“Industrial style” in the world of interior design has been on a steady upward path in popularity over the last several decades. It is so cutting-edge now, you can find its stripped-down functionality in both the trendiest creative work space or a multimillion-dollar NYC condo. The hallmarks are clean lines, simple patterns, and bold machine-inspired accents. We translated the style into this pair of tough oven mitts. 

Yardage recommendations are given below to make a matching pair, but this is also an excellent project to use up some of the heavier fabrics in your scrap stash. Light and mid-weight canvas, denim, home décor fabrics, or even a thicker linen could all be excellent choices. Stick with neutral tones and simple patterns to keep the utilitarian flair.

We used one layer of Insul-Bright thermal batting between our fabric layers. This is great for normal use. You could use a double layer for added heat protection, but you might need to increase the width of the binding to accommodate the additional thickness.

A twill tape corner accent with a large metal grommet is a prefect industrial highlight. You could also use a leather scrap. Remember, natural fibers are best as you don’t want to mix in any substrates that could easily melt. By tucking the hanging grommet in one upper corner, it’s unlikely to heat-up to the touch with normal use.

The knotted loop through the grommet makes the mitt easy to hang by the stove so it’s always handy. We simply stitched down the center of a scrap of twill tape in a contrasting color to add an unexpected dash of brightness.

You can could also use the grommets to clip together two or more mitts. Add in some kitchen tools or a cookbook, and you have a very classy gift.

We suggest creating your own binding from the main patterned fabric, cutting on the bias to make it stand out. You are working with several rather thick layers, so we feel the heavier custom binding is a better choice than packaged bias binding tapes.

The oven mitts finish at approximately 7″ x 9″.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing Machine and standard presser foot
• Walking or Even Feed foot; optional, but helpful for the thicker layers – you could also engage your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system, such as the AcuFeed™ Flex system on many of our Janome studio machines

Fabric and Other Supplies

NOTE: Quantities shown are for TWO coordinating oven mitts with custom binding cut on the bias. 

• Scrap or ⅝ yard of 44″+ wide lightweight canvas, denim or similar in a simple pattern; we originally used TWO fabrics: one check in lightweight canvas and one ticking stripe, both from our S4H stash – the ⅝ yard cut is enough for both mitts
• Scrap or ⅓ yard of 44″+ wide lightweight canvas, denim or similar in a coordinating solid; we originally used TWO lightweight canvas scraps in natural and a gray denim, both from our S4H stash – the ⅓ yard cut is enough for both mitts 
• Scrap or ¼ yard of 44″+ wide quilting weight cotton for the pocket lining panels; we originally used a solid gray Kona cotton from our S4H stash
• Scrap or ⅓ yard of 22″+ wide thermal batting; we originally used Insul-Bright by The Warm Company
• ¾ yard of 2” wide twill tape or similar for the corner accents; we used light brown 2” twill tape 
• ¾ yard or ½” wide twill tape or similar for the hanging loop; we used natural ½” twill tape
• All purpose thread to match fabrics
• All purpose thread in a slightly contrasting color for topstitching; we used natural
• All purpose thread in a bright accent color for decorative stitching on the hanging loop; we used brick red
• Invisible thread; optional for the bobbin when doing the decorative stitching
• TWO Extra Large (7/16″) metal eyelets (also called small grommets) with the appropriate setting tools; we used Dritz Extra Large eyelets and setting tools
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter and mat (preferably with both straight and diagonal grid lines)
• Iron and ironing board
• Straight pins
• Seam sealant; we used Dritz Fray Check

Getting Started

NOTE: The instructions and cutting notes follow the steps to make ONE oven mitt. 

1. Layer the solid fabric, thermal batting, and patterned fabric. The fabrics should be wrong sides together with the batting in between.
   
2. From this layered fabric cut ONE 7” wide x 9” high rectangle for the main panel.
   
3. Make a second layered sandwich. This one is the patterned fabric, the thermal batting, and the lining fabric. As with the main panel, the fabrics are wrong sides together with the batting in between.
   
4. From this layered fabric, cut ONE 7” wide x 6” high rectangle for the pocket panel.
5. From the patterned fabric, cut enough 2” wide strips, on the bias, to equal at least 45” when sewn end to end.
   NOTE: Bias strips are cut at 45˚. Cut the strips in as long a continuous length as you can based on the amount of fabric with which you are working. The goal is to have as few joining seams as possible.
6. From the 2” wide twill tape; cut TWO 6” lengths.
7. From the ½” wide twill tape, cut ONE 13” length.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Make the binding

1. Stitch together the bias strips end to end to make one continuous length. As with all bias binding, criss-cross the angled ends of the strips. Pin together.
   
2. Using a ¼” seam allowance, stitch together. Press open the seam.
   
   NOTE: If you are new to working with bias binding, check out our tutorial on Figuring Yardage, Cutting, Making and Attaching. 
3. Fold the binding in half, wrong sides together, and press to set a center crease.
4. Open up the binding wrong side up so the crease line is visible. Press in each long side ½”.
   
5. Re-fold along the original center crease line, aligning the folded edges. Press flat.

Bind the top edge of the pocket

1. From the length of binding, cut approximately 8”.
2. Open up one side of the binding so the crease lines are visible. Place this un-folded edge, right sides together, along the top edge of the layered pocket panel. Pin in place through all the layers. There will be a bit of excess binding at either edge. This is okay and will be trimmed flush later.
   
