DIY Holly Leaf and Berry Trivets with Solarize

These holly leaf and berries trivets use a new Fairfield World product, Solarize interfacing, to keep your dishes warm or cool. They are great for your holiday table. In addition to being used as trivets, you can use them inside baskets to keep rolls warm, inside portable food bags to keep your food warm or cool. The solarize reacts to the temperature of your food. If you have a hot dish, it will keep it hot/warm. If it’s a cold dish, it will keep it cool. You can use it to make mug warmers or drink coasters…since it works as both. I choose a holly theme for these trivets, but feel free to use a different design and fabric motif.

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate

TIME ESTIMATE: 2 hours

CARE: Hand wash and hang to dry

SUPPLIES:

• Solarize interfacing by Fairfield World
• Cotton fabrics in green and red – Mine have subtle leave prints
• Poly-Fil batting
• Matching thread spools
• Scissors
• A sewing machine
• Straight pins
• Large sheet of paper (I use cheap wrapping paper)
• Clear drafting or quilting ruler
• Pencil
• Compass
• Chopstick or other dull pointed object

INSTRUCTIONS:

HOLLY LEAF

This holly leaf trivet is about the size of a large Pyrex dish, 18.5″ x 13.5″. My holly leaf is stylized in design, but you can make a more realistic one if desired. That requires harder pattern drafting though.

1) 1st, you have to draft the pattern. You can make it larger or smaller, but my measurement instructions are based on the one I created. On a large sheet of paper, use the ruler to draw out an even rectangle of 19″ x 14″. Cut out the rectangle.

Tip: Your pattern should be about 1/2″ – 1″ larger than your finished trivet. This is for seam allowance all around. I sew 1/4″ from the edge, so I keep my seam allowance to equal that all around, totalling 1/2″ larger overall.

2) Fold the paper in half both length and height wise.

3) About 5 inches in from each end, draw vertical lines. These are to mark the points on the top and bottom.

4) Draw diagonal lines from the top and bottom points to their coordinating end points. This helped me determine the angle of the curved lines I drew next.

5) Draw gentle curves  under each diagonal and horizontal line, connecting them to the points. These make the curves of a holly leaf.

6) Cut out your paper pattern. Use the pattern, scissors, and straight pins to cut it out twice in green cotton fabric, twice in batting, and once in the solarize interlining.

7) With the fabric right sides facing, stitch around the holly leaf about 1/4″ from the edge, leaving about a 5″ section of one side open.

8) Using the scissors, cut off the corners, making sure not to cut through the stitching. This helps with the corners being sharp when you turn it. Turn the leaf inside out and push the corners out. I used a chopstick to help me with this.

9) Sandwich the solarize in between the batting layers. Fold this stack and insert it into the opening of the leaf. Adjust the layers inside, so they are flat. Use the chopstick to help if needed.

10) Fold the edges of the opening inward, to matching the stitching seam allowance. Use straight pins to secure the opening. Topstitch around the edge of the leaf, starting with the opening to close it.

11) Carefully topstitch down the long center. This is a bit tricky, as you are compressing the layers. You can do this by hand if desired.

12) Carefully topstitch the diagonal veins of the leaf. Again, you can do this by hand if desired.

 HOLLY BERRY

This berry trivet is slightly bigger than the bottom diameter of my largest bowl, at about 7″.

1) Set your compass to be about 4″. You can check this against your ruler. This is the radius of your circle (half the diameter/width).

2) Poke the compass point through your paper and carefully turn the compass to draw your circle. The circle should equal 8″ across, or at least be close to it.

3) Using the pattern, scissors, and straight pins, cut out the pattern twice in red cotton, twice in batting, and once in solarize interlining.

4) Stitch around the circle about 1/4″ from the edge, leaving a 4″ opening.

5) Using scissors, carefully make cuts about 1/2″ away from each other, in towards the stitching but not through it. This will help with keeping the curved shape.

6) Turn the berry inside out. Use the chopstick to help curve the seam.

7) Sandwich the solarize in between the batting layers. Fold the stack and insert it into the berry opening. Smooth it out inside, using the chopstick to help if needed.

8) Turn in the opening edges to match the seam allowance. Close with straight pins.

9) Topstitch around the circle, starting with closing the opening.

10) In the center, topstitch an +. This will help secure the layers better than just stitching around the edge.

That’s all for this set of trivets. I suggest making multiples, so you have enough for all your dishes along your dining table. Make them in various sizes to fit a variety of dishes. These trivets can be used on either side, since the solarize is in the middle. Happy holidays! – Crafty Lady Abby