Monday, September 29, 2008

How to Make Kids' Oven Mitts

These oven mitts are meant for pretend play only and children 
wearing them should not be allowed to handle hot objects. 
Although actually children should not be allowed to handle hot 
objects, period, with or without oven mitts. Duh.

That disclaimer made, here's what you need:
  • About a quarter yard of fabric. If you are using different fabric for the inside (hereafter called "lining") and outside (hereafter called "outer fabric") of the mitts, then you need even less of each.
  • Sufficient batting for four oven mitt shapes
  • About 25" of 1/4" bias tape

Here's the pattern I used. If you print it out so it fills an 8.5" x 11" sheet, 
it is the right size.
You will be cutting along the dotted line and sewing on the solid line.
Step 1
  • Cut four mitt shapes from the outer fabric, remembering to make two mirror images of the other two. 
  • Cut four mitt shapes from the lining, also remembering to make two mirror images of the other two. I find it helpful to cut the lining pieces a little bigger than the outer fabric pieces to allow for shifting during the quilting process. See the picture below - the white lining piece is much bigger than the colorful outer fabric piece.
Step 2
  • Cut four pieces of batting big enough to cover the lining pieces. 
  • Insert a piece of batting between a lining piece and an outer fabric piece. 
  • Repeat with the other three pieces of batting till you have four sandwiches of outer fabric, batting and lining.

Step 3
  • Take one sandwich and pin the layers together. 
  • Sew parallel lines about 2" apart in one direction. 
  • Turn the sandwich 90 degrees and sew parallel lines 2" apart but at right angles to the original lines, making squares. In the picture below, you can see the first set of completed parallel lines running east to west and the needle sewing the second set of parallel lines running north to south. My machine has that little quilting bar to help keep the distances constant.

Step 4
  • Top stitch around the perimeter of the entire sandwich, about 1/8" from the edge.


When completed, the front and back of the sandwich 
should resemble the pictures below:


Step 5
  • Trim close to the edge of the upper fabric piece, cutting off the excess lining and batting.


Step 6 
  • Repeat steps 3-5 to get a second quilted sandwich in mirror image of the first:

Note: If you buy ready-quilted fabric, you really can skip steps 1-6 and just cut 4 mitt-shaped pieces from it and proceed to step 7.

Step 7
  • Put the two sandwiches together so that the outer fabrics are together and the lining sides are facing out. 
  • Pin to secure.
  • Sew around the perimeter 1/4" from the edge, leaving the straight bottom opening unsewn.

Step 8
  • Serge or zig-zag stitch the raw edges.

Step 9
  • Snip the curved edges to make them lie flat when you turn the mitt right side out. In the web are of the mitt (pictured below), snip in the shape of an upside-down Y as shown by the pink lines. Cut as close to the stitching (shown in black for contrast) as you dare.
  • Turn the mitt right side out.

Here are pictures to show the difference the Y-cut makes. 
The picture on the left has the Y-cut and the one on the right does not.



A close up of the web area of the mitt to show 
with (left) and without (right) the Y-cut.


OK, now that I've harped enough on the Y-cut, 
here is the almost-completed oven mitt:

Step 10
  • Attach the bias tape by sewing on the inside of the mitt as shown. You could also turn the mitt inside out and use the free arm but of course I didn't think of that until after.

A close up to show the bias tape being stitched 1/4" from the edge.

  • Fold the bias tape over the raw edge to the outer fabric side and top-stitch as shown.

  • Tuck in the end of the bias tape and overlap at the join. You should now have one oven mitt with the opening edged with bias tape.

Step 11
  • Having made one mitt, now repeat steps 3-10 to make the other mitt so you get a pair.

Step 12 (optional but useful)
  • Sew closed about 5" of the remaining bias tape to make a strap. 
  • Cut this in two to make two 2.5" straps. 
  • Fold each in half to make a loop and sew the ends onto the inside of each mitt, close to the edge of the bias tape as shown.

The completed oven mitts.



9 comments:

  1. Love that you show 'how-not-to's as well as 'how-to's.

    Now I can make MY OWN oven mitts :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just found your blog via google, looking for a pattern for mittens to make for my boys who love helping me back. I'm hoping to get it done before Christmas. Thank you! www.sincerelyciel.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. These are great! Thanks for sharing your easy-to-follow tutorial. I had some issues with the bias tape, but I think it's because I have never really worked with it before. Incorporated these into my homemade play kitchen and linked to you at http://tysonandmiles.blogspot.com/2011/04/play-kitchen-finally.html.

    Have a great day!
    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's a cool tutorial...thanks for sharing, I made an oven mitten for a friend's daughter. I linked you to share your tute again with others :) http://smurfing-time.blogspot.com/2011/02/another-apron.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. I made these just 2 weeks ago and now come across your tutorial. I have one thing to add: DO NOT IRON!!! It wil melt the batting and they won't be as fluffy anymore. That's what I did :(

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great tutorial, easy, easy, easy...thanks
    best regards
    DeWiwi

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for this pattern. It is great to use a mit that is already drawn up! Would printing the pattern at 135% be the right size? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love this! Thank you! I used your seam line as the seam allowance to make slightly smaller mits for toddlers. They are sooo cute! However, I'm finding it harder to maneuver to sew the two quilted sides into one mit than it was to topstitch each individual quilted side. What foot would you recommend? I used flannel and low(?)-loft polyester batting. (I don't even average one sewing project a year, so I'm relearning basics, and Google hasn't answered my question yet...)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lindsay, I used the regular presser foot. However, I know that exposed batting can catch on the feed dogs underneath and also on the prongs of the presser foot above. Perhaps try a layer of tissue paper underneath the project and another layer on top (ie between the batting and the feed dogs and between the batting and the presser foot) when sewing. It should reduce the catching, and you can easily tear the tissue paper away from the stitches after.

      Delete

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