A Plethora of Potholders

Things have been a little busy around here this past week.  I took Mac Mini to a kids' Christmas party and am proud to announce that we have our first "screaming on Santa's lap" picture!  She enjoyed the party, but was afraid of the man himself.  We also got to see some of our PEPS pals, all of whom are growing into active, playful toddlers.  Mr. Mac and I have been working on our Christmas gifts: rolls of frozen cookie dough, jars of homemade Sriracha sauce, homemade laundry soap, and the aforementioned potholders.  I started making the potholders a few weeks ago, and today I'll finish binding the last pair.  Here are some for my mom and mother-in-law:

And a pair to match the green apron:

Potholders are a fun and easy little project.  It's just a 9" pieced square of any fabric, in any pattern.  I used a Jewel Star pattern for one pair, but the rest are either 4-patch or 9-patch variations.  I cut a coordinating 9" square for the back and two layers of batting for insulation, pinned the layers together, and quilted from the center out in straight lines or freeform patterns.  I'm still working on an orange and grey pair to match the other apron.

The trickiest part for me is the binding.  I tried using binding made from coordinating fabric, but the time it took to press and the fact that I have to use a tabletop ironing board dissuaded me from doing that again.  (Nooooo space to work in our apartment.  None at all.)  So I have been using double-wide bias tape, which works well and looks tidy.  I still have a problem with mitered corners.  

Try as I might, I just can't seem to get them perfect on both sides.  Oh well, it's a good skill to work on for quilting in general.