Thursday 24 January 2013

Hotty Totty

Have you ever been to a workshop and had to take home an iron that hasn't cooled down?  Well I thought about that when I came across this in dh's shed.   It's left over foiled wall liner .

 I had a 'eureka' moment and set off to make an insulated bag for my iron, I've nicknamed it a hotty totty because it will tote around my hot iron..

I cut off a piece off the roll and placed my iron on top and drew round it.  I then cut out the shape which will become the insulated base in my totty.  

 
I thought this might be a good project to use up some of my left over jelly roll strips. I set too and sewed enough strips to make a fabric big enough to cut out sides, back, pocket  twice and four base pieces, two for the bag and two to hold the insulation which I intended to put in as a loose bottom.  If anyone is intersted it takes about half a meter full width of fabric.  
 
I measured the length and height of my iron to estimate the side of fabric I'd needfor sides, back and pocket.  For the pocket I reduced the height by an inch, this could be lowered.  For the base I drew round the insulation piece with a frixon and used it as a template..

I wanted a pocket in my totty to hold the cord and thought the back would be the best place for it.  This was sewn to the back piece as it would later be sewed into the sides and base when the totty was put together.

 
  I sewed the back to the sides and that the piece was long enough to go round the base. 


I pinned the sides to the base and gently easing it onto the base sewed the pieces together.  I did the same again but this time using the pieces with the wadding on.   Once I'd got two 'bags' made I slid one inside the other right sides together and sewed round the top leaving the back part open so I could turn it inside out.  Turn the bag the right way round and press.  No need to sew up the opening as this is going to be covered with another jelly roll strip which will act as casing for a cord or elastic.


I cut a jelly strip in half and turned under the short end of each side of each piece.   Using a quarter inch seam I sewed this onto the top of the bag, I turned another quarter inch under on the opposite side of the strip and folded the strip in half and sewed it down.  I turned the bag inside out to do this as I found it easier to sew on this way round.

Next step was to make the insulated base for the hotty totty.   Taking the two remaining pieces of fabric and pinning them right sides together I drew round the insulation piece with a frixon pen.  I sewed these two pieces together right sides still together) leaving the bottom back open.   After trimming away the excess fabric I turned the pieces the right way round and pressed it.  The insulation was then inserted into the base sleeve the back seam was sewn up and I top stitched all the way round the base before popping it into my hotty.

I slotted the elastic into the casing and my hotty totty was finished.


Base of Hotty Totty

After I'd made this hotty totty I had another idea for a hotty totty and will have a go at making .  If anyone is interested in a tutorial I'll try and take better pictures.

3 comments:

Diane Kelsey said...

An excellent idea.

Living to work - working to live said...

Well there you go! Have seen this stuff and thought that there has to be a textile use - and you found it!

Nicola said...

What a brilliant idea