One of the best purchases I’ve ever made was Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing. The projects are not only easy to sew, but they’re actually useful. I feel good about giving people gifts I know they’ll use and appreciate, and I’ve made almost every project at one point or another to give as a gift.
One of the best purchases I've made!
I decided I’d start off pretty basic with my first Stash Busting project and make these wonderful little tea towels. I’ve included a step-by-step photo tutorial below. I used most of what I had left of a beautiful chocolate brown and cream linen damask shower curtain.
You’ll need:
- Fabrics
3/4 yard (44″ wide) light-weight cotton or linen for the towels
1/4 yard (1/2″ wide) twill tape or cotton ribbon for the towel loops
- Supplies:
yardstick
fabric marker
scissors
straight pins
Step 1: Cut out all pieces from the fabric
Step One
- The book says to measure and mark the dimensions below directly onto the wrong side of your fabric using a yardstick and fabric marker. Then, using your scissors, cut out each piece, following the marked lines. (I don’t have a yardstick, however, but I do have tweezers and I find it just as easy to make my measurements and pull out a thread where I’ll need to cut. I find that my lines are actually a little straighter that way, since I’m very bad at drawing and cutting straight lines.)
From the fabric, cut 2 towels: 18″ wide x 24″ long
From the twill tape: cut 2 loops: 4 1/2″ long
Folding over the first 1/4"
Folding over the second 1/4"
- With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, fold each edge over 1/4″ toward center of the towel, then press. Fold over another 1/4″ and press. Set aside.
The loop method
My (preferred) corner method
- The book says to fold the twil tape so it makes a loop, and tuck it under the fold in the center of one short side. Pin the loop in place. I did this for photographic purposes, but for my own use I prefer a straight piece of twill tape in one of the top corners.
- Machine stitch a 3/16″ seam around all four sides, backstitching at each end. Make sure you stitch through all the layers. Press.
- If you chose to use the loop method, then, with the right side up, stitch across the loop, just inside the folded edge (approximately 1/16 to 1/8″), through all the layers. This wills top the edge from curling.
- Repeat the previous steps to make the second towel.
Two sets of finished (?) damask tea towels.
I made two sets of these towels, one with orange stitching and one with blue. I used bright thread I’d bought for special projects in the past. If I can rustle up some dye, I’d like to also dye the towels a coordinating color since I really prefer to use kitchen towels that won’t show every speck of dirt.
What's left of my blue thread.
And here’s proof that my stash is already dwindling!
that pulling a thread thing sounds awesome! (i am really bad at cutting straight lines with fabric, too…)
Honestly, I think that pulling a thread thing is the single best sewing tip I’ve been given to date. I’m a terrible cutter!