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After-Bath Towel Wrap |
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Stay squeaky-clean and
dry with this after-bath-and-shower towel wrap.
A thick and thirsty bath towel serves as the "wrap", and a
coordinating hand towel makes straps and a pocket.
Jacobean-style flowers are a beautiful addition to this practical,
comfortable, modern-day "dressing gown." |
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Supplies needed:
** 1 bath towel
** 1 coordinating hand towel
** 10" of 1" wide soft elastic
** 6" of 3/4" wide Velcro
** 7" hem tape for pocket trim
Designs Used:
Jacobean Floral Spray (lg)
Jacobean Flower |
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First, mark the towel
for strap placement. Center the towel behind you, wrap the left side
to the front, and then the right side over the left. |
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Make a mark to indicate the center of
where each strap will go, and label each mark as "front."
Masking tape works well to mark these spots, or you can use a
dry-erase pen, too. |
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Using the front strap marks as your
guide, transfer the strap marks to the back third of the towel.
Label both marks as "back." |
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Next, mark the placement of the
embroidery. Print a template of the design and center it between the
two front strap marks.
Poke a hole in the center of the template to make a mark on the
fabric. For this, a dry-erase pen works well. The marks from the pen
come out after laundering, or with a dab of water. |
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Measure from the top of the
towel to the center point. |
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Lay the top hoop over the area that will
be embroidered, and align the straight edge of the top with the
straight edge of the towel. Mark the left and right center points.
Hoop the towel with one piece of cutaway stabilizer, and a topping.
Align the left and right marks on the towel with the markings on the
hoop for perfect placement. |
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After you have finished
embroidering the design, gently tear the topping away. |
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Trim the cutaway stabilizer away
from the backside of the towel. |
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Next, make shoulder
straps from the hand towel. |
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Measure and mark a 24"
long by 2 1/2" wide strip. From this towel you should get two
shoulder straps and enough left over for a pocket, so plan
accordingly. |
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Cut one strip from the left
side of the towel, and one strip from the right side of the
towel. Trim any bottom ribbing, but leave the side ribbing. |
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Next, prepare the fabric
for the pocket from the hand towel. To make a 5" pocket with room
for trim on top, measure and mark a 6" x 7" rectangle on a sheet of
paper. |
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Lay the rectangle on the
remaining towel piece, and trace the shape. |
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Place the design
template in the rectangle. It should be centered horizontally. To
allow trim for the pocket, place the template so that its center is
one inch below the rectangle's center.
Mark the horizontal and vertical center points on the towel for
perfect placement when hooping. |
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Hoop the fabric with one
piece of cutaway stabilizer, and topping, aligning the orientation
marks on the towel with the marks on the hoop.
Embroider the design. |
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After you have finished
embroidering the design, tear away the excess topping. |
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Trim the stabilizer
from the backside. |
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Cut the pocket from the
towel. |
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Measure, mark, and trim
a half an inch from all four corners. This will make it easier to
hem the pocket piece. |
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Cut a length of
decorative trim, enough to cover the entire top of the pocket with
an inch excess on each side. |
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Fold the top of the
pocket, at the notches, to the back, and pin and trim the fold in
place. |
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Sew a straight stitch on
each edge of the trim. This will sew the trim to the pocket and
finish the top edge at the same time. |
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Next, make the straps.
Fold in the cut edge about 1/2", and fold the ribbed edge over the
cut edge. Pin in place. Continue folding and pinning the entire
length for both straps. |
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Sew a straight stitch
all along the length of the strap, following the ribbing. |
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Attach the straps to the
towel. Pin one end of a strap to the inside of the left front mark.
Allow 2" of overlap for each end of the straps. |
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Pin the other end of
that strap to the inside of the left back mark. |
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Transfer the right front
mark to the middle layer. Pin one end of the second strap to the
inside of this new mark, and pin the other end to the inside of the
corresponding back mark. |
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Remove the masking tape
marks and sew the straps to the towel. |
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Attach the pocket to the
towel. Measure and mark 11 inches above the bottom edge, and 14
inches from the left side. This will be the top center of the
pocket.
Pin the pocket in place, keeping the pins to the inside so the seam
allowances can be easily folded under. |
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Fold 1/2" of one side
under, and sew a straight stitch from one end to the other. Back up
one inch and fold under 1/2" of the bottom, and sew across the
bottom. Continue this up the other side -- but be sure to keep the
top open. |
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Attach a Velcro closure.
Cut 6" sections of loop and hook strips. |
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Fold the towel in
thirds, with the left side on top. Flip the upper corner of the left
side over. Pin the loop section here.
Pin the hook strip into place on the middle section of the towel.
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Sew both strips to the
towel. |
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A strip of soft pajama
elastic ensures a nice, snug fit. Lay 10" of the elastic on the
inside back, directly under where the straps attach to the back of
the towel. |
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Pin the elastic in the
center. Stretch the elastic on both sides, and pin the ends in
place. |
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Stretch it again, and
add more pins. The towel should gather under the elastic. |
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Sew the elastic on both
sides with a straight stitch, being careful not to stretch the
fabric or elastic as it is sewn. |
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