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Oven mitts to warm their hearts but not their hands

At_Home_columnMemphis, home of barbecue and the blues, is a fabulous vacation destination. It’s also the home of the man known as The King — Elvis Presley.

Many Memphis shops sell Elvis-themed merchandise, including craft supplies. I purchased some Elvis fabric there once, intending to give it to a fanatical friend. Once home, I recalled a complaint she had shared about having to hide away her stained oven mitts when guests gathered in her kitchen, and got to work creating Elvis-themed oven mitt covers she could keep clean and on display.

You can create these for your friends with ease. Besides a sewing machine you need a pair of new oven mitts, a piece of paper slightly larger than one of the mitts, fabric and two small pieces of double-folded bias tape, for loops. The sewing required is basic, making this a great project for a beginner to tackle.

To start, trace one of the mitts on the paper, adding an extra inch at the bottom to ensure the wrist area of the mitt will not peek out. Next, draw a second line, which will be your cutting guide, about half an inch outside of the first line. Cut out the pattern you just created along that second line. Lay your pattern down on the wrong side of your fabric, trace and then cut, then repeat. You need to cut a mirror image for each, so flip the pattern over and repeat, cutting two more pieces. You now have a top and bottom for each oven mitt cover.

It’s time to sew.

With the right sides facing and the thumbs matching, pin each of the covers together. With a straight stitch start at the bottom edge of one cover and, with a narrow hem, sew up and around, ending at the opposite bottom edge. When sewing around the thumb you can make the seam stronger by backstitching along that tight inside curve, then continuing on.

If you want the oven mitts to have a small loop for hanging, cut a two-inch piece of bias tape, fold the raw edges together and sandwich between the layers before you sew, placing the raw edges near the bottom, even with the fabric edge. They’ll be caught in your stitching, creating the loop when you turn the mitt cover right-side-out.

Once you’ve sewn the sides, pin a narrow hem at the bottom and stitch. Next, it’s important to cut several notches along the curves, clipping almost to the stitching, which prevents the cover from bunching up and puckering. Turn right side out, iron, then slip an oven mitt inside. Repeat for the second mitt to create your set.

Many crafters have a fabric stash, often packed with both large and scrap pieces. I know my collection is quite extensive. Is yours?

You can whittle down that pile by making a few sets of these, perhaps using heart-patterned material for February and going with the green for March. Dig deep and I bet you’ll find fabric suitable for every season.