Vintage Potholder Pattern Collection

 Print     Email

Here’s an assortment of vintage potholder patterns that were originally published on their own pages here on Tipnut and combined here to make one handy project page. There are some cute and kitschy projects in this collection including a chicken pot holder, chirping birds to embroider and a double oven mitt. Enjoy!

Basic Pot Holders

Pot holders are always a necessity in the kitchen and they may be made in many shapes and forms. Use bright scraps of washable fabrics such as gingham and percale. Cotton batting or scraps of woolen fabric are used for padding.

Material (for two):

Make A Basic Pot Holder With This Vintage Tutorial

• 1/4 yd. Plain or printed percale or gingham
• 2 yds percale bias trim or a bias strip cut from fabric (same or contrasting color)
• 1/4 yd. cotton batting or scraps of heavy woolen fabric

Directions For Cutting:

• Round Pot Holder: 2 circles of fabric, each 8″ in diameter, and 1 similar circle of cotton batting or of several thicknesses of woolen fabric.
• Square Pot Holder: two 8″ squares of fabric and 1 similar square of cotton batting or of several thicknesses of woolen fabric.

Directions For Making:

• Place batting or woolen pieces between two fabric pieces (right sides out) and baste through all thicknesses close to edge.
• Bind edges with bias trim or bias strip.
• Make two or more rows of machine stitching 1/2″ apart toward center, following edge of binding as a guide.

Source: The New Encyclopedia of Modern Sewing (1946)

Pretty Vintage Patterns: {Sewing & Embroidery}

Two lovely potholder patterns to add to your collection, one is a creamer and the other is a sugar bowl–each decorated on one side with embroidered flowers and leaves. These are from the 1940s and are stuffed with batting and finished off with binding. Each measures between 10″ – 11″ from farthest edges but they can be increased in size if you wish. Just click the pictures to get your pattern copies, directions are down below.

Vintage Embroidered Creamer Pattern - Click To Get Pattern

Vintage Embroidered Sugar Bowl Pattern - Click To Get Pattern

Material Requirements:
(For Two Potholders)

Scraps or 3/8 yard 18 inch material
3/8 yard quilted padding
1 1/2 yards bias binding
Embroidery Cotton

Directions:

• Cutting: Cut potholders out on solid lines; cut padding without seam for each potholder.
• Embroidery: Work single lines, single stitch; broken lines, running stitch; continuous lines, outline stitch; dots, French knots or fine satin stitch; loops, lazy daisy stitch.
• Assembly: Embroider; insert padding between pieces and seam on right side; bind with bias binding; make a loop by using a 2 1/2 inch length of bias binding and fasten at dot at top.

Pieced Pot Holders & Recipe Book Cover

Here’s a vintage pattern from the 1960s for two different pot holder designs and one recipe book cover.

The pattern needed for the Octagonal Design is at the bottom, you can download this to your computer (.jpg file).

Pieced Pot Holders & Recipe Book Cover

Notice how scraps are chosen and arranged to accent each other.

Materials Needed:

Scraps of printed cotton fabric; 8 1/2″ x 22 1/2″ cotton for book-cover lining; four 7 1/4″ squares flannel for each pot-holder interlining.

Square-Design Pot Holder

Size: 6 3/4″ square

Pieced Top: Cut printed fabric into nine 2 3/4″ squares and one 1″ x5″ strip for loop (1/4″ seam allowance included). Stitch squares together to form 7 1/4″ square. Press.

Finishing: Cut cotton lining 7 1/4″ square. Baste flannel squares to wrong side of lining. With right sides facing, stitch pieced top to squares, leaving a corner open for turning. Turn. Fold loop strip in half lengthwise, turn in seams and sew. Insert ends in seams around open corner; turn in raw edges and sew opening.

Octagonal-Design Pot Holder

Size: 6 1/2″ square.

Pieced Top:

Trace A, B and C patterns. Lay center line on fold of printed fabric and cut pieces, adding 1/4″ seam allowance. Cut 8 each A and B and 4 C; cut 1″ x 5″ strip for loop. Stitch pieces together to form 7″ square as shown in photograph. Press.

Finishing: Cut lining and flannel squares to 7″, then see finishing for Square-design Pot-holder.

Book Cover

Size: 6″ x 8″, folded.

Pieced Top: Cut printed fabric into 48 pieces 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ (1/4″ seam allowance included). Stitch pieces together to form 8 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ rectangle. Press.

Finishing: Fold 5″ at each end of 8 1/2″ x 22 1/2″ lining toward center. Fold and pin the 5″ at each end in half back on itself so that raw edge meets fold (pockets formed to insert book cover). With right sides together, stitch pieced top and lining together, leaving 4″ open for turning. Turn; sew opening closed.

