Handmade Gift for the Kitchen

Hanging Dishtowels

I like to make handmade items to give at Christmas that the recipient can use year round. Hanging dishtowels fit in this category and can be as hard or easy as you want to make it. You get two hanging dishtowels out of one towel so it is a twofer, which is great if you need to make a lot of gifts, keeps the cost down! I found a great free Pattern by Mara Drogan That I changed up a bit and am very happy with the results! Please send me a picture if you make some.

First change I made to the pattern after I printed it and before I cut it out was to add two inches from the tab to the bottom of the page for pattern piece 2. Then I cut both pieces out and taped them together. This gave me a long enough fold over flap to attach to my oven door. It also changed the fabric length from 7" x 12" to 7" x 14"

Since I was working with fat quarters I did not prewash my fabric but did wash the dishtowels before I cut them!

Next, instead of flannel I used 2 layers of cotton batting! I think it added more strength to the top to stand up to being pulled on when attached to something!

The Funny

I am stitching away at my machine and my husband keeps walk by and looking over my shoulder as I am making the tops to the dishtowels, finally he stops and wants to know what I am making. My response is dishtowels for Christmas presents. He starts to walk away and says "sure doesn't look like dishtowels"! So, if you look at the photo above you might see what his concern was about! I laughed and so have others on IG so I thought I should share it with you!


I was so excited to find that using the buttonholer for my Juki was quite easy. This is the first buttonhole I ever made. So, don't be afraid to pull out your sewing machine book and the weird looking contraption it shows as your buttonholer and hook it up! I found it much easier if I sewed the buttonholes last and all in a row, with each thread color change!

One reason I love Aurifil 50 wt. threads so much is they have a thread color to match every fabric, so everything coordinates!

Have you ever used your sewing machine buttonholer?

Another thing - after stitching the tops and bottoms together, stitch completely around the top on all of the sets of one thread color before doing the buttonholes. I learned it was easier after my first one. Then you are not taking the buttonholer on and off and it moves along a lot faster.

Mara Drogan's tutorial can be found at Kleio's belly - procrastination at work and the link to her .pdf pattern is here!

Thank you for stopping by!
Create and be unique!
Lisa

Look what can in the mail today!
I love the new Kona Colors and wanted a bag so much!
After I saw them in photos of quilt market!
Thank you so much Robert Kaufman Team!
(enter those giveaways my friends you never know what you might win)!