crochet the edging.

I did a single crochet in the first one...

Then in the next one I did a double crochet..

And then two more in the same one.

This means a total of 

3 double crochet stitches 

in the same single crochet base stitch.

In the next base stitch

 I did a single crochet...

And then ended that scallop 

with a slip stitch in the next base stitch.

The next scallop begins again 

with a single crochet 

in the next base stitch...

3 double crochets in the next base stitch...

A single crochet in the next base stitch...

And again ending with a slip stitch

 in the next base stitch.

I continued all the way around using the same pattern for each scallop:

1 Single Crochet 

3 Double Crochet

1 Single Crochet

1 Slip Stitch

One more scallop left!

On the other pot holders 

that were a few more or 

a few less buttonhole stitches...

I simply stretched out or 

squished in the scallop

 and it worked fine:)

I ended with a slip stitch...

Pulled my loop large like this...

And cut my end and placed inside the loop

And pulled the end up to make a knot.

These are the two ends from 

starting and stopping.

I use a big crochet needle 

(they have a large eye and a blunt end)

to weave and hide the ends 

into the back of my crochet. 

First I place the needle through

 the back of one scallop like this...

Then I thread both ends through the needle...

And pull them through like this.

And trim off the remaining ends!

First pot holder is completed!

Once again...a close up of the back:)

All six together!!

I really love the way that 

these turned out and I 

can't wait to make more!

They are going to be so cute

 as well as handy:)

YaY!!

Here are the little bitty skeins

 that are leftover after 

making each pot holder...

How cute!!!

Thanks for joining me for my first ChunkyThread/Fabric project...

I have more in the works and

 I'll show you as each one is completed.

P.S.I did a tutorial/recipe last week

 on my Pie Pincushion...

if you missed it

CLICK HERE

See you on Monday for the

 next block tutorials in the

 Let's Bake Sew Along!

xx

Lori