How To Make A Log Cabin Pot Holder

Brighten up your kitchen with your own quilted pot holder. This tutorial will show you how.

Needs

The Log Cabin block is ideal for beginner quilters as it's one of the easiest quilt block designs. You will need:

• 4 different shades of fabric ranging from light to dark
• 1 contrasting fabric for center square 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches
• Backing fabric
• Binding fabric
• Sewing machine
• Walking foot (if you have one)
• Rotary cutter, mat and ruler or scissors
• Quilt batting
• Insulbrite batting
• Thread

Traditionally, the center square would have been red to symbolize the hearth or fire keeping a home warm; or yellow to represent the sun streaming through a window. These days, you can use any color you like.

From the center, the block moves outwards through the different rows from lightest, light, dark to darkest. The number of rows depends on how big you want your block to be.

Step 1

Start with the 1.5 inch center square. I've chosen a pink flowery contrasting fabric.

Next, cut a 1.5 inch square from your very lightest color and a 1.5 by 3 inch strip from the same fabric. Working with right sides together, stitch the light square to the top of your center square. Stitch the 3 inch strip down the right hand side of both squares.

Step 2

Take the lighter of your dark fabrics. Cut a piece 1.5 inches wide and long enough to go across the bottom of the previous pieces. Stitch it across the bottom, right sides together.

Step 3

Continuing in a clockwise direction, cut another piece from the lightest of your darker fabrics. It should be 1.5 inches wide and a length long enough to stitch along the left hand side of your block.

Step 4

Keep moving in a clockwise direction, now we're working across the top of the block. Use the next of your light fabrics.

Step 5

Keep going clockwise around the block. The next fabric should be the same color, then move on to a dark color.

With a log cabin block you build up lighter colors on one side of the center square and darker on the other. That's what makes the step effect going diagonally across the block really stand out.

Keep going for as many rows as you like depending on how big you want your block. The strips of fabric should all be 1.5 inches wide. Length needs to be long enough to cover the edge you are working on. If the strip is too long, simply cut it to size.

Your block should look similar to this:

Give it a good press.

Step 6

Cut a piece of normal quilt batting and a piece of Insulbrite batting to the same size as your block. Insulbrite is heat resistant batting. If you don't have any, you can use two layers of normal batting. Just be aware that a pan holder won't keep heat away from your hands as long as it would with Insulbrite. You can also use a couple of layers of old bath towels if you don't have any batting. Again, the heat resistance may be different. But then, pot holders are only for getting a pan to a table. None are designed to hold pans indefinitely.

Next, cut a piece of fabric for the back of the pot holder. It also needs to be the same size as batting and top.

Place the backing fabric, right side down. Next the Insulbrite and batting and finally the top. The top should be right side up. Line them all up so raw edges are even and clip or pin them all together.

Step 7

Starting at the center square, start to quilt the sandwich. You can use whatever design you like. This block looks great with stitch-in-the-ditch though, so that's what I'm going to use.

Always start in the center when quilting. This allows you to push any lumps or bumps outwards to the sides as you go. So, with your needle down in the top corner of your middle square, start stitching along the seam lines.

Step 8

Trim the quilted block down so that all edges are even. Next comes the binding. Cut a strip of fabric 2 inches wide by about 44 inches long, depending on how big your block is. Make sure the binding is at least 5 inches longer than you need. You'll see why later.

Turn under about 1/4 inch on each long side of the binding.

Step 9

Decide which side you want as the top of the block and clip the binding to it.

Stitch along the edge using the pressed 1/4 inch line. Stop 1/4 inch from the corner. Leaving the needle in the pot holder, raise the foot.

Step 10

Turn the pot holder so that the foot is facing into the corner. Stitch into the corner.

Remove the pot holder from the machine. Fold the binding straight up, away from the pot holder. This creates a triangle effect.

Then, keeping the binding straight and level with the edge of the pot holder, fold it back on itself. Clip to hold in place.

Take it back to the machine. Starting at the top, stitch all the way down the side. Stop 1/4 inch from the corner.

Step 11

Repeat step 10 until you have stitched 3 corners. Then stop.

Fold the binding on the last corner out.

Turn the pot holder over to the back. Fold the binding over the back, making sure the pressed edge stays under. You will see the stitching line from where the front of the binding is attached to the pot holder. Make sure the back of the binding meets this stitching line and covers it.

Clip the binding to the back.

Step 12

Flip the pot holder back over to the front and finish stitching the final side. Continue stitching all the way up to the edge.

Step 13

Your pot holder should be looking similar to this.

You remember that extra 5 inches or so of binding? Well, that's going to be a hanging loop.

Decide how big you want your loop. 5 inches is plenty. Cut off the excess binding, folding over the raw edge by about 1/4 inch.

Fold the binding over the back of the pot holder. Make sure it covers the stitching from the front of the binding. Clip to all sides.

Step 14

Turn the pot holder back to the front. Now we just need to stitch in the ditch all the way around. This will secure the binding to the back.

Stitch all the way round the pot holder and continue to the very top of the binding strip.

Step 15

Create a hanging loop by folding the extra strip back on itself. Stitch it to the back of the pot holder. I do this by hand but you can use your machine if you want.

Your pot holder is now complete.