Happy Helping Hands Potholder Factory



                                                                                                                                                                                      

Yes, I know this looks like a crime scene, but don't worry! What you are witnessing is the first step in the process of mass producing potholders that will appear in the gift shop of our upcoming Family Clothesline Art Show, Sale, and Auction! Last month's "Works in Progress" post has all the details on this first annual event that will allow the grandchildren to sell their hand made artwork at highly inflated prices to an adoring audience of parents, aunts, uncles and of course, grandparents!

My grandkids know exactly what to do when they see me approach with a brush and a tube of paint. They have had their little hands printed so often for grandma's projects that even Bree immediately presents her palm to me! After paint is applied, she firmly plants her dainty hand on whatever I've put in front of her. I think someday these kids might tell their own grandchildren, "If my memory serves me correctly, I think your great great grandma was a prison warden. She was forever fingerprinting us!"

I'm not an "official business woman" either, but it seems like common sense to target an audience when you want to move merchandise! Happy Helping Hands Potholders don't mess around. They get to the point really fast. For example, "Nick + Mommy =  heart button." And "Bree + Nana =  heart button." Think those little heart-tugging tactics will appeal to Mommy and Nana when they come to shop? I think they might turn out to be the same kind of challenge that the old familiar saying describes...."it was like shooting fish in a barrel!"

I have streamlined making these appealing little gifts by building them right on top of purchased potholders from the dollar store. The ones I used were packaged with two in a set. That's lots cheaper and much less work than making them with my other option - layered quilt batting that doesn't insulate.

Here are the materials needed to make one hand-stamped potholder:

8" square bleached muslin or white cotton fabric
8" square cotton print fabric for back of potholder, coordinated with handprint color
Bias tape (home made or purchased) or purchased ruffled trim, 28" length  (3 yards trims 4)
Fabric paint and brushes, wider brush for hands, detail brush for lettering
Heart shaped button
Ribbon, optional
Potholder, 7" square, light color, all tags and loops removed
Miscellaneous sewing notions and sewing machine

Begin by printing the child's hand at center of muslin square with fabric paint. Print name or message on Word in a simple font and place beneath fabric, trace with pencil and then again using detail brush and paint.                                                                                 

Center printed white fabric on potholder, pin, and machine sew all around along inside bias edge to attach fabric. Trim fabric close to stitching. Repeat with backing fabric on reverse side of potholder.

When both sides are sewed on and excess fabric is trimmed away, (as shown on right, above), sew trim all around outside edge. Completed potholder, reverse, shown above, left.

Sew on button, add ribbon accents, or hand quilt a line about 1/2" inside trimmed edge.

No one wants to think about February now I know, but these would be cute as Valentine's day gifts, too!