Tan Colored Hotpads and Bowl Cozies

This week I made a couple of hot pads and bowl cozies for a friend.  I didn't know her kitchen colors so I made them using tans, which I thought was a neutral color. I cut my tans into strips, about 1.75 to 2" wide and then sewed them down onto a piece of heat-resistant batting.  I really like how they came out. I need to make some of these for myself!  

I like to free-motion quilt my bowl cozies - it mades them look more finished.  It takes a little bit longer, but I like the quilted style.  You can use them for hot dishes or cold dishes, like ice cream.  :)

Of course, no gift from me would be complete without the addition of a couple of little birds.  I added some crocheted flowers and buttons to them for their wings.  You can put them on a shelf or in a bowl as decor.  As always, I had fun making them.  
 

Making Hotpads and Bowl Cozy Sets

My friends are always asking if I have made any microwave bowls.  So I decided to make a few sets to give as gifts.  This blue set is made using Tilda fabrics, for my fried that love all things Tilda.  

I made a hot pad to match with heat resistant batting in it.  They can be used for a hot dish at the table or as a potholder.

My next set is for my friend that loves elephants.  So I found a fabric with elephants on it and matched up the colors.  I love how these turned out.  

This set is for a friend that love food.  I found this fabric years ago while on a shop hop.  These are the last scraps of it.  

This set I made in a pretty green.  When I made my bowl cozies, or microwave bowls, I free motion quilt them before assembling them together.  Some people sew an "X," but I like how the quilting looks.  It give the fabric a bit more stiffness.  The bowls can be turned either way so it makes them reversible.  

I use all cotton batting for the microwave bowls so they don't catch on fire.  My recommendation is to use them once your hot bowl comes out of the microwave, just to be on the safe side.

Bowl cozies are great for a dish of ice cream, too.  They keep your hands warm while you're eating.  

This is what I use in the hotpads to make them heat resistant.  Just be sure you don't put this in the bowl cozies.  

These are easy and a lot of fun to make.