Wednesday, November 6, 2013

One Yard Wonder! Sprucing up the bathroom towels with one yard of fabric.


One Yard Wonder!
 
In response to our new "Ask Melissa" segment on the blog, someone asked what could be done with a yard of fabric. And so here we are. One yard wonder! We are going to bring you project ideas that are simple and do it yourself projects that can be done with a yard or less!
 
Remember our "The Ugly Fabric Challenge" earlier this year? Someone submitted this lovely fabric called "Wacky Turds." And the challenge was to make something appealing with this ugly fabric. And I made these:



 
Today's one yard wonder is how to make enhance your bathroom décor with less than a yard of fabric. Here's what you need:
 
1) Bathroom towels, 2) Cotton Fabric, and technically you can stop here, but I like to add 3) piping, just for a little something extra.
 
First measure the width of your towel.
In this case my hand towel is 15" wide.
 
Then you will want to cut the width of your fabric.
 
It really doesn't matter exactly how wide you cut it. The point is that the pattern gets centered. In the case, I cut to 4.5" wide. After ironing the edges over the total height will measure 3.75". The wacky turn band is only 2.5" high. The most important thing is that you get the part of the pattern you want centered. For the matching washcloths, I'd use just one row of the polka dots instead of two as seen for the hand towels and bath towels.
 
Then I cut 4" over the total width of the towel, which, in this case, was 19".
 
Then iron over the edges keeping your pattern centered. I folded the edge over to the very top of the circles.
 
 
Then place the fabric band where you want it on the towel. I recommend at least two inches. But up to four is good too.
Technically you can pin and sew at this point. But I like to add piping just to finish off those edges nicely.
 
If going the piping route, tuck the piping under the fabric on both the upper and lower sides.
 
Then sew that to your towel using your zipper foot.
 
This is what it will look like after sewing on the band and piping.
 
Then you will want to iron the edges over to the back side of the towel. First trim off excess. Then fold the raw edge over once, then again so the overhang on the backside is about 1/2" over.
 
Then sew.
 
 
Done
 
Voila!
 
Each towel took me approximately 10 minutes.
 
Send me pictures of your projects!
 
 

4 comments:

  1. A lot of design is really reappraisal and problem solving. That's where the craft is: making something out of what you have, and figuring out how it will all apply. It's the whole process of figuring out a one yard fabric where window treatment strategies arise, not before like a fixed blueprint. Nothing is set in stone here.

    Roxie @ Allure

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  2. This is really informative post and I personally would like to appreciate the efforts. We are also dealing in same field hence found this informative to add in our process also. Once again thanks for your post.

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  3. Nice blog !!!.....Thanks For Sharing Towels post... I like it. Buy Custom Bath Towels online at best prices in USA . Shop from a wide range of cotton bath towels and Turkish bath towels at Pepperfry.?Exclusive Designs ?

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