Welcome to the ITH Towel Topper stitch-along! This useful project adds a quilted topper to a kitchen towel, allowing you to fasten it around an apron string to keep it at your side through all your holiday cooking and baking. Or use it to attach the towel to the handle of the oven or a drawer pull, keeping it close at hand and off the floor. Featuring both quilting and appliqué in the hoop, you hardly have to do a thing to make this handy addition to your seasonal décor.
Materials
- Kitchen towel
- Two 6”x8” rectangles of cotton fabric
- Three 3” square scraps of cotton fabric
- 6”x8” rectangle of batting
- Tear-away stabilizer
- 5×7 or larger hoop
- Thread: Bobbin, embroidery & metallic
- Embroidery tape
- 1/2”-diameter coordinating button
- Appliqué scissors (optional)
Prepare
- Wind a bobbin with the color you will use for the final outline, one that matches the 6”x8” rectangles and an embroidery thread close to the color of the metallic thread.
- Download the design and load it into the machine.
- Thread the machine with thread that matches the 6”x8” fabric and bobbin thread on the bobbin.
- Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer. For extra stability, hoop two pieces.
Embroider
- Place the hoop onto the machine and embroider step 1 to stitch the placement line.
- Remove the hoop from the machine. If using a large towel, fold the top 1/3 to the wrong side and place the fold just under the placement line, centering it in the hoop. If using a small towel, align the top edge with the placement line instead. Tape the towel in place.
- Re-place the hoop onto the machine and embroider step 2 to tack down the towel. Remove the tape, and if desired tape the edges of the towel to the hoop to keep them out of the way. Note: To reduce bulk, opt to trim the towel from inside the stitching perimeter.
- Embroider step 3 to stitch the next placement line.
- Remove the hoop from the machine. Place the batting rectangle over the placement lines, being sure to cover them completely. Layer one 6”x8” fabric rectangle over the batting right side up. Tape in place.
- Re-place the hoop onto the machine and embroider step 4 to tack down the fabric and batting.
- Remove the hoop from the machine. Using appliqué or small, sharp scissors, carefully trim the fabric and batting from the stitching perimeter, getting as close to the stitches as possible without cutting them.
- Re-place the hoop onto the machine and embroider step 5 to stitch the side-ornament placement stitches. Place one 3” scrap over each side-ornament area, being sure to cover the placement stitches. Tape in place if desired. Embroider step 6 to tack down the fabric.
- Remove the hoop from the machine. Using appliqué or small, sharp scissors, trim the excess fabric away from the stitching perimeter. Place the remaining 3” scrap over the center ornament as outlined by the side-ornament stitches.
- Re-place the hoop onto the machine and embroider step 7 to tack down the fabric.
- Remove the hoop from the machine. Using appliqué or small, sharp scissors, trim the excess fabric away from the stitching perimeter.
- Turn the hoop so the back side is facing up. Trim any thread ends, then position the remaining 6”x8” rectangle over the hoop back, making sure to cover all stitches. Tape firmly in place.
- Place the hoop onto the machine and embroider step 8 to tack down the fabric.
- Remove the hoop from the machine. Using appliqué or small, sharp scissors, trim the excess fabric away from the stitching perimeter.
- Change the bobbin to match the color in the machine. Re-place the hoop onto the machine and embroider step 9 to stitch the quilting stitches.
- Rethread the machine with metallic thread and change the bobbin to a matching embroidery thread. Embroider step 10 to stitch the ornament hooks.
- Rethread the machine with the final outline stitch color, and change to the matching bobbin. Embroider step 11 to stitch the final outlines and the buttonhole.
Finish
- Remove the hoop from the machine and the project from the hoop. Gently tear away the stabilizer from the project perimeter.
- Cut open the buttonhole. Fold back the top the desired amount and mark the button location with a removable fabric marker.
- Hand stitch the button in place, being sure not to stitch through to the front layer.
Design
Download the design free from sewdaily.com until February 28, 2023. Find the design after the expiration at sewdaily.com.
Sources
RNK Distributing provided the Embroidery Batting, Embroidery Tape, and Floriani Medium Tear-Away stabilizer: rnkdistributing.com.