Glue sticks and potholders
Brian Christiansen
the same post.
In another group that I read, rec.food.cooking, recently there was a
discussion about pot holders, and somone mentioned making your own
(http://www.allfreecrafts.com/sewing/oven-mitts.shtml). Someone else
mentioned that was stupid because once you bought the "special" material and
thread and insulating material, you would have an oven mitt that cost
thousands of dollars, thousands of dollars is an exaggeration, but it would
still cost more than just buying one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or at
TEPWFNBWAW - (That evil place whose first name begins with a "W", Wal-Mart,
and abbreviation I an trying to get going like TSWLTH for Joann's).
I don't think this is at all true. Most quilters could make one for free,
at least in the sense that most have all the materials already sitting
around in their stash anyway, probably enough to make hnudreds of them. If
you had to buy the materials for it, it might cost a bit more, but would not
be prohibitively expensive.
For the material, you would have to buy something that does not melt, but
other that that, any regular cotton fabric would do, I think. As for the
thread, "special" thread is not needed ("special" is the word the OP used,
he did not explain exactly how it was supposed to be special), do you?
Also, what is used as insulator: just regular cotton batting?, polyester
batting?, some kind of special batting made out of some thing like fiberfill
or down?. The patten I linked mentioned that you need both cotton and
poly/mylar batting, but can you get away with using just one or the other.
Many cooks get pots and pans out of the oven with just a folded towel, not
using anything special like a potholder or oven mitt (there even is an urban
myth going around that professional cooks do it this way, and that your'e
just a piker if you use oven mitts anyway), so I was wondering if you could
get away with just using regular washcloths (perhaps doubled) as the
insulating material.
So I guess thegist of my question is that while most quilters probably have
the materials, or at least most of the materials for making these, and they
really do not look that hard to make, at least to me, would it be better for
a non-sewer to just go to Bed, Bath and Beyond or TEPWFNBWAW and just buy
one.
My second is about using the glue sticks instead of pins. For my last fe
projects, a cooking apron (I haven't tried making the oven mitt) and the
exercise mat I recently posted about I used the glue sticks instead of pins.
I think they have several advantages. In the long run, pins might be
cheaper, and they might be more "green" because you use them over and over
again, but the advantages of glue sticks are: Several times I have forgotten
to remove the pin before sewing over the spot where it is, and most of the
time nothing happens, but a few times, I hit it just right (or perhaps
wrong) and broke the machine needle, but this does not happen with the glue,
and sometimes the pin misses getting back in the pin cushion, and it is
"lost" until I step on it and it stabs me in the foot, this does not happen
with the glue sticks, and finally, I seem to lose a lot of them this way, or
bend them and have to constanly replenish my supply of pins to my pin
cushion from the little package that they come in at the store.
There are probably other as well, but I think those are the main 3. I was
just wondering if anyone else has tried the glue sticks and what they think.
Brian Christiansen
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.
(think Elmer's white glue) on her bindings. She irons the fabrics to dry
the glue. I think this is neater- as in not getting glue stick all over
the place since a glue stick makes a rather thick line of sticky. The
bottled glue is probably cheaper, too. I bought some special plastic
dispenser bottles from Joann's that have a very tiny nozzle on them and that
makes the line of glue very fine which in turn dries more quickly with the
iron.
As far as the potholders- two layers of Warm & Natural would be plenty
thick. The advantage of using the insulatedsilver-y stuff is that it wears
better than using quilting cotton on both sides.
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.
"Brian Christiansen" wrote in message
news:ijq6f2$tkd$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Polly Esther
The favorite potholder here is some great-grandmother made that are
simply washcloths folded with a sturdy crocheted edge. When you replace
your silver/gray/whatever ironing board cover, save the good parts and use
them for a potholder innard if you feel compelled to add a heat-proof
something.
And yes, oh my yes! I do love the glue sticks. You need to be right
stingy with the application or you can lump/gum your SM needle but they do
such a happy job of holding appliqué in place. Just this week I needed the
socks and fingers on some SunBonnet Sues to be still until stitched. The
glue stick was a little too klutzy so I used a corsage pin to sort of
pinpoint where the gluing needed to be. Ah. Yes. Good stuff. Polly
"Brian Christiansen" <brian_ch...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ijq6f2$tkd$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Roberta
layer of cotton batting. (If you're worried about maintaining the
size, especially for mitts, quilt a big enough piece and wash before
cutting. the batting will shrink and become even denser.) I do like
using mitts for the oven, because I'm careless about bumping my wrist
on hot places.
You could of course use old towels for insulation, but they aren't as
easy to quilt. The slightly thicker cotton sold for curtains and such
is better for potholders IMO than what we use for piecing quilts.
No advice re glue sticks -I seldom pin anything if it can be avoided.
Except pin basting quilts, and for that I use safety pins. It's never
been a problem. As for pin cushions, if there's any serious pinning to
be done (maybe dressmaking, never patchwork) I use the magnetic
Grabbit. No pins hit the floor.
