I made Pan Protectors!

Unfortunately, our current set of cookware had metal utensils used on it, and the non-stick surfaces are deteriorating (ahem . . .  kids).  Todd was so frustrated about it that he bought us a 17 Piece Set of Cuisinart Stainless Steel cookware.  He also purchased an additional Cuisinart 14-Inch Open Skillet with Helper Handle.

We have a very small galley-style kitchen where storage is at a premium, so our pans have to be stacked.  Todd asked me to make some protectors for between the pans when stored to help protect them.  We have also gotten rid of all our metal cooking utensils and replaced them with silicone utensils.

I made two sets of protectors because we also purchased the same set of pans as a gift for some friends of ours, and we want to make sure they have the pads to protect their new pans, as well.  Their set of pans were delivered straight to their home, and I sewed their protectors in a hurry, so I only have pictures of them with the pattern pieces.  We are also gave them some silicone utensils so they can protect their pans even more.

I am using this Felt Pot & Pan Pad tutorial and pattern to make the pads to go between the pans.  For our friends, Joe & Dort, I made them out of a very thin quilt batting sandwiched between two layers of houndstooth gray flannel instead of just two layers of felt.

Preparation

I followed the same process for both sets of pan protectors.  I used two layers of this Royal Blue Felt for ours instead of the combination of flannel and quilt batting.  After washing and drying all the fabric, I laid it out folded in half with right sides together.  As with the Christmas Stocking project, I used a sharpie to draw the patterns on the fabric.  I knew the marks wouldn’t show because they were on the wrong side of the fabric.

The 14″ skillet was way too large for the original pattern, so after I traced the original pattern, I extended the cut line by 3″.

Cutting the Center Squares

I used two methods for cutting out the center squares because I wasn’t sure which one would work better.  First I cut diagonally from the center of the square towards a corner.  Then I followed the drawn lines around the square until it was cut out completely.

The second method I used was to cut diagonally to each of the four corners followed by cutting the edges of the square.  Cutting the squares out this was was more time consuming, so I finished the rest of the squares using the first method.  This method would work better for fine detail cutting.

Fun Stitches!

I have never utilized any of the fancy stitches on my machine prior to this project, and I really wanted to.  I made myself a little stitch swatch to keep handy.  Todd used it to choose which stitch he wanted me to use.  He chose the square spiral one three in from the left.  His second choice was the one just to the right of it.

Sewing Process

I sewed around the center square of each of the pan protectors by using the right-hand edge of my presser foot as a guide.  The outside edges were sewn using the same process.

The large pan protector needed an additional line of stitching between the edge and the center square.  I used the stitch guide attachment for my machine (Brother C60001) and sewed an additional line of stitching about 2-1/2″ away from the outside edge.  That distance worked perfectly between the corners of the center squares and the “v” of the outside edges.

Finished!

We kept some of our old stainless steel pans, and I made enough pan protectors for them, as well.  We have threatened the kids with never being able to cook again if they don’t take care of these pans correctly (is that really a threat? 🙂 ).  They took me about half a day.  The center square most definitely could have been eliminated; however, I really like the added design element.

Have you made anything similar to help preserve expensive items in your home?

Amy

Nature Girl. Mom. Wife. Friend. Photographer. Sewer. Crafter. Artist.

To borrow a phrase – “Yeet Ye Riche”