How to sew an insulated casserole carrier

To sew a casserole carrier, quilt long strips of cotton over a layer of Insul-Bright and cotton batting, bind every edge with bias tape, cut a handle slot near each end, then cross two strips in a plus shape and add hook-and-loop tape so the carrier wraps around your dish and the four ends lift up as handles. The Casserole Carrier in the Sewzy app fits 8 by 8, 9 by 13 and 10 by 15 inch dishes and takes about 3 hours.

TL;DR

• A casserole carrier is two quilted strips crossed in a plus shape. The dish sits where they cross, and the ends fold up and fasten with hook-and-loop tape.
• Use 100% cotton for the outer and lining, with Insul-Bright plus cotton batting inside. Keep polyester away from hot dishes, because it can melt.
• There is no seam allowance. Every edge is bound, so you cut on the solid lines.
• You need about 16 inches of 1½ inch hook-and-loop tape and roughly 6½ yards of 2½ inch binding strips, plus a short length of narrow bias for the handle slots.
• It fits 8 by 8, 9 by 13 and 10 by 15 inch dishes in the Sewzy app. A walking foot makes the quilting much easier.

What is a casserole carrier?

A casserole carrier is an insulated fabric wrap that holds a hot dish steady on the drive to a potluck or a family dinner. Two padded strips cross under the dish. The four ends come up the sides, and hook-and-loop tape joins them over the top so nothing slides. Slots cut near the ends turn the raised ends into handles you can grab with oven mitts.

It is a flat, beginner sewing project with no fitting and no zippers. The only new skills are machine quilting in straight lines and binding an edge, and both are easy to practice on a scrap first.

What size casserole carrier do I need?

Match the carrier to the dish you carry most. The Sewzy pattern comes in three sizes keyed to common bakeware.

The 9 by 13 suits the standard casserole pan. The exact cutting amounts for each size are in the Sewzy app.

What fabric and supplies do I need?

Use 100% cotton quilting fabric or cotton canvas for both the outer and the lining. For the padding, layer Insul-Bright, which is a heat-reflective batting, together with a layer of plain cotton batting. Do not use polyester batting or polyester fabric next to a hot dish, because synthetic fibers can melt and will not block heat well.

• Outer and lining cotton, plus Insul-Bright and cotton batting in the same amount as your fabric.
• About 6½ yards of 2½ inch strips for the binding, and about 1½ yards of 2 inch bias strips for the handle slots, which is roughly ¾ yard of fabric.
• 16 inches of 1½ inch wide hook-and-loop tape.
• A walking foot is recommended, with a 90/14 needle for the thick quilted layers.

If you have never pressed and cut binding before, the method is the same one used in the quilted potholder guide, on a smaller piece.

How to sew a casserole carrier, step by step

1. Print and measure. Print the pattern and measure the printed test square so the pieces come out at the right scale. If you print at a copy shop, follow how to print PDF sewing patterns.
2. Cut the layers. Cut the two strips from the outer cotton, the lining, the Insul-Bright and the cotton batting. Cut on the solid lines, since there is no seam allowance.
3. Stack the layers. For each strip, stack lining face down, then cotton batting, then Insul-Bright, then the outer cotton face up. Pin or baste so nothing shifts.
4. Quilt each strip. Sew straight quilting lines through all layers to hold them together. A walking foot feeds the layers evenly and stops the top fabric from dragging.
5. Trim the ends round. Round off the four ends so the binding turns smoothly instead of fighting a sharp corner.
6. Cut the handle slots. Cut the marked slot near each end. These let the ends stand up as handles.
7. Make the bias binding. Fold and press the narrow bias strips for the slots, and the 2½ inch strips for the outer edges.
8. Bind the slots. Sew the narrow bias around each handle slot first, while the strips are still flat and easy to handle.
9. Bind the strip edges. Bind all the way around the outside of each strip, folding the binding over the raw edges and stitching it down.
10. Cross the strips. Lay one strip over the other in a plus shape, as the pattern shows, and join them so the dish sits in the center and the four slots line up.
11. Sew on the hook-and-loop. Add the hook-and-loop tape to the ends so they fasten over the top of the dish.
12. Fit it on the dish. Set your pan in the middle, bring the ends up and press the tape closed. Adjust if it needs to sit tighter.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using polyester near heat. Polyester batting or fabric can melt against a hot pan and gives poor insulation. Keep the layers that touch the dish in cotton and Insul-Bright.
• Skipping the walking foot. A regular foot pushes the top layer forward on thick quilting and leaves puckers. A walking foot, or an even-feed setting, keeps the lines flat.
• Binding the slots last. The handle slots are much easier to bind while the strips are flat, before the outer edges are done.
• Carrying a very full dish. A carrier holds and insulates, it does not seal. Leave an inch of room at the top of a saucy bake so it does not slosh over the sides.

More kitchen sewing to pair with it

A casserole carrier makes a thoughtful housewarming or holiday gift, and it pairs well with other quick kitchen makes. Try a quilted potholder, an oven mitt, a bowl cozy or a set of quilted placemats in the same fabric for a matching set. For a whole table, see Thanksgiving table sewing projects, and for gifts you can give or sell, Christmas sewing projects to sell.

The full Casserole Carrier pattern, with cutting amounts for all three sizes, is in the Sewzy app, along with the rest of the home and kitchen sewing patterns.