How to Decorate your Tea Towels

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Ever wonder

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!
😉

*This post has been updated.*

Sharing with:
The Style Sisters~Centerpiece Wednesday
http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2015/01/centerpiece-wednesday_81.html

The Crafty Blogstalker
http://thecraftyblogstalker.com/create-link-inspire-linky-party-60/

http://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/2015/01/feathered-nest-friday_22.html#more

Over the Moon 119 (spring 2018)
Craft De-Stash Challenge ~ Vintage Southern Picks
Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Titanic China ~ Antiques and Teacups

How to Decorate your Tea Towels

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