patchwork trivet {a tutorial}

Feb 6

A while back I had a plan for a new improvish sort of quilt. I made one block and stalled, not knowing which direction to go.

And then I came across Michelle's lovely patchwork coasters which gave me an idea. I decided to scrap the quilt idea and turn this lonely block into a trivet. I know, it does sound strange to start with an idea for a quilt and end up with a trivet, but at least I'm not stuck with yet another orphan block :)

I couldn't even believe how quickly I was able to turn into something useful as well as pretty. Now, in case you'd like to turn some of your orphan blocks into trivets (or coasters if your blocks are smaller), here's how to:

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My block was about 14" x 14" in size and the trivet finished at 11.5" in diameter. You can, however use different sized block of patchwork.

Baste two layers of Insulbright to the wrong side of your patchwork and quilt any way you like.

Find a round object the size you'd like your trivet to be (I used a pretty large lid) and trace around it.

Stitch very close to the inside of the traced line to insure your quilting stitches will be secure once the circle shape is cut out. Use scissors to cut along the traced line.

Cut out the same size of a circle from your backing fabric (I used home decor weight fabric to make it more sturdy). Place on top of each other, right sides together and pin or clip to hold securely together.