Quilted Oven Mitt Tutorial
I wrote this quilted oven mitt tutorial partially for myself - but also so I could share my NEW favorite oven mitt with YOU! Friends, I've reached the point in life where I have a favorite oven mitt. If that isn't one of the most "adult" things I've ever said, I don't know what is.
I didn't like the color of the mitt. I didn't like the fact that washing it no longer got the stains out. But it was just a really good oven mitt. And then it got a hole. Unfortunately, I discovered this hole by burning my hand - and realized it was time for a replacement.
It's not too big, it's not too small, and it comes together SO quickly! With Christmas just around the corner, you just might end up using this quilted oven mitt tutorial to crank out all your handmade Christmas gifts, or make a couple for yourself for your Christmas baking!
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We've LOVED seeing all the quilted Christmas stockings that you've all been making using our free Rocksteady Stocking Tutorial! If you loved the stocking tutorial, you're sure to love these quilted oven mitts since they use the same construction technique.
The oven mitts are even (dare I say?) easier and quicker to put together! Just how similar are these quilted oven mitts and the stockings? You be the judge.
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Supplies for the Quilted Oven Mitt Tutorial
- Free oven mitt template download
- *Exterior Fabric - two pieces of 100% cotton measuring 9" x 14" or several medium-sized scraps to sew together
- *Lining Fabric - two pieces of 100% cotton measuring 9" x 14"
- *100% cotton batting OR Insul-Bright (for 100% cotton batting, you'll need four pieces that measure 9" x 14" OR for Insul-Bright, you'll need two pieces that measure 9" x 14")
- One 3 3/4" piece of ribbon for the loop
- Thread
- Cutting mat
- Ruler
- Rotary cutter
- Scissors
- Straight pins
- Iron and Ironing board
- Basic sewing machine
- Printer & paper for template
* It is important that your fabrics and batting are 100% cotton. Cotton is not flammable, whereas fabrics containing polyester are.
Step 1: Assemble the Oven Mitt Template
After you've gathered your supplies, it's time to begin! Print off the quilted oven mitt tutorial template, making sure that your settings are set to print at 100%. Double check that the printed 1" squares are accurate with a ruler, then tape your template together.
Step 2: (Optional) Assemble the Patchwork Front
If you'd like a solid piece of fabric for the front of your quilted oven mitt, you can skip this step.
I decided to add a bit of visual interest to this oven mitt, and pieced together three medium sized scraps I had laying around. After sewing the first two pieces together, I cut the pieces on a diagonal before sewing on my third piece. There are endless possibilities for making a scrappy version, just be sure your template won't hang over any of the edges!
Step 3: Trace and Cut Out Your Oven Mitt Template
Next, lay out your lining fabric pieces RST. Trace your oven mitt template onto the fabric, then cut it out using a rotary cutter or scissors. Then, lay out your exterior fabrics WST and trace the template onto them. If you have a special print, be mindful of the orientation!
I knew I wanted the point of the patchwork triangle to hit right on the edge of my potholder, so I made sure that the template was 1/4" to the left of that point.
Once your pieces are all cut out, you should have two exterior pieces that mirror each other, and two lining pieces that mirror each other! Now you're cookin'! Pun intended 😉
Step 4: Quilt Your Exterior Pieces
It's time to quilt!
If you are using 100% cotton batting, quilt each exterior oven mitt piece onto two layers of batting. Then, cut around the edge of the mitt piece.
If you are using Insul-Bright, quilt each exterior oven mitt piece onto one layer of Insul-Bright. You'll want to be sure the shiny side of the Insul-Bright is touching the wrong side of the fabric (since the shiny side is designed to reflect the heat.) Cut around the edge of the mitt piece once you are finished quilting.
You may want to baste your pieces together to prevent shifting, but I found that that it wasn't necessary since the pieces were so small. I went with simple lines following the patchwork shapes, but this would be a great project to try out some fun free motion quilting or interesting geometric lines!
Step 5: Sew the Exterior Pieces Together
Once you've quilted your exterior pieces, it's time to sew them together. Place the pieces RST and pin. Shorten your stitch length (I used 1.8) and sew around the perimeter of the oven mitt, using a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving the bottom open.
When you get to the gap between the fingers and thumb, sew a bit past and make the turn square, as shown in the photo below. This will allow you to clip notches later and will allow the thumb to move freely.
Step 6: Sewing the Lining
Take your two lining pieces and place them RST. Pin around the perimeter, then sew using a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving the bottom open. Be sure to leave a 4" gap on one of the edges to turn the oven mitt through later, and square the bottom of the seam between the fingers and thumb as you did on the exterior pieces.
Step 7: Clip Notches
Next, clip notches in the curves of both the lining and exterior oven mitt pieces, making sure you don't clip into your seams. Taking the time to do this step will greatly reduce the bulk when you turn your quilted oven mitt RST later.
