Are you needing a hooded towel to round out your summer? Whip up a few for the Labor Day parties next month. Or if you're like me, give them as baby shower gifts. I received my first one 10years ago and thought "This thing is HUGE, but, um... thanks." As it turns out, my gift-giving friend noted that the adorable baby towels on the market only last for the first couple of months. I can safely say that the purple towel we received is still in pretty good condition. Its gone through 3 kids and I've since made others for my sons. (The boys like to pretend they are Jedi's wearing the towel around the house- of course....)
So without further yammerin' on from the family story book, here's the How-To on sewing a hooded towel. Its sporting a never-fray, flat-felled* seam variation. That will be cool, right?
**click on any picture to see it larger**
Supplies:Hand Towel (roughly 16" x 28")
Bath Towel (roughly 30" x 54")
Matching Thread
Scissors
Measuring Tape
First, fold the short ends of the hand towel in towards the center. Each fold should be about 5" wide. When I fold in the sides, I like to hide the tag inside the fold. The main bath towel wash/care tag will be visible, and really, one is enough, right? The way the short ends are folded, laying on the towel, pictured above- that will become the "right side" of the hood.
Stitch along the factory hemmed edge to hold the folds. I stitch right where the terry cloth meets the factory hem. I find the big terry cloth loops hide the stitching line very well.
Match the right sides and fold the hand towel in half in half to form the hood.
Stitch along the top edge of the hood using about a 3/4" or 1" seam allowance. You want to use a wide seam allowance so that your sewing machine won't have any trouble going through the any layers of towel. Back stitch at the beginning and end of this stitching line.
While the hood is still folded inside out, measure 11'' from the top edge. (This is the edge you just stitched.) Use your scissors to cut away the lower portion of the hood.
Also, while its folded, make a small notch on the cut bottom edge at the fold. This will mark the center of the hood. Turn the hood right side out. Don't "rough it up" too much while you turn it, or you'll have terry cloth loops all over your sewing space.
Fold the large towel in half to find the center of one of the longer sides. Mark this center with a pin.
Lay the right side of the hood on the right side of the towel. Match the center markings. Pin the hood to the towel about 1/2" from the factory finished bath towel edge. This will act as a "graded seam" so that we can apply the flat-felled seam finish. (Boy that sounds scary- but its not. )
Stitch the hood to the towel using a 1/2'' seam allowance. Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam.
Ok, here's the fancy flat-felled seam part. The first picture above is the seam, from the inside of the hood. Simply, fold the towel's finished edge up, over the cut edge of the hood. Pin the finished towel edge along the inside of the hood.
Stitch from the inside of the hood along the edge of the bath towel's finished edge. Back stitch at the beginning and end.
This type of seaming completely conceals the raw seam allowance. Cut terry cloth frays like no-body's business, so I encourage you to try this seam finish on this project.
Wow- could this tutorial
BE any more orange? =)
*A
flat-felled seam is a seam finish traditionally done on the right side of a garment to finish the seam and hide the seam allowance. You can find a flat-felled seam on the side seam of jeans.
If you make it, feel free to share it in the
ReannaLily Designs Flickr pool.
Hooded Towel Tutorial
I made scarflettes using the U-Create tutorial as a guide. (This scarflette is made a synthetic fiber sweater.) Instead of using the entire torso of a sweater, I made two narrower scraflettes from the sleeves. My sister-in-law has the matching cream colored scarflette. I'm sure she has some kind of fabulous felt flower or rolled rosette on there by now. My blue vintage brooch is also from a thrift store.
Well, I liked sewing with the sweaters. Its like thrift store linen, but in the winter. =)
(larger, Military Mailbag)
(smaller Express Mailbag)
In the past, we moved every 2 years or so. (5 cities in 10 years- some longer than others, you know.) BUT in every move, I lost my Quilt Guild Name Tag. Seriously. This misfortune prompted me to design my Quilt Guild Name Tags pattern- so you never have to be "racking your brain" for a new design- if you're remaking it anyway... lets just have a collection to choose from. And its great for guild challenges, to get everyone with a personalized version of the "HELLO" sticker.
Now get this- I haven't moved in a year. We've been here, totally unpacked and settled- doing whatever it is we do. AND I LOST MY QUILT GUILD NAME TAG, AGAIN. (Obviously will have to stop blaming my luck on the relocations.)
It was bigger, but I cut it down when I realized my name was going to be so narrow. Yes, turns out 3 little letters does NOT span 4-5 inches. heheh. As you can probably tell, this was a total improve design, complete with leftover zipper teeth as piping and (brace yourselves) black quilting lines all over the place.
My free-motion name is my favorite part of the name tag. I don't know if this will spawn a whole 'nother pattern title, but it might get a little tutorial in the near future. We shall see.
This will truly be an original creation once you are done mixing the elements. I think you will enjoy the customizing.
Wine Glass Charms for the rest of us.
Stitch along the factory hemmed edge to hold the folds. I stitch right where the terry cloth meets the factory hem. I find the big terry cloth loops hide the stitching line very well.
Match the right sides and fold the hand towel in half in half to form the hood.
Stitch along the top edge of the hood using about a 3/4" or 1" seam allowance. You want to use a wide seam allowance so that your sewing machine won't have any trouble going through the any layers of towel. Back stitch at the beginning and end of this stitching line.
While the hood is still folded inside out, measure 11'' from the top edge. (This is the edge you just stitched.) Use your scissors to cut away the lower portion of the hood.
Also, while its folded, make a small notch on the cut bottom edge at the fold. This will mark the center of the hood. Turn the hood right side out. Don't "rough it up" too much while you turn it, or you'll have terry cloth loops all over your sewing space.
Fold the large towel in half to find the center of one of the longer sides. Mark this center with a pin.
Lay the right side of the hood on the right side of the towel. Match the center markings. Pin the hood to the towel about 1/2" from the factory finished bath towel edge. This will act as a "graded seam" so that we can apply the flat-felled seam finish. (Boy that sounds scary- but its not. )
Stitch the hood to the towel using a 1/2'' seam allowance. Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam.
Ok, here's the fancy flat-felled seam part. The first picture above is the seam, from the inside of the hood. Simply, fold the towel's finished edge up, over the cut edge of the hood. Pin the finished towel edge along the inside of the hood.
This type of seaming completely conceals the raw seam allowance. Cut terry cloth frays like no-body's business, so I encourage you to try this seam finish on this project.
Wow- could this tutorial BE any more orange? =)
Goodness, it's been a short while since my last blog post. Sorry about that. Its summer, you know. I did squeeze in another little road trip down to the family homestead in Texas. Its only 9 hours by car, with 3 wonderful kids. No seriously, they do travel surprisingly well, even if that is WAY too long to be in a car on one day.
So I'm posting today to let you know- if you are going to Market this spring- be on the look out for a bag similar to this one, above, in the United Notions booth. One layer cake makes about 2-3 Cube Purse bags (depending on if you mix in military uniforms or not.)
Exciting times over here at the studio. I cannot wait to show you my other sneak peek pictures from my other market projects.
Well, I say its small-ish, but I've designed it to be big enough to hold my sketchbook & flat wallet. The book is not all that big, but I really like to always have it. You just never know when you'll need to write something down or scribble out a version of whatever you just saw.
