Fall baking is here — pumpkin bread, apple pie, and bubbling casseroles. These quilted pumpkin pot holders handle the heat and look the part: round and plump, with a stem, a leaf, and a hanging loop. Make a pair in an afternoon — keep one, and gift the other at Thanksgiving.
What You’ll Make
Two pot holders, each about 8″ across, with heat-resistant insulated lining plus batting, quilted with curved lines that suggest a pumpkin’s ridges. A folded stem doubles as a hanging loop. A confident-beginner project with gently curved sewing throughout.
Materials
7 of the 8 materials below (88%) are available at Linda’s — links included. The last one is a basic you probably already have.
- 544 Orange Pumpkin Moda Grunge - Fat Quarter — the pumpkin front and back. One fat quarter makes the pair if you cut carefully. Get it at Linda’s.
- 089 Hot Cocoa Moda Grunge - Fat Quarter — the stem, hanging loop, and binding, all from this one warm brown. Get it at Linda’s.
- 305 Jade Moda Grunge - Fat Quarter — a small piece becomes the leaf on each pumpkin. Get it at Linda’s.
- Insul-Bright® Insulating Thermal Lining – 45″ x 1 Yard — the heat-resistant layer. Follow the package directions for which side faces the heat. Get it at Linda’s.
- Hobbs Heirloom Bleached 80/20 Batting Package — one layer per holder, paired with the insulated lining for loft and protection. Get it at Linda’s.
- 1133 Bright Orange Aurifil Cotton 50wt Large Spool — 100% cotton thread for quilting, the leaf, and the binding. Get it at Linda’s.
- Olfa Deluxe 45mm Rotary Cutter — for clean squares and smooth curves when you trim the shape. Get it at Linda’s.
- Plain paper and a pencil — for drawing your pumpkin and leaf templates. Any paper at home works.
Steps
- Draw your templates. On paper, draw a plump pumpkin about 8″ wide and 7 1/2″ tall — a wide oval, slightly flattened top and bottom. Draw a simple leaf about 2″ long. Cut both out.
- Cut the layers. For each holder, cut two 9″ squares of orange fabric, one 9″ square of insulated lining, and one 9″ square of batting. You will trim to the pumpkin shape after quilting, which is much easier.
- Make the stems. From the hot cocoa fabric, cut two strips, each 2 1/2″ by 6″. Fold each in half lengthwise, right sides together, sew the long edge, turn right side out, and press. Fold each in half to form a loop — stem and hanger in one.
- Layer and quilt. Layer: back fabric wrong side up, batting, insulated lining (as the package directs), then front fabric right side up. Pin well. With orange thread, sew curved vertical lines about 1″ apart, curving outward from the center — those curves make a circle read as a pumpkin.
- Add the leaf. Cut one leaf from the jade fabric per holder. Place it at the top of the front, angled to one side, pin, and stitch close to the edge all the way around. Add a short center line for a vein if you like.
- Trim and baste the stem. Lay the paper template on the quilted front and trim to shape with your rotary cutter. Center a stem loop at the top, raw ends tucked about 1/2″ over the edge on the back, and baste it in place so the binding catches it.
- Bind the edge. Cut 2 1/2″-wide strips from the remaining hot cocoa fabric and join them to make about 30″ per holder. Sew the binding to the front around the curve, easing gently — do not pull it tight. Fold it to the back and stitch it down, catching the stem ends securely. Press, and hang your pumpkins up.
Tips
Use cotton fabrics and thread for anything touching hot pans, and always pair the insulated lining with batting — one layer alone is not enough for a hot dish. Use holders for lifting pans briefly, not as long-rest trivets, and keep them away from open flame. Test with a warm pan first. Make a whole patch in different oranges — they mail flat as fall gifts.
Where to Get Everything
Seven of the eight materials — the orange pumpkin fat quarter, the hot cocoa fat quarter, the jade fat quarter, the Insul-Bright lining, the Hobbs batting, the Bright Orange Aurifil thread, and the Olfa rotary cutter — are all at Linda’s, linked above: 88% of the list from one shop. Plain paper and a pencil are things most homes already have; if not, find them at most craft stores or your local quilt shop. Happy sewing — and happy baking!
