Home and kitchen sewing patterns

These are small, useful makes that suit fat quarters and scraps, and most are quick enough to finish in an afternoon. Pick by room: the kitchen, the table, the sewing room, or bedtime.

The Potholder is free and takes about 2 hours at beginner level, in small (7 in), medium (8 in) and large (9 in). The pattern calls for 100% cotton fabric with Insul-Bright plus cotton batting, and never polyester. The Oven Mitt is an intermediate pattern of about 3 hours, in small (10⅝ in), medium (11⅝ in) and large (12⅝ in). The Pot Handle Cover comes in a skillet size (6½ in) and a Dutch oven size (6¼ in), and is cut from 100% cotton or felted wool, with a cotton lining and Insul-Bright plus cotton batting, or two layers of cotton batting. The Casserole Carrier fits an 8 by 8, 9 by 13 or 10 by 15 in dish. It uses 100% cotton quilting fabric or canvas, Insul-Bright plus a layer of cotton batting, and no polyester near hot dishes.

The Bowl Cozy is free and takes about an hour, in five sizes for bowls from 8 to 17½ in. Use 100% cotton fabric and 100% cotton batting only, because polyester melts in the microwave. For the quilting, read how to sew a bowl cozy and the quilted potholder guide.

The Quilted Placemat is a beginner pattern of about 2 hours, as a rectangle or an oval of 18 in. Use quilting cotton, linen-cotton, canvas or chambray with cotton or bamboo batting, and pre-wash everything. The Envelope Cushion is free, about 40 minutes, and has no zipper: the back is two overlapping hemmed panels. It comes in 16, 18, 20 and 24 in, and the cover is cut 1 in smaller than the pad on purpose so the cushion looks full. The guide how to sew an envelope pillow cover walks through it. The Reading Pillow takes about 45 minutes in kid (12 by 16 in), standard (16 by 16 in) and large (18 by 18 in), cut to the size of your pillow form. For a table set, see Thanksgiving table sewing projects.

The Ironing Board Cover is a beginner pattern of about an hour, for a tabletop board (12 by 32 in), a standard board (13 by 48 in) or a full board (15 by 54 in). It takes 1¼, 1¾ or 2 yd of 58 in cotton canvas, duck or drill, which you should pre-wash because cotton shrinks. The Needle Book takes about 45 minutes and closes at 3 by 4, 4 by 5 or 5 by 6 in. Wool or wool-blend felt makes the pages, and one fat eighth each of outer and lining makes 3 small, 2 medium or 1 large.

The Eye Pillow and the Sleep Mask each take about 30 minutes. The eye pillow comes in small (3½ by 8 in), standard (4 by 9 in) and large (4½ by 10 in), and one fat quarter of each fabric makes two pillows. The sleep mask goes by head size: child (20 in), adult (22 in) and adult large (23½ in), in silk, satin or cotton. The Tie-Back Scrub Cap is an intermediate pattern of about an hour, in four sizes for heads of 20 to 26½ in, with two styles to choose from. The Animal Bottle Cover is a beginner make of about an hour in fleece, minky, sweater knit or boiled wool, in sizes for a 0.8, 1 or 2 L bottle, and the bunny version has inner ears. For a keepsake pillow made from a shirt, see the Memory Pillow.

All 14 at a glance

Photos are renders of the finished items.