Step 8: Joining the Exterior and Lining
Next, turn the exterior of your quilted oven mitt right side out. Use a chopstick or point turner to gently turn out the top of the fingers and thumb. Then place the oven mitt on your non-dominant hand (for me, that's my left hand) and inert the exterior into the lining (which should still be RST.)
Align the bottom raw edges of the exterior and the lining. Take your 3 3/4" piece of ribbon, and fold it in half, making a loop. Then, place the loop between the right side of the exterior fabric and the right side of the lining fabric, aligning it with the seam along the long side of the oven mitt.
Pin around the remainder of the opening, then sew. I found it was easiest to sew from the inside (as shown in the photo above) since the cuff is quite small and it was easier to manipulate the fabric this way.
Step 9: Turn the Oven Mitt Out
We're nearing the end! Turn the oven mitt right sides out through the 4" hole in the lining. If you've made the Rocksteady Stocking, this is probably starting to feel like deja vu!
Once you have turned the quilted oven mitt out, sew the 4" gap closed. You can do this with an invisible/ladder stitch by hand, or, since it'll be on the inside of the mitt where it won't be seen, you can also just machine stitch it closed.
Step 10: Topstitch
Push the lining into the oven mitt exterior, and maneuver it around a bit to match up the finger and thumb spaces. Then, to finish it off, topstitch the cuff to keep the lining tucked neatly inside.
So throw your hands up in the air, because your perfect quilted oven mitt is complete! This calls for some Christmas cookies... or orange garlands... or maybe an afternoon of sewing up 5 more! Once you sew one, you won't want to stop!
If you've been wondering what I'm making with these pretty citrus fruits, the answer is a sweet smelling citrus garland! To one make, simply cut some citrus fruits about a 1/4" thick, then bake them on low heat (about 250-degrees F) for 3-4 hours, flipping every 30 minutes.
Once they are nice and dry, string them up with thread (your hand quilting thread would be perfect!)
Are quilted oven mitts in your future? Tell us about your plans and feel free to ask your questions! And don't forget to tag @suzyquilts and use #SQovenmitt on Instagram so we can see your pretty mitts!
Thanks for the tutorial! I just got a package of Insul Bright and planned to make an oven mitt, but I did not have a pattern.
I so need this. I bake bread all the time and pull my 450° Dutch oven out with oven mitts that have holes in them praying each time I don’t inadvertently burn a finger. Thanks Suzy. Best wishes to you and your family for a Merry Happy season
Thank you, LynnAnn! And Merry Christmas to you too!
Can’t wait to start! I had ordered fabric and Insul-Bright and now have the perfect guide!! Love your page and emails!
This is great! What is it with pot holders and mitts? I hate it when they look nasty….Thanks so much for this. A wonderful tutorial!
My sister just asked me for a handmade quilted oven mitt as one of her Christmas presents! I like this pattern a lot more than the ones that involve adding binding, your lining approach is much nicer and less fussy!
Love it! One grandson is just beginning to cook. I will have a pair for him by Christmas Eve! Okay, what are you doing baking the blood orange and orange slices?
Love this idea; my grand daughter has her own cooking stool; dad made it last year. I’m headed upstairs to make a smaller and matching regular size for grand daughter and daughter-in -law.
Thanks for sharing this @suzy you are the best!!!
Thank you for this tutorial! This is something on my “I need but don’t want to spend the money on” list, ha! Also, I have several citrus fruits that are in danger of rotting – now I know what I’m doing with them today!! 🙂
Haha! That’s wonderful!
Love this! I will finally have oven mitts that are pretty! Store ones are soooo ugly. I do wish that this had a print option – would be easier to follow than taking a laptop to my small sewing space.
This is great! Very timely, and easy to follow – thank you for sharing. I think a couple of folks are going to be getting a shiny new oven mitt or two for Christmas this year!
*one note, while the oven mitt tutorial provided by Warm Company, the makers of Insul-Bright, is (IMO) not as easy to follow as yours, they still advise two layers of insulating material – a layer of Insul-Bright next to the lining fabric, and a layer of cotton batting next to the outer fabric.
I made potholders for everyone in my family this Christmas: next Christmas everyone will get an oven mitt! Thank you for your tutorial: it’s easy to follow, just like all your tutorials!
Thank you very much for this tutorial. It is an answer to my problem of what to give to my neighbors. Because I didn’t want to print your whole tutorial, photos and all, I just copied down your directions in a notebook. I cannot take my desktop computer into my sewing room and I don’t have a smartphone either. Is there some way to print this that I am not seeing? Thank you. May you and your family have a joyous Christmas, your quarantine should be over by then. Take care!
Doesn’t seem to be a pdf version. What I do is copy and paste the written directions that I need into a word document and print that. Or, copy and paste the entire thing into a word doc, go through it and delete the photos I don’t want/need, then print. It’s kind of a pain but it works, and it means you have done a thorough read-through of the pattern so there are no surprises… 🙂
One of your options when printing should be print to pdf. It is in the dropdown menu where your printer is listed on the print menu. If you highlight the relevant sections, you can then choose print selection and the pdf will only have the sections you’ve chosen. When you hit print a pdf is made and you can navigate where you would like to save it.
