how companies create those cute dish and tea towels? Answer: Somebody like you or me comes up with a great idea!
My friend Kathy had made some cute toweling for her kitchen a number of years ago, so I copied and ran with her idea. The towel above was decorated with leftover fabric from a Rachel Ashwell “Simply Shabby Chic” curtain that I had cut-up to make shorter curtains in our master bedroom. We have five windows in our bedroom, and most didn’t need 84″ curtains, so there was a lot of leftover fabric! 🙂
Here are a couple of other towels I have made. I am getting ready to make some more as these are faded. Though faded… they are still loved!
Directions:
*Buy some cute unadorned tea/bar towels from a discount, after-market,
or thrift store ~ wash and dry before embellishing.
*Pick out one of your favorite fabrics and
cut (2) bands of that fabric about
3 1/2″ wide x the total length of your towels’ width,
plus an inch or so for turning-under along the edges.
*Iron-under 1/4″ along each of the band’s long edges, pin to towel.
*Turn under and iron the bands’ end-edges to meet up with
the towel’s edges.
*Sew “in the ditch,” or 1/8″ from the band’s edges all the way around, or
as close as you are able.
🙂
Toile from the living room curtains I made.
Tip:
I recommend sewing the long edges first ~ sew ONLY in one direction on both long edges (This is because sewing inherently “pulls” fabric as it goes, and you want the “pull” to be the same on both edges, not one pulling one direction and the other pulling opposite…) I tend to sew from left to right, switching the fabric from running on the right side of the needle as it stitches to the left side of the needle. Do this on the upper, and the same for the lower edge.
*THEN, recheck, re-press/iron, and sew under the outer edges. Sew these also in one direction. I generally sew “downward.” *Give a final press to your tea towel and… voilá! Your towel is as cute as a button!
If you wish to add lace trim, just add it underneath the main band of fabric. Mine was the lace trim off of a set of old Laura Ashley pillowcases we had that the cases had fallen apart. So, I cut off the lace edging and left a 1/4″ extra of fabric on the edge to save for a future project. This 1/4″ edge above where the lace began is what is under the colorful toile banding.🙂
Note:
I had those lace pieces folded up in my lace box for about 10 years… Really glad that I saved them! 😉
French Ethereal is a lifestyle blog sharing tips on decorating, table settings, crafts, gardening, DIY and travel. I love an elegant Shabby Chic/Old World French decor all decorated with Faith. <3
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