diy embellished kitchen towels

I have to say I’m super proud of this project. Though they didn’t come out perfect – very few things do, but I’m totally cool with that (!) – it was the first time that I completed a sewing project without the following happening:

1. my sewing machine jamming

2. me screaming and stomping like a child after said sewing machine jams

3.  giving up completely on the entire project or resorting to using heat bond tape

So, I’d say it was a success in my book. I wanted to add a small touch to some ordinary dish towels. I grabbed some plain white ones at Target, I believe they were $3.99 for a four pack and then a two pack at Wal-Mart for $3.00. I picked up a small strip of fabric for just a couple bucks – I bought 1/8 of a yard and I had some left over after making 4 dish towels. Not bad!

First, I washed both the dish towels and the fabric. I didn’t want either or them to shrink and get all funky (technical term there) or the colors to run the first time they were washed. I also ironed them both after washing.

There was no science to this project at all. I cut up the fabric and placed it where I liked it best. On some I added the strip of fabric in the middle, some I added it to the bottom. I turned the fabric wrong side up, right side down, however you look at it, and ironed about 1/2 inch of each side so that there were 4 straight sides and no frays flying about.

I pinned it to the dish towel and sewed it up. I will admit that some of my lines are not straight and there are some hems that may be double the size of others, BUT HEY, I did it, I was proud and I avoided 1 through 3 above. I think the recipients are going to like them too! At least I hope so, don’t tell me otherwise because you’re probably both reading this right now…

Are you guys making anything good? Any fun DIY holiday gifts??