Quilt a Quick Casserole Dish Cover
Remember the Quilted Tote Bag
Quilting the fabric
Picture 1 I laid out my lining solid color right side down.. then the batting on top of it, smoothed flat and then the print right side up. Line up all our edges and smooth flat and... then
I put my free motion foot on my sewing machine. I then use a straight stitch and hit the free motion button. I disengaged my IDT for this so I can easily slide my material around whatever flower or leaves I want. IDT stands for Integrated dual feed. This puts a tooth feed on the top to match the bottom, but in this you want to be able to control the material yourself. Especially for me, because I like to speed. I need everything to move with me. The IDT is to control things for those slippery moving things you may sew. You can use it for controlled quilting, but I usually like to freeform all over the place.... No method to my madness as in my articles and subjects..
I do have a quilting extension table that I keep on my sewing machine. It makes it easier to lay something flat while you are doing this without using pins, but you can do this without the extension table easily. I would pin the sandwiched layers together if I did not have the table.
Picture 2 is showing the clear free motion quilting foot so you can see what you are stitching the outline of and freely move your material around as you stitch.
First quilt your half yard of material. Picture 3, 4, 5. At this point, you can decide do you want to put an insulated lining material inside... you just topstitch it to the lining side after you have quilted. You will have to buy some if you don't keep it handy for potholders. You would do this step before you sew your handles on, but after you have quilted your fabrics. I would have put some in, but they were out of it at the fabric store. Ideally you always have some to make matching potholders when you make aprons. Heat resistant insulation fabric will add bulk so it may not be easy for you to do the french seams, you would just do regular seams if you top stitch this on you lining side of the sandwich.
Picture 6 is testing the experimental size with a real casserole dish to see if the carrier will come out the right width and length. It folds over and covers the dish with material to spare on the end. Whatever you are going to use for handles will be stitched on before it becomes a bag, so here is where you can lay out the straps.
Picture 7 is where I opened a pack of double fold bias tape, ironed it open cut it in half-2 one and a half yard pieces, olded in half as it will be topstitched for strength before I stitch it to the cover.
Picture 8 is where I have changed my machine foot after quilting the piece of sandwiched fabric. Now I put on a traditional foot to be able to top stitch the two strap pieces on each edge so it is double thick.
Picture 9 is where I have wrapped the dish as it will be sewn and taken the two strap pieces that are now top stitched with the cut ends turned in where they are topstitched and laid them under the casserole dish as they will be sewn and see if the length will work.
Picture 10 I once again change my machine needle to one that has the wide slot so I can use the blanket stitch to put the straps onto the quilted fabric before I put the cover together.
Picture 11 open your quilted fabric and decide which half you want to be the top and then lay your straps on the bottom half. You will lay them crossways and center them each 5 inches in from the ends of that half. I pinned them on the eight inches I am going to sew a pin at each end and a pin in the center to remember to sew accross the middle. You are only going to sew them on the bottom part for support.
Picture 12 8 inches of sewing in the center of the strap on each side and then accross in a rectangular box of stitching on each strap and I also stitched accross the middle.
Picture 13 is the step where you have sewn the straps on and now you are going to sew the bag together. In this picture you are sewing the edges together to form the bag first lining sides together. You will trim the seam close to the stitching and turn the bag inside out. Make sure you are not catching the straps in and then sew close to the edge and you will have a french seam formed
Picture 14 shows the inside seam after you have sewn it and this will give you a finished inside of the casserole carrier.
Picture 15 you will fold the bottom foldover end into a triangle so the seam is in the midde of the triangle. Sew accross from this end the width you want the depth of the end to be. In this case I was making it to fit a typical casserole with cover that is 13 x 2 x 9. This half yard is the perfect size for this dish. To add decoration and bulk to the handles you will cut a strip approximately inch and half off the end after it has been quilted and made into a bag.
Picture 16
I used a traditional top stitch to put the rectangular pieces between the two bias strap ends. then folded over and did the antique blanket top stitch to form the handle grips.
Picture 17
You cut a rectangular piece the length you want the bulky decorative part of your handle and fold under edges and top stitch again I used a blanket stitch for the final fold over.
Picture 18 Voila a Carrier with handles
The end of the bag can be closed with a top stitched velcro strip in this case white accross the end to lap it over and shut or use gripper snaps and put 3 or 4 for simplicity of shutting in the warmth or cold. You can double the batting if you want it to be extra insulated without the additional heat resistant fabric.
Materials needed
1. Half yard of print 44 x 18 inches Picture 1
2. Half yard of lining material... I prefer solid 44 x 18 inches Picture 1
3. Half yard of batting. You will have enough for two as batting is usually twice as wide as cotton. 44 x 18 inches. Picture 1 the batting is sandwiched in between the print right side up and the lining right side down, just as it will be quilted.
4. Something for straps... Either, another piece of solid, some type of strapping, like belting.... or.. Bias tape... I had some double fold white bias in a 3 yd package, so I ironed it open and cut it in half... folded over and top stitched to give it strength made two straps 28 inches long. Picture 7
5. Something for closure, velcro the length of the opening or snaps will work. If you keep a gripper snapper - 3 medium snaps would be enough to lap over and close.
My plan is to stop stitch the bottom of the straps onto the casserole cover before I sew it together and then you can just slip your arm through it or carry it by the straps held together.... I will give you pictures of each step.