I’m pretty sure you have to own Adobe pdf in order to do this. If you only have the free pdf reader on your computer then you can’t print to pdf.
You should be able to print directly from your web browser. You can click the pinter icon in the top right corner, or navigate “File” then “Print” in your top toolbar.
This is amazing! so excited to make one for myself, and for gifts! 🙂
This is a great tutorial! Last minute Holiday gifts taken care of!
But here is an odd question – where did you get that wonderful mustard colored waffle sweater??
Hi Rosanne!
It’s seriously one of my all-time favorite shirts! I got it from American Eagle a few years ago, so I’m not sure if they still carry that exact one, but I’m sure you could find something similar 🙂
Thank you for this great tutorial. I am a quilter, mostly hand, and don’t have much experience sewing. I made four of these today, three for holiday gifts and one for me :). Super easy and fun!
I love this! making a couple for a friend right now. Also, I was curious about how your baked grapefruit and oranges came out? LOL JK JK
This looks like a great oven mitt version to try! I’ve had some issues with versions that add a binding as the final step — and I have some ruined oven mitts as a result of bindings gone horribly wrong.
My question for folks who have tried this version is this: Does the lining stay put when removing your hand and/or after washing and drying? I would assume few to no issues in theory but in practice, one never knows.
Thanks for the great tutorial!
Is this oven mit large enough to fit a mans hand. Making a gift for my nephew.
I think so, but if you want it larger you can scale up the template when you print it out.
Hi, I’m brand new to quilting! I did this oven mitt as my first project. It turned out good except one thing! I stitched vertically using my machine on the middle section of my mitt to give it the neat geometric lines like you did! But the thread is pulling out. Should I have back stitched or is there another way to prevent that from happening?
Backstitching would prevent this. If you have the whole project completed, you could go around the perimeter and topstitch to lock all of the quilting in place.
Hi! Looking forward to making this. One question, is there way to prevent the gathering between the thumb and fingers? Appears to jumble up in that spot. Thanks!!
Hello! I’ve decided to make oven mitts for several friends and family for Christmas! I seem to keep having an issue where my fabric is bunching up around the thumb – not so pretty! Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Lydia! Some bunching will be expected as shown in the pictures. Did you do Step 7: Clip Notches? Those notches are key to reducing bulk at tight turns like the thumb! Hope you’re having a great time making your mitts! What a nice Christmas gift 🙂
I’m pausing to thank you again for this tutorial. It’s easy to follow and makes a lovely and useful gift. I love picking out fabrics that match people I love!
Carol
I’m planning on trying this one out. One question is how the final fit is for small hands. The pattern looks quite large. Does the final mitt get smaller with all the layers and 1/4 seam?
Yes, it does.
Would pre-washed muslin work okay for the lining? These are great! Thank you for sharing your pattern.
It would not be heat resistant, so this would function more like a decorative mitt to hang in the kitchen.
Thank you so much for this pattern and instructions. I tried a couple other patterns with not great result (too small, too fussy), then happened on yours. Perfect! I’ve just finished making 22 (11 pairs) of them for xmas gifts. Very easy to follow and excellent detail & tips. I did use a layer of insul-brite and one of cotton batting on each side, just felt “safer” to me. P.S. I managed to break two needles (12 & 14) before I switched to a 16. Lined them all with medium weight muslin, which is 100% cotton. I also made sure to use cotton, not poly thread.
Newbie quilter here and I had a great time making the oven mitts. very easy and looks great. thank you for easy-to-follow instructions and the link to the batting. Will be making more for gifts.
Hello,
I recently found your page and cannot wait to make these mittens. Are the fabrics you made the tutorial with still in production? Would you share where you got them? Thank you.
Thanks for this lovely pattern. I’ve adapted it to save the faff of having to leave a gap in the lining to pull through the exterior. It was an experiment based on the way I make my Christmas stockings and works a treat. So, if you’re interested…
Cut out the 2 lining pieces, 2 or 4 insulation /wadding pieces and 2 exterior pieces.
Quilt together each of the exterior pieces with its 1 or 2 pieces of wadding (ie separately), trim as necessary.
Place the 2 quilted exterior pieces RST on top of the 2 lining pieces (also RST). Pin all the way round. Ensure all 4 pieces are the same size and aligned well.
Sew with a 1/4″ all the way around except for the top (wrist end). Clip the curves especially round the thumb being careful not to cut through your seam.
Now this is the really clever bit (!) – hold one of the exterior pieces in one hand and all three of the remaining pieces in the other and flip the exterior piece to be RS out and voila, one oven mitt. Turn over the lining 1/4″ then another 1/4″ to the outside of the mitt to enclose all the raw edges, insert a hanging ribbon in between and top stitch closed. You can also just add a loop of ribbon on the outside if you prefer.