How to Sew an Oven Mitt

Toss out all of those dull store-bought oven mitts you have hidden in your kitchen drawers. With just a few supplies, you can sew your own oven mitt that will make you grin every time you pull a gooey batch of cookies out of the oven.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old oven mitt
• Pencil
• Large piece of white paper
• Printed fabric
• Coordinating solid fabric
• Package of coordinating bias tape
• Package of 100% cotton batting
• Ruler
• Tailor's chalk
• Pins
• Thread
• Scissors
• Sewing machine

1. Lay the old oven mitt onto the white sheet of paper then trace the outline with your pencil. Cut out the outline to create your pattern piece.

2. Pin your pattern piece to your printed fabric and cut two pieces. Make sure to flip the pattern piece over when cutting one of the printed fabric pieces. Use it again to cut two pieces of your coordinating solid fabric and four pieces of batting.

3. Stack your pieces on top of each other in the following order: coordinating solid, two pieces of batting, printed fabric (right side up). Pin the layers in place. Repeat this process for the other half of the oven mitt: printed fabric, right side down, two pieces of batting then place the final coordinating solid piece on top before pinning the layers in place.

4. Quilt the oven mitt. Begin by sewing a diagonal line from one bottom corner to end of the oven mitt. Use this base line to measure and mark lines that are 1 inch apart then sew over the lines. Your oven mitt should now have lines running across the diagonal in one direction. Repeat this process on the other corner, sewing lines in the opposite direction to finish quilting your oven mitt. Repeat this process on the other piece then pin both pieces together with the printed fabric facing each other, right sides together.

5. Set your sewing machine to an over-lock stitch, also known as an over-edge stitch. Start at one end of the oven mitt opening and stitch around the edge of the oven mitt. The over-lock stitch joins and finishes the seams at the same time.

6. Turn the oven mitt right side out then start at the outermost seam and baste the bias tape onto the raw edges of the oven mitt opening using your sewing machine, leaving several inches of tape hanging off the end to later use as a loop. Top-stitch the bias tape onto the oven mitt for a finished look, then attach the loop to the corner.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use polyester batting for your oven mitts, since it poses a safety hazard.
• Always use caution and common sense when using handmade oven mitts. Never use damaged oven mitts and always remember that no oven mitt is completely heat-proof.