I’m not sure if it’s the cold weather or all the holiday stitching I did, but the last thing I’ve wanted to do in these past few weeks is take up needle and fiber. Does that ever happen to you? How do you get out of it?
For me, it helps to have small projects that give me a sense of completion quickly and with little chance for error. That’s why I’ve been having fun making these reusable towels.
Well, that, and because they’re pretty stinkin’ cute!
I don’t remember where I originally saw these, but I thought they looked like a great idea and a great way to use fabric scraps and towels with fraying edges that still had plenty of life in them.
To keep shrinkage to a minimum, this is definitely a project where you should pre-wash your fabric. I had several half-yards of black/white print fabric that I edged with my serger before throwing them into the wash.
I sized them to match an actual paper towel, adding a quarter-inch seam allowance on the terry fabric and a half-inch on the cotton.
Then I pin them right sides together and sew a quarter-inch seam around the edges, leaving a hole on one side so I can turn them right side out. After a snip on the corners and a quick press, I stitch a line close to the edge to close the seam.
Each one takes about five minutes. Seriously, five minutes. I need at least 10 for a roll, maybe 12, depending on how many will fit on my current towel holder. For that, I’ve got some special plastic snaps I purchased, which I’ll show you when these are done.
These probably won’t get rid of my paper towel usage entirely, but they will definitely help reduce it. I’ve got a couple of practice attempts I made that I use in the microwave. Those two have already saved me about half a roll.
Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.
XOXO,
Sandra
One million stitches ... 