Gifts from Home - Pot Holders

I got the best surprise in my mailbox last nite, and I had to share.

A few weeks back I had been talking to my mom and made a comment about the pot holder she sent me for Christmas. The design was strips of Christmas fabric, sewn together, and then cut on a diagonal and bordered. My mom bought them from a friend of hers (I thought she made them)who had a booth at a local market to give for gifts. It was lovely.

I had tried to make my own pot holders and was not happy with the outcome, they were thin and didn't really protect my hand from the heat. I asked my mom how she makes hers so thick. She explained you use a heavy cotton fabric for the outside, and can use either quilt batting or (this is brilliant) cut an old towel to use as the batting and you can recycle! In passing my mom said, "I'll send you some" I said - nah, just wait til I am home in April and we can make some while I am there. Craft time with my mom :)

So as I was saying - last nite I got a package. In the package I got this note (she always includes a note) :

My Dear Tish,
Well here's some new pot holders. The lady I know in Du Quoin came down and brought me some. So sending you 2 of hers. The other 4 me and your dad made. You know when I get in there sewing he wants to also. So you got a bugs bunny pot holder! He had that patch for yrs. So he siad could I put that on one? I said yes. So there it is! He made the whole thing! So anyway enjoy and if you ned more just holler.
Love you much,
Mom and Pop

Here is what she sent -

These first two are from her friend. A busy piece of fabric and she sewed around the design to quilt it.


Appliqued a heart onto fabric and then used her machine on a 'pattern' setting to sew the pattern onto the pot holder.


Mom used a small pillow print fabric and sewed around the design for the quilted look.
Sewed strips of spring fabric together, and then cut it on the diagonal


And my bugs bunny patch one that my dad made ;)

If you have a machine, and you can sew a straight stitch - you can make pot holders. They are awesome little "Thinking about you" gifts or wonderful house warming presents.