the goose loves oven mitts

Here we are, over halfway through the Valentine's Day Present Series!


Day 3: The Oven Mitt


After "mastering" the first two pot holders, I decided it was time to up the ante. Bring on the oven mitt!


I still had plenty of red and white fabric, Insul-Bright, and (most importantly!) the ruffly border, so I was all set. I printed out a pattern online and got to work! I cut out two 9" by 15" rectangular pieces of my red and white fabric and two pieces (same size) of Insul-Bright. For the inside of the mitt, I used a red and white fleece leftover from my Christmas stocking. If you don't have fleece, regular fabric will work great. Mine is just super soft inside now! I also cut out two pieces of ruffly border, about an inch longer than the bottom pattern width (the cuff).


Now for the assembly. The basic idea is to make two separate identical pieces (each with three layers - inner fabric, insul-bright, and outer fabric - and ruffles), quilt the three layers together, and then sew the two pieces together in the right shape.


I first centered my ruffly border on my outer fabric, and sewed it on the edge. The fabric was right side up and the ruffles didn't hang over the edge - they were pointed "up" away from the edge of the fabric. This was done twice (once for each side). Then I lined up my insul-bright and inner fabric, and hemmed a short side of the inner fabric over the insul-bright edge on both pieces (this gives you a clean edge, and will sit up against the ruffly border).

Then I pinned my outer fabric right side UP (with ruffles) to my inner fabric right side DOWN (with insul-bright), lining up the bottom edges. Holding the layers together flat, I started to machine quilt - sewing through all 3 layers in a certain pattern to keep them from wiggling away from each other. Instead of vertical or horizontal lines, I followed some of the designs in my red and white fabric. Repeat for the other side.


Once both your sides are lined up and quilted, lay them on top of each other, with outer fabric facing each other (your inner fabric - my fleece - should be facing up at you on one side and facing the table on the other). Once you sew your shape, you're going to turn the whole thing inside out to have clean seams. Put your pattern on top of your fabric stack (face down) and trace with a sharpie, marker, or fabric pen. Make sure your pattern is centered on all layers of fabric, which have a tendency to shift as you machine quilt. Then sew along this line, through all layers of material, starting at one side of the cuff. I also sewed through the ruffles, to make them meet, and reinforced them by backstiching at the top and bottom.


Then turn your mitt inside out (so that the right sides are out) and inspect - any areas need reinforcement? Did the thumb-fingers joint work out? Make sure all stiches are snug!


Finally, with right side out, sew together the cuff (your ruffles haven't been sewn to your fleece-insul-bright layer yet). Sew 1/4" to 1/8" from the edge, sealing in your ruffles and layers.

That's all there is to it! :)