3. Stitch the binding in place, running the seam along the top visible crease line.
   
4. Wrap the binding up and over to the back of the pocket panel, making sure the folded edge of the binding covers the seam line. Pin the folded edge in place at the back.
   
5. Edgestitch the binding in place from the front. Your front seam should be as close as possible to the original binding seam. Go slowly and carefully to insure you are catching the back fold-over with your seam.
   
6. Trim any excess so the binding is flush with the raw edges of the layered pocket panel.

Quilting

1. Pin together through all three layers of the main panel.
   
2. The pocket panel layers are held together by the top binding, but place a few additional pins around the edge.
3. Straight-line quilt (sometimes called channel quilting), on the horizontal, through all the layers of each quilt sandwich (the main panel and the pocket panel).
4. We increased our stitch length and spaced our lines at 1”. We also re-threaded the machine with the slightly contrasting thread (natural in our samples) in the top and bobbin.
5. The Janome Skyline S7 has great seam guide markings on the needle plate as well as the base of the machine. We used these handy marks to keep our stitching straight and true. You could also use a quilting bar to set an even distance, or pre-draw lines to follow with an erasable fabric pen or pencil.
   
   NOTE: As we mentioned above, a Walking or Even Feed foot is very helpful for this type of quilting – or engage your machine’s built-in fabric feeding systems, such as the AcuFeed™ Flex system on many of our Janome studio machines. This is optional, but it does make the process quicker and more accurate. You can certainly use your regular presser foot. Just go slowly and carefully and use a few more pins. If you are new to this technique, take a look at our Guest Tutorial on straight line quilting by modern quilting expert, Heather Jones.
   

Add the corner accent

1. Place the main panel patterned side up on your cutting mat. If your cutting mat has a 45˚ grid line, now is a great time to use it.
2. Find the two lengths of 2” twill tape.
3. The top edge of the twill tape should sit ½” in from one top corner. The bottom edge should sit along a true 45˚ diagonal. Pin the trim in place along the bottom edge.
   NOTE: You are pinning through the trim itself and the top layer of fabric with just the points of the pins. Do not try to pin through all the layers or you will distort the trim, which will distort your seam.
   
4. Flip the panel over.
   
5. Place the remaining length of trim in the exact same position, using the diagonal grid line and the first trim piece as your guides.
   
6. Pin in the same manner through just the top layers with the points of the pins.
   
7. The machine should still be threaded with the slightly contrasting thread (natural in our samples) and the stitch should still be lengthened.
8. Edgestitch along the bottom edge of the twill tape through all the layers.
   
9. This seam will be very visible. Make sure you are happy with the look from the patterned side…
   
10. … as well as from the solid side.
    
    NOTE: The corner accent can be placed in either top corner. For our sample pair, we placed the accents in opposite corners on the two mitts.
11. Trim the excess twill tape flush with the panels.
    

Baste and bind

1. Place the main panel patterned side up on your cutting mat. Place the pocket over the main panel, also right side up. Match the side and raw bottom edges of the two panels and lightly pin in place through all the layers. Press. Machine baste the pocket in place along both sides and across the bottom.
2. Find the remaining length of binding.
3. As above, unfold the bias binding so you can see the upper crease line.
4. Starting at the center bottom, pin the unfolded length of bias tape, right sides together, around the entire perimeter of the panel. Pin in place all around.
   
5. Fold each corner to create a pretty diagonal point.
   
6. Sew all the way around. As above with the pocket binding, you are stitching along the top crease line.
   
7. When you get back to the beginning, finish the ends with your chosen method. We joined our ends on the bias, trimming the excess and then finishing the seam.
   
8. Bring the binding up and over to the opposite side.
   
9. Press the binding in place and pin well all around. Don’t be afraid to use lots of pins
   
10. Edgestitch the binding in place from the pocket side of the main panel in the same manner as for the top pocket binding. Remember, in binding work, the number one rule is “slow and steady wins the race.” You’re binding several layers. If you have a Walking foot, or can engage your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system, it will make the job easier.
    
    NOTE: Remember, if you are new to working with bias binding, take a look at our tutorial on Figuring Yardage, Cutting, Making, and Attaching Bias Binding as well as our second tutorial: A Complete Step-by-Step for Binding Quilts & Throws.

Grommet and hanging loop

1. Center the grommet within the corner accent.
   
2. Mark this insertion point.
   
3. Then, following the manufacturer’s instructions or our own great tutorial (How To Insert Metal Grommets), insert the grommet.
   
   NOTE: After cutting each hole, you can add a drop of seam sealant to prevent raveling. Then finish the grommet installation. 
4. Find the 13” length of ½” twill tape.
5. Re-thread the machine with the bright accent thread in the top and bobbin. For a cleaner finish on the inside of the tape, thread the bobbin with an invisible thread, which was our choice.
6. Select a simple decorative stitch. We used Heirloom Stitch #23 on our Janome Skyline S7, which was a bold, double-stitched X.
7. Stitch down the center of the twill tape.
   
8. Thread the stitched twill tape through the grommet and knot the ends together.
   
9. Place a drop of seam sealant along the raw ends of the knotted tape.

Project Design: Alicia Thommas
Sample Creation and Instructional Outline: Debbie Guild