Not Exactly Crafty is about a lot more than just crafting, it's a lifestyle blog about not being exact(in life and craft). It's about abandoning the comparison and being okay with who we are and what we are capable of now, which is often not exactly who or what we envision, but non-the-less wonderful.
I love to personalize store bought stuff. I bought these kitchen towels at Target a while ago and I love them, they just felt like they were missing something. So I added a little extra to make them a bit more me. I just did some wonky patchwork, then cut each block to a size that fit each towel, and Voila! done. It takes very little time and now I am a little more happy with my kitchen decor.
I wanted to share a quick tutorial I found(well my mom found and shared). It's for very easy pot holders. I made the same size just to give an idea of the actual finished scale, but I think these would be really cute as chair pads. So here is the video first, then I'll show you some bits from the pot holders I made.Keep in mind I follwed the instructions TO A "T", and it turned out perfect.
So here is a photo of my completed pot holders, they are just hanging from clothes pins in my kitchen on my chalkboard to give a solid background perspective. I wasn't sure I would dig these all that much, but I have to say I want to make dozens and dozens. It is just the easiest technique, REALLY IT IS! I know sometimes I go to sewing or quilting sites and they always say "it's so easy for a beginner to get this done" and I am usually like...um, IN WHAT UNIVERSE IS THIS EASY!?!?!? So trust me when I say these...ARE!
Here are a couple of shots of my process...
I picked my fabrics out from fat quarters so it took me a bit longer, if you go with a precut stack, it will take you half the time, and that's not long. It only took me (including cutting) 1.5 hours, and I took a few breaks.
Here is how chunky the stack is that you are working with, it's a fair bit of chunk, I will admit, but just work slowly and BE PATIENT(that's my biggest downfall with any project). And as much as I HATE PINNING, you have to pin so it doesn't slide around. Something that they don't tell you, and this is important, if you are going to actually use these and not just have they as decorative pieces, you HAVE to use 100% natural batting, like cotton or wool, that way there is nothing in there that can melt when anything hot is put on them. They don't give you a very good visual of where to pin, so this is what I did on all four sides and it worked out great.
Here they are on my kitchen table, a little different with the yellow background.
Here are some shots of the backs too, just as lovely. I always love to see the backs of projects.
That's it! They really were fast, I was pleasantly surprised. Have you got any quick tutorials that you ended up loving? I'm always looking for home decor stuff, it's addictive once you get making!
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