Pattern Piece

Click image to view larger size then right click and save to desktop. The pattern should print off true to size, but I included the measurement it should be if you’d like to double check.

Source: Woman’s Day Magazine

Teapot Holder Pattern: Cup & Saucer

Pattern Directions:

Vintage Teapot Holder Pattern

• Transfer pattern onto felt material. Cut out felt, cutting along the inner edge of the stamped line. Cut another piece the same size for back. Cut another pair from contrasting felt for the inside facing.
• Pin the front section over a contrasting facing section and join entire edges together with buttonhole stitch. Use embroidery wool split to half its thickness for all work. Face the back section in same manner.
• Work all long lines in outline stitch and short lines in single straight stitches. Work flowers in French knots and lazy daisy stitch.
• All ends of wool may be hidden between the 2 thicknesses of felt by taking a long stitch, pulling thread between the felt to start and clipping wool close when finishing.
• Join the front and back together around the upper edge starting under the handle (catch stitching the buttonhole edges together with wool) and finishing at corner on opposite side of cup. Leave lower edge of saucer free.

Printing Directions

• Download the pattern here: Teapot Holder: Cup & Saucer (jpg file), right click on the image and save to your desktop.
• Open file to print, pattern should print true to size (original pattern measures just shy of 4″ from top of teacup edge to bottom saucer edge).

Pattern Source: 1936 Pattern From McCall’s

Double Oven Mitt

Double Oven Mitt: Vintage Sewing Pattern (1946)

Material:

1/2 yard plain or printed percale or gingham
2 yards (same or contrasting color) percale bias trim or a bias strip cut from fabric
1/2 yard cotton batting or scraps of heavy woolen fabric

Directions For Cutting

• Pattern No. IV: 4 pieces of fabric, 2 pieces of cotton batting or several thicknesses of woolen fabric.
• Pattern No. V: 2 pieces of fabric.

Click For Larger Size--Pattern No. IV: 4 pieces of fabric, 2 pieces of cotton batting or several thicknesses of woolen fabric.

Click For Larger Size--Pattern No. V: 2 pieces of fabric.

Directions For Making

• Join two No. IV pieces with a plain seam (1/4″) along straight edge and press seam open. Repeat for the other two No. IV pieces.
• Place batting between these two pieces and baste through all thicknesses close to edge.
• Pin rounded edges of No. V pieces to rounded edges of No. IV pieces, easing in fullness and baste.
• Cut a 4″ strip of bias trim, fold in half and stitch folded edges together. Baste at center seam for loop. Ends are caught in binding.
• Bind all around with bias trim or bias strip.

Source: The New Encyclopedia Of Modern Sewing (1946)

Panholder Patterns

Here’s a fun freebie download, it’s a set of six different panholders (or potholders) from a loose sheet I had stashed away in my vintage patterns. I believe they’re from the 1940s-1950s.

Some are straight sewing, others involve a bit of embroidery and some involve a bit of appliqué work–there’s something for everyone in this lot!

The six different pattern styles:

1. A round panholder with a pair of singing birds on one side and sleeping birds on the other (how cute!)
2. Oven Mitt: Too many Cooks Spoil the Broth
3. Oven Mitt: The way To a Man’s Heart Is Thru His Stomach
4. Coffee Pot: Old-time style (look for the little spot by the handle to cut out)
5. Tea Kettle: Old-time style (look for the two spots by the top handle to cut out)
6. Butterfly

You can download the patterns here: Vintage Panholder Patterns (pdf). You’ll find the instructions for the set on the first page.

These won’t print off true to original size, just enlarge them to whatever size you like. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Holder

Size: About 8″ from beak to tail

Materials:

• Scraps of fabric for top, underside and padding
• Cotton batting
• 3/4 yard bias tape
• 2 buttons
• Scouring pad

Pattern

Click the pattern to view full size, right click on it, select “Save Picture As” and save it to your computer’s desktop. Then open the image file on your computer and click “Print”. I’ve blown this up so it should print off for you in perfect scale (squares are 1″). If you try printing it directly from the web page, it’s a bit too small (I don’t know why that happens).

Directions:

• Following whole pattern and adding seam allowances, cut 2 top pieces; follow from fold line down to cut underside and padding. Cut 1 1/4″ x 2″ strip for comb.
• Fold, pleat and pin comb to one head. Right sides together, seam top pieces from A, across back, to tail. Turn; stuff head and neck with cotton.
• Pin padding and underside to open wings. Bind with tape, making a loop for hanging.
• Sew on button eyes. Set chicken on scouring pad.

Source: Woman’s Day Magazine, 100 Christmas Gifts To Make, November 1969