Table of Contents
- Introduction to In-the-Hoop Potholders
- Gathering Your Materials for Machine Embroidery
- Step-by-Step In-the-Hoop Potholder Creation
- Assembling the Potholder: Flaps and Lining
- Finishing Touches: Trimming, Turning, and Pressing
- Tips for Perfect Potholders Every Time
- Troubleshooting & Recovery
- From the comments
Video reference: “In the Hoop Square Potholder Tutorial” by StitchDelight.NET
A smart, lined potholder in one hooping? Yes, with quilted texture, tidy back flaps, and even optional piping. This guide breaks the process into clean, repeatable steps with clear decision points and quick checks—so your finish looks crisp, not bulky.
What you’ll learn
- How to hoop cut-away stabilizer and build a layered sandwich that turns cleanly
- Why Insul-Bright (or another heat-resistant batting) matters—and how to trim for crisp edges
- The exact orientation of those back flaps so your opening finishes neat and tight
- How to add an optional hanging loop and piping with smooth, squared corners
Introduction to In-the-Hoop Potholders
What is an In-the-Hoop Project? In-the-hoop (ITH) projects stitch multiple construction steps right on your embroidery machine. Here, your hoop holds stabilizer; you stitch a placement line for batting, quilt the front, add optional accents (like a name), then close the piece with lining and back flaps—still in the hoop. The payoff? Consistent edges, accurate quilting, and less guesswork between machine and sewing table.
Why Make Your Own Potholders?
- They’re fully lined and quilted, with functional back flaps for a secure hold.
- You can customize fabric, quilting, and optional piping or a loop.
- The process scales nicely—batch-cut and stitch multiple gifts fast.
Quick check
- Finished size shown: 8×8 inch potholder, with fabric cut at 10×10 inches for clean coverage.
Gathering Your Materials for Machine Embroidery
Essential Fabrics and Batting
- Main fabric: cut to 10×10 inches for an 8×8 inch potholder.
- Lining: 10×10 inches.
- Back flaps: two pieces, each folded in half; the folded edges will meet in the middle on the back.
- Batting: Insul-Bright insulated batting; it’s heat-resistant with Mylar between layers. Per community feedback, a heat-resistant batting can be substituted if preferred.
Pro tip
- Iron every piece before hooping. Creases can distort quilting.
Stabilizer and Optional Embellishments
- Stabilizer: one layer of cut-away, hooped taut.
- Optional: a short ribbon for a hanging loop; piping for a crisp, framed look. If you plan piping, add it before you stitch the final assembly layers.
From the comments
- A commenter asked whether the insulated batting used was different from what they had. The creator confirmed you can use a heat-resistant batting instead of insulated batting—choose the option you trust for heat handling in your kitchen. magnetic embroidery hoops
Prep checklist
- 10×10 main fabric, 10×10 lining, two folded back flaps
- Insul-Bright or heat-resistant batting
- Ribbon (optional), piping (optional)
- Cut-away stabilizer
- Scissors and iron (press all pieces)
Step-by-Step In-the-Hoop Potholder Creation
Hooping and Batting Placement 1) Hoop cut-away stabilizer. Make it drum-taut, smooth, and wrinkle-free.
2) Stitch Step 1 (placement line) on the stabilizer—this outlines where the batting goes. 3) Lay Insul-Bright over the placement line and stitch the tack-down.
4) Trim batting right at the tack-down edge. The batting should finish slightly smaller than the final seam line—this reduces seam bulk later.
Watch out
- If the stabilizer is loose, quilting can pucker or shift. Re-hoop if needed.
Quick check
- Batting is fully inside the line; edges are neatly trimmed.
Quilting and Fabric Layers 5) Place the main fabric over the batting, covering the full design area with slack for trimming.
6) Stitch the quilting pattern. The machine secures the front to the batting and adds texture.
7) Optional: add a name or motif now, before any back layers go on.
Outcome to expect
- After quilting, the front is fully secured and flat, with even stitches and no pleats.
Adding Piping and Loops (Optional) If you want the extra polish of piping, add it before final assembly. A loop can be added now, too.
8) Lightly spray 505 adhesive along the block’s edge to prevent wandering.
9) Prepare piping: pull back the cord slightly at the start to create a flat fabric tail—this gives you a neat overlap when you close the loop later.
10) Place piping so the cord sits just inside the completed stitch perimeter. At corners, make small snips through the piping fabric (never the cord) so it turns without puckering.
11) Overlap the end neatly where you began and secure with temporary adhesive or tape.
12) Fold a short ribbon into a loop and tape it at the chosen edge (loop facing inward so it gets caught in the seam). 13) Run the next machine step to tack the piping and loop in place.
Pro tip
- The more precisely you place the piping at the edge, the cleaner your corners will look when turned. hoop master embroidery hooping station
Operation checklist (so far)
- Stabilizer hooped taut; batting placed and trimmed
- Main fabric quilted; optional name stitched
- Piping placed, corners snipped (fabric only), ends overlapped
- Ribbon loop taped inward and tacked
Assembling the Potholder: Flaps and Lining
Correct Back Flap Orientation (Critical) Position the two folded back flap pieces vertically on the quilted front. Align raw edges to the outer stitch boundary so the folded edges meet neatly at center. Vertical placement is key: it keeps the eventual opening manageable and the turn-through clean.
