How To Sew A Ruffle PotHolder with Bow (Free Pattern)

This pattern takes a regular potholder and adds a feminine touch with a row of ruffles and a bow hangtab.

It’s more of an advanced sewing project due to the layers of fabric and batting, and the use of bias tape. But once you get the hang of working with bias tape, it’s not too hard.

You can sew one potholder and pair it with a matching oven mitt or pot pincher, or sew two for a set.

 

Materials

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Cotton or linen fabric (avoid synthetic materials)
• Thermal/heat-resistant batting (Insul-Bright or something similar) (this has “heat-reflective” properties)
• 100% cotton batting (this adds extra insulation)
• 1/2” double-folded bias tape (is 1/2” wide when double-folded) (here’s how to make your own so it matches your material)

 

Thread

• Tools
• Sewing machine
• Walking foot (I purchased this universal one for my other sewing machine) (required for sewing through multiple layers of batting without your fabric puckering)
• Iron
• Scissors
• Pins or clips

 

How To Sew a Ruffle Potholder with Bow Detail

Video coming soon…

 

Step 1

Print your free pattern and cut out your pattern pieces.

*If you want to do several quilting stitches, cut your pattern pieces slightly larger to account for shifting, complete the quilting stitches, then cut the pattern pieces to size

You’ll need:

• 2 pieces of fabric for the front and back
• 1 piece of thermal batting
• 1 piece of cotton batting
• 2 pieces of fabric for the pocket
• 1 piece of thermal batting for the pocket
• 1 piece of fabric that is 3″ x 12″ (for ruffle)
• 1/2″ wide double-fold bias tape:
  • 8″ piece (for pocket)
  • 38″ – 40″ piece (for finishing edges of potholder)
  • 3″ piece (for hang tab)

 

Step 2

Layer your bottom fabric wrong side up, cotton batting, thermal batting, then your top fabric right side up.

Sew the main pieces of your potholder together using a quilting stitch and your walking foot.

Your layers will shift during sewing, so retrace your pattern piece and cut off any excess batting/fabric.

 

Step 3

To create the ruffle, fold your 12″ x 3″ piece of fabric in half, lengthwise, right sides together and press.

Use a basting stitch (the longest stitch length on your sewing machine; you can also reduce the tension) to run a line of stitches 1/4″ away from the cut edge. Leave a long tail of threads at the beginning and end of your stitching so you can create the ruffles.

Tie your threads on one end of your ruffle in a knot, then grab the bobbin thread (bottom thread) on the other end and hold onto it as you gently pull the fabric until it is the width of your pocket (8″).

Tie your threads on the other end in a knot to hold the gathers in place. Then distribute the gathers evenly, making sure the seam allowance on either end is flat and doesn’t have any gathering.

Baste your pocket layers and ruffle together, using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

 

Step 4

Sew your 8″ piece of bias tape to the right side and top edge of your pocket.

Fold your bias tape over to the other side, clip into place, then stitch from the right side again, about 1/8″ away from the inside edge of the bias tape.

 

Step 5

Position your pocket on the potholder and clip it into place. Use a basting stitch all around the potholder to secure all the layers together.

 

Step 6

Create the tab for the bow out of the 3″ piece of bias tape (please see the video for tips to finish one end).

Sew your tab to the top-center of your potholder, lining up the cut edges.

 

Step 7

Sew the first side of your bias tape to the potholder. Line the start of your bias tape about an inch ahead of the center of your potholder.

Stop sewing about 1/4″ before the start of your bias tape.

Flip the start of your bias tape over and fold it into place.

Then set the end of your bias tape over the top and finish sewing it on, up to the center point.

 

Step 8

Flip your bias tape over and press it into place, making sure it evenly covers the line of stitching. Then clip into place.

 

Step 9

To finish off the end and sew your bow, you’ll sew all around your bias tape, about 1/8″ inside the bias tape seam, and when you come back around to the center, gently curve the tail off the bias tape off the potholder and continue sewing all the way to the end of your bias tape to stitch the two folded edges together.

Cut the tail to 7″ long, then create a loop.

Find the center of that loop and place it on the center of your potholder and sew it into place (there are several layers here, so if your sewing machine struggles, you may need to hand-stitch or glue it into place.

Flip the tab over the bow and line up in the back. Leave a little bit of slack, so the center loop isn’t too tight, and when it relaxes after sewing, it will help cover the stitching in the front.

Use a zipper foot and reposition your needle so you can sew as close to the bottom of the tab as possible. Again, if your sewing machine struggles with multiple layers, hand-stitch or glue the tab into place.

Your ruffled potholder with a bow is complete!