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.