Watch out
- If you orient the flaps horizontally, you’ll struggle to turn cleanly and to finish the opening neatly. Vertical is the fix that keeps corners crisp and seams cooperative.
The Final Stitching Step Lay the lining fabric right-side down over everything, covering the full block. Align edges, tape if needed, and stitch the final step. The design leaves an opening on one side (here, the right side) for turning.
Quick check
- Flaps vertical, lining fully covers the stack, no shifting as you start the seam.
Setup checklist (final assembly)
- Back flaps vertical, folded edges toward center
- Lining right-side down, edges aligned
- Final seam stitched with a side opening
Finishing Touches: Trimming, Turning, and Pressing
Achieving Crisp Corners Remove the hoop and cut around the seam, leaving a small allowance. Trim corners slightly tighter and notch to reduce bulk. Reach through the opening and turn the potholder right-side out, pushing corners fully with a blunt tool.
Pro tip
- A gentle, blunt pusher (like a turning tool or chopstick) gives sharp corners without piercing fabric. dime snap hoop
Closing the Opening and Topstitching Fold the raw edges at the opening inward, then close it: hand-stitch for an invisible finish, or machine-stitch close to the edge for speed. Flip the back flaps over so they hide the closed seam. Press flat at the ironing board. Optional: topstitch around the perimeter for a tailored frame.
Operation checklist (finish)
- Corners notched and fully turned
- Opening closed
- Flaps flipped to conceal the seam
- Project pressed; optional topstitching added
Tips for Perfect Potholders Every Time
Choosing the Right Materials
- Batting: Insul-Bright is ideal for heat resistance; a heat-resistant batting alternative also works (community-confirmed).
- Stabilizer: use cut-away and hoop it drum-tight. Wrinkles in stabilizer can show as ripples in quilting.
- Fabric: press before hooping to prevent quilting distortion.
Quick check
- When you trim batting slightly inside the seam, you avoid bulky, blobby edges.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Piping won’t turn corners: you likely didn’t snip the piping fabric enough. Make a few small snips closer together (avoid cutting the cord) and re-place the corner.
- Back opening messy: flaps were placed horizontally. Replace vertically so the turn and the edge seam align cleanly.
- Rounded corners after turning: corners weren’t notched or pushed fully. Trim again and re-turn with a gentle tool.
From the comments (integrated answers)
- Heat handling: A viewer asked if the batting was the insulated kind. The creator clarified you can substitute a heat-resistant batting for Insul-Bright if that’s what you have.
- Other designs: Another viewer sought an oven mitt tutorial. The team noted there are multiple mitts available and asked to include the product number when contacting support for guidance. brother embroidery machine
Quality Checks
- After quilting: front lies flat; no pleats or puckering.
- Before final seam: flaps vertical; loop taped inward; lining fully covers.
- After turning: corners crisp, opening closed, flaps folded over; overall square true.
Results & Handoff
- Output: a lined, quilted 8×8 inch potholder with functional back flaps, ready for kitchen duty or gifting.
- Variations: Add personalization before assembly, experiment with contrasting lining, or change flap fabrics for a two-tone back.
- Care: Treat like a typical quilted cotton accessory; press to refresh shape.
Troubleshooting & Recovery
- Symptom: Puckering under quilting.
Likely cause: Stabilizer not taut. Fix: Re-hoop stabilizer tightly and ensure main fabric is smooth before quilting.
- Symptom: Bulky edges that won’t press.
Likely cause: Batting left full-width into the seam. Fix: Retrim batting inside the tack-down line; re-stitch if necessary.
- Symptom: Loop stitched facing outward.
Likely cause: Loop not folded inward during tack-down. Fix: Re-position loop so the fold faces the project center before stitching.
- Symptom: Exposed piping cord at corners.
Likely cause: Snips cut through the cord. Fix: Replace that piping section, snipping only the fabric tape—not the cord—to allow a smooth bend.
Decision points
- If you prefer maximum heat protection, choose Insul-Bright; if you only have a generic heat-resistant batting, it can substitute successfully per community feedback. embroidery hoops magnetic
- If you want a plain edge, skip piping; if you want a framed look, add piping before final assembly.
Workflow accelerators (optional tools)
- Some crafters like using magnetic-style frames for faster fabric placement. Choose what fits your machine and design size. magnetic hoop for brother
- For repetitive projects, a hooping aid can standardize placement and speed. hoopmaster
Pro tip
- When batching gifts, cut all front, lining, and flap pieces together. Consistency in pre-cutting pays off in perfectly matching edges during the final stitch-out. embroidery hoop brother
Project gallery inspiration
- Try a plain quilted front for everyday use; for gifting, add a monogram or motif after quilting but before assembly.
- Mix a quiet front with a bold lining for a surprise pop every time you flip it over.
Visual checkpoints at a glance - Materials staged and pressed (see the materials layout).
- Stabilizer hooped taut (no ripples).
- Batting placed, tacked, and neatly trimmed.
- Main fabric quilted smoothly; optional name stitched.
- Loop taped inward; flaps placed vertically.
- Lining right-side down; final seam with side opening.
- Trim/turn/press; close opening; optional topstitch.
- Optional piping: flat tail at start, snipped corners, neat overlap, tacked down.
From the comments
- Heat-resistant batting can substitute for insulated batting in this project.
- For oven mitt stitch-outs, the team has multiple options and can guide you if you provide the product number when you contact support. magnetic embroidery hoops