Today's tutorial was just so tempting to me, that I dropped everything and made a couple to match the heart shaped potholder that I made last month.
You'll have to visit the original tutorial {here} to download Sherri's easy pattern and see all the instructions. Read on to see my experience and small changes.
Make sure your pattern prints out at 100%. Mine didn't the first time (judging by the nice 1" square she included) so I had to print one more time. I decided to make my trim match the tie part instead of the towel, so I cut some( non) bias 1 3/4" strips instead of using packaged bias tape. Take care that you have enough of these strips when you start. I didn't and had to make a quick pit-stop to make more in the middle of my project.
My strips were super easy to make into (non) bias tape using my handy dandy clover bias tape maker. Love this tool. I keep saying (non) bias because I didn't cut them on the bias here... it doesn't matter since they won't go around curves.
I was kind of confused by the towel cutting part of her tutorial. Even though I cut exactly how she described (I think), I ended up with rectangles instead of near-squares like she did. But I still applied trim all around the side and bottom edges (as pictured here) and everything else worked according to the instructions. Well, I didn't measure my pleats, I just eyeballed them. And I ran out of trim, but that's definitely my fault because she doesn't have you put trim along the bottom edge.
If you apply your trim using just the wrap-around method like I did, here's a tip for getting nice mitered corners. Stitch all the way to the end, backstitch. Remove from your machine, cut threads, and fold the trim down the other side. Now stitch the next side. Easy peasy.
These are by far the most beautiful dish towels I have ever owned. And I won't have to pick them up off the floor 100 times a day. I am in love.
Happy Sewing!