Roberta in D
IMS
I've made hundreds of pot holders, hot pads and oven mits using scraps
from my stash and a heat-resistant batting called Insul-Bright made by
the Warm Company, makers of many types of quilt batting. It is
available at Joann's.
I use glue a LOT instead of pins, particularly specifically school
glue, which washes out and is available in tubes, sticks, and in
'pens.' Craft stores carry a good selection.
I use qlue instead of pins on quilt bindings and hems. A thin bead
or 'wipe' of the glue stick, set the fabric in place, then press with
a hot iron to set the glue, so the work stays put while you stitch
it. Then it washes clean out.
-Irene
On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 21:48:30 -0700, "Brian Christiansen"
<brian_ch...@hotmail.com> wrote:
----
>
>Also, what is used as insulator: just regular cotton batting?, polyester
>batting?,
----
Maureen Wozniak
(in article <ijq6f2$tkd$1...@news.eternal-september.org>):
>
I'm not expert on glue sticks, so can't contribute there.
But on the pot holder front, I don't think they'd have to be prohibitively
expensive to make, even for a beginner/non-sewer.
Yes, you'd want to stick with a cotton fabric if you aren't using the silver
potholder fabric. I don't think either the silver fabric or even the cotton
would have to be expensive. TSWLTH has regular sales and coupons. you could
get by with fat quarters or remnants.
And any cotton batting would work if you used a layer or two. A craft sized
batt of Warm and Natural would make a lot of potholders and wouldn't be that
expensive if you used a coupon or bought it on sale.
Maureen
Julia in MN
wool blanket. Pieces of worn out towels also work. So do scraps of
batting, preferably cotton. Most quilters -- and many people who sew but
do not quilt -- probably have the materials on hand.
Julia in MN
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ME-Judy
pieces of "that silver ironing board stuff" along with 100% cotton
print for the outside layer. Most of my "innards" come from left-over
scraps. I make potholders as the oven mitts seem to take up too much
room.
I make layers:
cotton print (or matching solid color) for outside (right side down)
ironing board fabric (shiny side down)
2 layers of W'n'N batting
Ironing board fabric (shiny side up)
cotton print for outside (right side up)
Then I do just enough "quilting" to hold the layers together,
and then put a narrow binding around the outside edges.
This way, I can have a potholder that matches my kitchen colors AND I
have yet to get burned using it <G>. I can also use the potholder as
a hot pad for a casserole dish!
---you can get fancier if you want by making an 8" block out of
scraps!
ME-Judy
On Feb 19, 11:48 pm, "Brian Christiansen"
<brian_christi...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Two things came up recently, and I thought I would ask about both of them in
> the same post.
>
> In another group that I read, rec.food.cooking, recently there was a
> discussion about pot holders, and somone mentioned making your own
> (http://www.allfreecrafts.com/sewing/oven-mitts.shtml). Someone else
> mentioned that was stupid because once you bought the "special" material and
> thread and insulating material it would
> still cost more than just buying one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or at
Wal-Mart,
> Brian Christiansen
Jo Gibson
> the materials, or at least most of the materials for making these, and they
> really do not look that hard to make, at least to me, would it be better for
> a non-sewer to just go to Bed, Bath and Beyond or TEPWFNBWAW and just buy
> one.
>
> My second is about using the glue sticks instead of pins. For my last fe
> projects, a cooking apron (I haven't tried making the oven mitt) and the
> exercise mat I recently posted about I used the glue sticks instead of pins.
>
> I think they have several advantages. In the long run, pins might be
> cheaper, and they might be more "green" because you use them over and over
> again, but the advantages of glue sticks are: Several times I have forgotten
> to remove the pin before sewing over the spot where it is, and most of the
> time nothing happens, but a few times, I hit it just right (or perhaps
> wrong) and broke the machine needle, but this does not happen with the glue,
> and sometimes the pin misses getting back in the pin cushion, and it is
> "lost" until I step on it and it stabs me in the foot, this does not happen
> with the glue sticks, and finally, I seem to lose a lot of them this way, or
> bend them and have to constanly replenish my supply of pins to my pin
> cushion from the little package that they come in at the store.
>
> There are probably other as well, but I think those are the main 3. I was
> just wondering if anyone else has tried the glue sticks and what they think.
>
> Brian Christiansen
Hello Brian,
I made some oven gloves out of a pair of old blue jeans and a towel
which had a hole in it. Throw in a bit of cotton thread and it was
"free":
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/565602496sHEctD
It's on my Webshots album under "Rags to Oven Gloves" and everyone who
comes into the kitchen remarks upon them! I recommend using a large
needle in your sewing machine - like a 16 or an 18 but otherwise, it's
daed easy and will take you 2 hours or less. And no money, if you have
a pair of blue jeans that you are willing to cut up and an old towel
lying around which has seen better days.
