Solidarity: It's Always There.

Two things for now, more things for later.

First, I noticed while reading Downton Abbey Cooks that yes, locking your food in the oven happens to the best of us.

Second, the results are in for the "contest" I ran a few weeks ago. Bronwyn wins! But it won't be ready as early as I'd promised, because I realized that I still have a bunch of brown fabric left over from the Hot Beartatos at home, with which I've yet to do anything. But the good news is, I'm going back there in 42 days!

Oh, and I have an internship! Working at Livres Canada Books, helping Canadian publishers with international marketing endeavours. Sounds pretty schmancy, but I'm sure I'll just spend the whole summer writing catalogue copy. On the other hand, this is probably the best way to find out what's needed for going beyond the domestic market as a little start-up publisher. So it's pretty fantastic.

Things are... better than two weeks ago. That is for sure. I guess I just know some wonderful people :)

Hot Beartatos!

I'm bad at telling people how to do stuff. However, the pattern I used for the potholders was found here so in case you get confused, which you inevitably will, go there.

First you need brown cotton fabric, light brown cotton fabric, black embroidery floss, some cotton batting, and some thermal lining stuff. At the store they kept calling it Thermalin, but on the receipt it says thermoplus? I dunno. The employees looked at me, got confused, tried to sell me fabric to cover an ironing board, then suggested I go to the dollar store, buy oven mitts, and cut them up... I just couldn't do that because a) cheating and b) most oven mitts aren't circular. Plus most potholders are quilted, so what was I supposed to do? They asked the big boss of oven mitts, who said "just use this" which turned out to be a thermal fabric that was right under the cutting table we happened to be at. Funny.


Oh, you'll also need a plate or bowl (something circular) and maybe something ovally. I sort of free-handed that bit.


I am bad at counting. You will need more than this. Something like 8 brown circles, 4 light brown ovals, four thermal lining circles, and two cotton batting circles. You could use four cotton batting circles if you want, but meh.

For the actual part that's holding the pot, sandwich a thermal circle and a batting circle between two brown circles. Make sure you remember which side the thermal lining is on: you want the order to be hot thing: thermal lining: cotton batting: hand.


Quilt somehow! The blog I was going off of quilted in pie pieces. This was certainly quick, but I didn't like the fact that quilting from the centre outwards left all kinds of strings in the middle of the potholder, or the fact that going from one edge to the other caused some unsightly puckering. It was too late at night for me to think up my own way though. Plus cutting circles with a rotary cutter is HARD.


For hand bits, cut your thermal linings in half!


Then, learn hand applique! I'm sure the internet will tell you how to do this. I learned from a book. Sorry.


applique four light brown ovals to four brown circles.



Then, learn how to hand embroider. I learned from here. In case you're wondering, I used a satin stitch.

Then, the hangy bits! Also ears! I just cut some 2 x 4 inch rectangles, folded them, sewed them, turned hem inside out, pressed them, and sewed over the seam. What's the big deal?

To piece together the final product, simply remember that everything you want on the outside should be on the inside. SO you what the thermal lining side of your potholding bit to be UP. Place the hangy bits with the loop (or fold) toward the CENTRE. place the appliqued and embroidered sides of your half circles FACE DOWN.


PIN IT. Then sew around the edges. You'll end up with two weird things that look like this.


Trim the seams as close as possible, and turn the potholders inside out. They'll still look a little weird.
But, once you press them again, they'll make a little more sense.
Sew around the circle one more time, and:You're done!

Personally, I'm really impressed. Especially because of all the emotional meltdowns and rummy hot chocolates I had while making these.

And yes, that IS a Jonas Brothers mug. But it's got a beer bottle stuck in it and I have no idea what to do about the situation but look at it all day every day.