Hello friends! I know it’s February and is still a couple months until Mother’s Day but I’ve already been sewing for my mother, my sister, my daughters, and my girlfriends! If I had to guess I would say that just about every female uses a heating pad am I right? And a Quilted Heated Pad Cover makes the heating pad not only beautiful but super comfy as well! I’ve written a tutorial for you that breaks it down into simple steps so you can easily make one. By Mother’s Day you’ll be able to make several of them!
Necessary Supplies
- Fabric: half yard for lining
- Fabric: twenty 2.5 inch wide x 15 inch long strips of varying colors and styles (see note below with other option)
- Quilt Batting: 17 inch x 38 inch
- Velcro: “Sew On” velcro approximately 15 inch x 3/4 inch
- Optional: walking foot for sewing machine
- Clover wonder clips
- Clover erasable marking pen
- Heating Pad, size 12″ x 15″
- Several bobbins filled and at the ready (you’re going to be using a lot of thread!)
Note: If you do not have enough 15 inch long strips of fabric, you can sew smaller pieces together to form a 15 inch strip. This actually creates a lot more of a patchwork look and is a super fun way to do your strips.
Instructions
Step One: Cut lining fabric: 2 pieces at 13.5 x 18 inches
Step Two: Lay lining pieces right sides together and use Clover wonder clips to hold the two long sides and one short end together. Sew all three sides with a 1/2 inch seam allowance; however, be sure to leave a 4 inch opening on one short end for turning later. Leave the top completely open. Set aside for now.
Step Three: We are now going to do the “quilt as you go” method. It’s easy and here’s how to start: lay your batting piece on a table and place one 2.5 x 15 inch strip on the approximate center of the batting. Place a second strip on top of the first, right sides together. (You can pin these together if you feel more comfortable but it isn’t necessary.) Sew a 1/4 inch seam on one long edge of the strips.
Step Four: Fold the top fabric strip over and press in place with your fingers. (You can use an iron if you’d like but it isn’t necessary.)
Step Five: Using a walking foot on your sewing machine, quilt straight lines the length of the two fabric strips. (I also lengthen my stitch to a 3 when I am machine quilting.) I chose to quilt mine 1/4 inch apart but you can quilt the straight lines any distance you want. No need for it to be perfect! You can just eyeball it if you want. You can also experiment with some free motion quilting and make squiggly lines, or whatever you’d like! Don’t be too particular about the quilting! The goal here is to enjoy the process, and trust me… even if the quilting lines aren’t even, slightly crooked, or just a mess it will still look great!
Step Six: Place the next strip, right sides together, on top of the ones you’ve just quilted and sew in place using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Repeat step five and quilt that strip.
Step Seven: Continue with all the remaining strips of fabric until you have used them all and mostly covered the batting piece. Don’t get too nervous if it is a little wonky in size; we will be trimming it up.
Step Eight: Trim your quilted piece to 13.5 width x 35 inches long.
Step Nine: Fold your quilted piece in half, right sides together. Use Clover wonder clips along the two long sides to hold in place.
Step Ten: Sew the two long sides closed using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Leave the top of the cover open (the bottom is the fold).
Step Eleven: Turn right sides out and place your quilted piece inside the lining piece, making sure rights sides of the quilted cover and lining are together.
Step Twelve: Use Clover wonder clips to hold the top of the cover to the lining, be sure to line up your side seams together. Sew that top opening closed with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.
Step Thirteen: Push the right side of the quilted cover through the opening we left in the lining. Carefully push the corners out of the quilted cover.
Step Fourteen: Sew the opening closed in the lining.
Step Fifteen: Push the lining to the inside of the quilted cover and iron to press the top seam in place.
Step Sixteen: Top stitch 1/4 inch along the top opening of the quilted cover.
Step Seventeen: Now take your heating pad and place inside the quilted cover. Make sure your electric cord is placed so that it comes out the top of the cover.
Step Eighteen: Using a Clover fabric marking pen, mark the opening where the cord comes out. Remove the heating pad from the cover.
Step Nineteen: You will sew velcro to the inside of the cover opening, minus where you’ve marked for the cord so that you have an opening for the cord. You will need to measure those areas.
Step Twenty: Cut your two velcro pieces to the measurements above. Mine needed to be 10 inches long, but all heating pads are different so be sure to measure.
Step Twenty-One: Use wonder clips to hold the velcro piece in place to the inside of the cover. I like to sew right along the edge.
Step Twenty-Two: Sew both pieces of velcro to the inside of the cover. Be sure to sew both long sides of each velcro so they are fully adhered to the cover.
Step Twenty-Three: Place the heating pad inside, close the velcro and now you are finished with your beautiful Quilted Heating Pad Cover!
One of my favorite ways to use my heating pad is to put it in the bottom of my bed every winter night! When I climb in to my bed, it is so toasty warm for my feet! And the quilted cover feels so soft and so cozy!
This is the perfect Mother’s Day gift for every Mom in your life! I’m not even embarrassed to admit that I’ve made FIVE of these for gifts the last couple months and every one that I’ve gifted has been a huge hit. I’m telling you… every female in your life (and males too I’m pretty sure!) need a quilted heating pad!
Be sure to tag me @redfeedsack on IG so that I can see how yours turned out! Happy (almost) Spring!
~ Dori ~