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Dishtowel Dress-Up

Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel. Free project instructions to embroider a towel border with an animal design.

Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.

Spice up your kitchen decor with an embellished dishtowel! Pretty patterned fabric, tasty embroidery, and a decorative trim border are just the right ingredients for making this stylish project.
Project Needs & Notes:

- Dishtowel
- 1/8 yard shirting material or homespun
- Medium-weight cutaway stabilizer
- Lightweight water-soluble stabilizer for topping
- Pins
- Air-erase pen for marking
- Decorative trim

The design used in this tutorial is
J8229, Simply Strawberries Rectangle.

Free video with instructions on how to dress up a dish towel.
Finished Size: 16" x 31"

 This project was featured in the following:
Let's Dish Lookbook
 
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Begin by planning where to stitch the design. Print a template of the design from your embroidery software.

A template is a printout of a design, and it's an excellent tool for placement.

If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom's TrueSizer is
a free program to use.

 Center the template between the sides of the towel. Leave 1 1/4" between the hem of the towel and the bottom of the design.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Mark the center point, as well as the horizontal and vertical axis lines.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Use cutaway stabilizer on the back of the towel. The towel in this example is waffle weave, so a lightweight water-soluble stabilizer works well as a topping.

Hoop the three layers together, lining up the marks on the fabric with the marks on the hoop.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Attach the hoop to the machine and move the hoop so the needle is right over the center point.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Embroider the design. A size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, or an embroidery needle, is a good choice for towels.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
After embroidering, tear the water-soluble stabilizer away from the top of the towel.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Cut the stabilizer away from the back. Leave about 1/2" around the design.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Next, prepare the ruffle. The towel in this example is 16 1/2" wide. Add 3" to that measurement to account for the pleats, and another 1" for seam allowances.

That means that the fabric for the ruffle is 20 1/2" x 4 1/2".
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Sew a straight stitch 1/2" from the bottom of the fabric.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Use a seam ripper to fringe the edge.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
On the top edge, turn the fabric 1/2" to the wrong side and press.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Pleat the fabric; pin the pleats in place.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Sew a 1/4" seam.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Fold the ends of the fabric 1/4" in, and press.

Fold the ends in another 1/4", and press.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Sew seams along the ends.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Line up the ruffled fabric on the towel. The ruffled fabric should extend over the towel by 3/4".
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Pin in place.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Sew a 1/4" seam along the folded edge of the ruffle.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Add the decorative trim. Pin in place, and
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
Sew a seam along the center of the decorative trim.
Free project instructions to dress up a dish towel.
These pretty dishtowels are a fast and fabulous way to brighten your kitchen decor, and are terrific housewarming and hostess gifts, too!

Questions or comments? Let us know! Send an email to us; the address is stitch@emblibrary.com.

Products used in this Project:
Simply Cherries Rectangle $4.99 - $5.99

Available in 2 Sizes:

9.41" x 4.67" | 5.98" x 3.25"
Sweet Cherries with Blossoms Rectangle $4.99 - $5.99

Available in 2 Sizes:

9.40" x 4.73" | 6.00" x 3.03"
Fruit Cocktail Border $2.49 - $4.99

Available in 3 Sizes:

9.41" x 3.09" | 6.00" x 1.92" | 3.86" x 1.27"
Sweet Grapes and Vines Border $4.99 - $5.99

Available in 2 Sizes:

9.41" x 4.77" | 5.96" x 3.01"
Sweet Strawberries and Blossoms Border $4.99 - $5.99

Available in 2 Sizes:

9.40" x 4.68" | 5.95" x 3.04"
Tree of Life Border $5.49 - $5.99

Available in 2 Sizes:

9.41" x 4.71" | 6.00" x 3.17"
Watermelon and Vines Border $4.99 - $5.99

Available in 2 Sizes:

9.40" x 4.70" | 5.96" x 3.10"