A Fabric Pan Cover

Every time I bring a dish to pass, I cover my dishes with aluminum foil unless the pan comes with a cover. I don't like having to do this. It seems so wasteful. There is also a lot of information about health concerns from overusing foil but that is usually when it's heated. I have used beeswax wraps for small bowls, but I needed to cover bigger pans.

I do roll the clean foil up in a ball and use it in my dryer for static control. That probably isn't safe either but it works well. 

This little project can save a few pieces of foil. There are a lot of things out of our control, but maybe this will help in my small way. I also use compostable garbage bags/zip lock bags and cloth towels instead of paper towels. 

Recently I saw a video about making fabric pan covers. I thought I would try. They would be a secure cover, and they would be washable. 

The first thing I did was go down in my stash of fabric to find something appropriate. It had to be stable and washable. I found a piece of fabric my sister gave me last spring. I had made a tablecloth out of it but had enough leftover to make this project.

I chose the pans I wanted to make covers for. I chose a glass 9 x 13 pan and a 9" pie plate. I measured the pans and added about 2 inches around. I cut two pieces for the 9 x 13 pan. I measured the piece 13" by 19'.  I added a little to accommodate the handles. This step isn't necessary if there are no handles. I also cut two circles for the 9 inch pie plate. These circles were 13 inches.

 I wanted to round the corners on the rectangle so I marked a rounded corner with a plastic cup on the wrong side of the fabric.

Then I put the right sides together and stitched around, leaving an opening of three inches. Through this opening I turned the piece to the right side. This would also make a nice place mat or stuff it for a pillow.

 

After top stitching the piece about 1/2 inch in, I ran a length of 1/4 inch elastic. I cut the piece about 7 inches shorter than the circumference of the pan. In the case of the 9 x 13, I cut the piece 36 inches. Using a safety pin, I threaded the elastic through the placket. I attached the elastic ends together and evened out the gathering. All that was left was to stitch the opening closed.

This is the finished project for a 9 x 13 cake pan and a 9 inch pie plate. This is just a covering for transport. I'm not sure it would keep the cake or pie from drying out. It also would not keep it hot or cold. I think using quilted material might help or sandwiching some wool batting between the layers. I may make a couple more and try to add some padding. 

None of these things will probably put a dent in helping the environment, but it can't hurt. It also keeps my brain working a little bit. That is probably most important.