Ruffled {Pocket} Potholder

Hi, Kimberly here from My Brown Bag Studio and I'm happy to be sharing my recipe for a really sweet, ruffled pocket potholder. Let's get started so it's ready in time for dinner! 


I'm using a Trade Winds layer cake for my potholders... aren't the fabrics delicious?

1 Trade Winds layer cake 
2 - 10" squares of insulbrite batting
8" of bias tape or binding
15" of ric rac
Basic quilting supplies
Wash out marker
Walking foot for your sewing machine... there are a lot of layers to sew through and I don't think I could have done it without my walking foot!


Open your layer cake and choose 6 layer cake squares, or 5 and an additional 10" square in a neutral color (for inside the pocket) Have fun choosing!

From your layer cake squares, decide which two will make the back of the potholder, which two will make the front (pocket) of the potholder, which one will become the ruffle, and which one will become the binding. These are my four body pieces... the floral will be the back, the light teal will be the inside, the neutral will be unseen inside the pocket, and the large print will be the front.

The ruffle will be made from the blue lattice print, the binding from the coral print, and also shown here are my two insulbrite squares, my bias tape, and my ric rac.

1. Make two quilt sandwiches... with the wrong sides of your cotton prints facing in, layer the 10" square of cotton, batting, and cotton... This photo shows the squares offset, but you want them stacked neatly. Pin together or use your favorite spray baste method.

2. Draw a line diagonally from one corner to the other as a guide for your quilting. I'm demonstrating on the neutral side of my potholder front... much easier to see what I'm doing than on a busy print!

3. Stitch directly on that line, then repeat 1/4 inch to the left of the line. Flip your quilt sandwich around and repeat on the other side of the first line.

4. Measure 2 inches from your line of stitching and draw another line.

5. Stitch on your line, and then twice more, leaving 1/4 inch between lines. Repeat again...

6. Flip around and repeat for the other quilting lines... you're only halfway there! When you're finished, there will be 5 groups of stitching with 3 lines in each.

...then do the same for your other quilt sandwich, starting with a diagonal line through the middle...

7. Trim your two quilt sandwiches down to 9 inches square.

8. Take the piece that will be the top of your potholder, and make a diagonal cut that is 5 inches up from one corner, and 5 inches over from the same corner...

It will look like this... you can toss the little cut off piece...

9. Sew your bias tape or binding over the angled section.

Trim off any extra.

10. Cut the piece you chose for the ruffle into 2 1/2 inch strips and sew together 3 of them at the short end. Trim to 22 inches. Sew wrong sides together down the length...

... then press flat with the seam to the bottom.

11. Create your ruffle by machine or hand basting a long running stitch and gathering. Pin well to the angled piece and sew in place.

12. Reserve 6 inches of your ric rac for the hanging loop. Sew ric rac on top of the ruffle, then trim any extra.

13. On the back side of the potholder's back piece, stitch a 6 inch loop of ric rac for the hanger.

14. Cut your remaining layer cake square into four 2 1/2 inch strips for your binding and sew strips together.  When you bind your potholder, I'd recommend pinning lots and sewing slowly... there are a lot of layers to sew through!

A fast and fun to make potholder that would be perfect gifts for anyone... for any occasion!

I hope you've enjoyed my project and feel free to stop My Brown Bag Studio for a visit any time! In fact, why don't you stop by right now... I'm having a giveaway! See you there!

Kimberly Friesen
{My Brown Bag Studio}