As for the glue sticks, I use them for small applique projects, but
wouldn't personally replace all my pinning with glue. It does have to
be washed out, and well... I think you need to slow down when you're
sewing a bit and take the pin out before you sew over it! I bought a
child's magnet, and I can swipe that over the carpet around my machine
when I've dropped a pin. It works well and cost almost nothing.
Replenishing pins which have bent or been lost is a pain, but it's far
cheaper than say, a heroine habit. Consider it one of life's little
treats and buy the nice ones!
-- Jo in Scotland
NightMist
> Two things came up recently, and I thought I would ask about both of
> them in the same post.
>
> In another group that I read, rec.food.cooking, recently there was a
> discussion about pot holders, and somone mentioned making your own
> (http://www.allfreecrafts.com/sewing/oven-mitts.shtml). Someone else
> mentioned that was stupid because once you bought the "special" material
> and thread and insulating material, you would have an oven mitt that
> cost thousands of dollars, thousands of dollars is an exaggeration, but
> it would still cost more than just buying one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond
> or at TEPWFNBWAW - (That evil place whose first name begins with a "W",
> Wal-Mart, and abbreviation I an trying to get going like TSWLTH for
> Joann's).
I hate oven mitts. I am really really clutzy when trying to use them.
I have only just grudgingly accepted those heat proof knit gloves they
have now. Those things actually work, and are nothing like trying to
pull pans with pillows strapped to your hands.
Then again I still pull sugar with buttered monkey grips, call me old
fashioned.
Pot holders are easy. They are so not expensive!
I imagine if you insisted on having them made of nothing but space age
materials and sewing them together with lasers that you could push the
cost up into the ridiculous.
Me, I usually don't buy them because I think the prices are outrageous
and I usually have everything to hand to make some.
I do not use the silver stuff, my ironing board cover does not even have
the silver stuff.
Usually I just smack old washcloths or towels together, and if they are
just too tatty looking I stick a spare quilt block on the front and a
spare bit of fabric on the back. Quilt, bind, and if I am feeling fancy
add a hanging loop.
If I have kids hanging about being annoying, I will hand them some jersey
loops and a looper loom and tell them to practice until they have made
plaid.
That usually works out well on so many levels.
I like loop potholders.
> My second is about using the glue sticks instead of pins. For my last
> fe projects, a cooking apron (I haven't tried making the oven mitt) and
> the exercise mat I recently posted about I used the glue sticks instead
> of pins.
Glue sticks are fine for small areas IMO.
I like them for applique.
For larger areas where I know I am going to stick myself a thousand times
if I use pins I prefer a fine line of liquid thread well away from the
stitch line. That is only suitable for heavier fabrics because on the
thinner ones it will soak in and make stiff spots. I like it a lot for
things like the binding/neck loop/ties on an apron, or for keeping the
creases sharp in denim hems or seams. It is also the very stuff when you
get suckered into sewing fancy patches onto things. Those are usually a
pain to pin, and by the time you have them thread basted you may as well
have just sewn them down to begin with.
NightMist
--
I'm raising a developmentally disabled child. What's your superpower?
Bonnie Patterson
otherwise I use all cotton "left overs"!
As for glue, I have a huge bottle of "Elmer's" washable school glue,
very cheap. I do put it into a smaller bottle for ease of use! It is
so much nicer than being stuck by hundreds of pins!
Bonnie, in Middletown, VA
On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 21:48:30 -0700, "Brian Christiansen"
Susan Torrens
a single layer of warm and natural. I find it is better heat protection
than two layers of cotton, and a bit thinner, so easier to manipulate
hot pans!
I use glue sticks for turning the edges of applique pieces, but also
follow Sharon Schamber's lead, using Elmer's school glue. I bought the
tiny tip that attaches to the bottle many years ago for crafting, but
never used it - it is wonderful for placing a tiny amount of glue down.
I love it for making mitered corners on borders. Fold and press with
a perfect match - glue edge down - open fold and sew on pressed line -
trim to 1/4 inch after pulling the glue apart. Makes it perfect every
time. I've been sewing for so long, that I don't even think about the
use of pins - they were a staple in dressmaking and tailoring!
Susan
quilting as usual
http://proficientneedle.blogspot.com
http://community.webshots.com/user/sbtinkingston
Sandy E
Potholders: Dollar store
or any place that has them on sale for about a dollar; really, they're
all pretty much alike, last forever (here, anyway), and I'd much rather
spend the sewing time on a quilt top. <g>
TEPWFNBWAW: they still around?
I never go there; don't have to, can't make me.
(p.s. wallyworld is our single-word moniker)
Glue sticks: one more thing to have to find; don't want another chemical
near my hands or on my machine; pins work and don't have to be washed out.
And this is why the Big, Wide, Wonderful world of quilting is so
B, W, W: we get to use what we like, like what we use. ;-)
Good to see you, again, Brian. (you got a website now?)
Cheers!
R/Sandy
On 2/19/11 10:48 PM, in article ijq6f2$tkd$1...@news.eternal-september.org,
Julia in MN
Julia in MN