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Stitching & Crafting Room:  Flour Sack Dish Towels  |
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fiddlegirl89
True Blue Farmgirl
232 Posts
Kayla
Dunnville
KY
USA
232 Posts |
 Posted - May 01 2012 : 08:39:29 AM
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A long time ago, I bought several flour sacks (as well as large pieces of the material,) and I'm turning them into dish towels. I've made cloth napkins before, out of the same fabric, and I embroidered names on them. However, I don't feel like I'm very good at embroidery, and I'm worried that maybe the embroidery will come out with something I'd use as much as dish towels. (We don't use and wash the napkins very much, comparatively speaking.) When I embroider, I do stitch over the ends...is there anything else you're supposed to do to secure the ends? With the napkins I made, I recently took the embroidery out (they're a couple years old now) and redid them...but I know that you can find embroidered work that's really old, so it's not right for the thread to be coming out after a couple years!
Also, I need ideas for embroidery designs! I like the redwork look, but I haven't found anything specifically that I really love yet. I'll be putting these in my hope chest to outfit my kitchen, but we're not sure yet about kitchen colors or anything like that. (Actually, my grandmother offered to outfit our kitchen with a strawberry theme, and if we go with that, redwork would fit beautifully!) So being that we're undecided, I'd really like something that would look okay with anything. It seems to me like embroidered towels don't really have to match, though...they look fine anyway! I had originally thought about doing two for every day of the week, and stitching the days on them, but I didn't have enough material to make 14...I think I ended up with 8 or 9. So, I think I'll stay away from days for now. Or I guess I could do 7 of them with days...see how decisive I am?!
I am never very happy with regular dish towels we've bought in the past...seems like they don't really dry anything. More like just spreading the water around on the dishes! We rented a cabin for the weekend a couple weeks ago though, and they had flour sack towels (not new ones...like the old, unbleached, wonderful material..which is what I have) and I loved the way they dried! So, that got my excited about making my own...not to mention the thrifty, repurposing aspect, which I'm all about!
So now I just need help with the embroidery!
www.crazykcreates.blogspot.com
www.crazykcreates1.etsy.com
http://www.facebook.com/CrazyKCreates
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Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2012 : 10:16:01 AM
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| Kayla, there are so many different iron-on transfers you could pick from, either from a store or on-line hobby/fabric stores. Also what I've done is go on-line to find web-sites where you can get free patterns to download and then transfer them onto the towels (more labor intensive, but works great). There's an on-line shop I get some unusual designs that are different, but darling. If you'd like I can send you an e-mail with their web addy. They have some really cute kitchen designs that are not your usual vintage/Aunt Martha designs. I've made some baby/toddler t-shirts with some of their designs and my son and wife loved them - very unusual - not your run-of-the-mill kids designs. This spring I made a set of seven towels for my DIL for her birthday using all sorts of different colors on the designs (days of the week with pots, pans, dishes, etc.) and she loved them. Also made a set for step-daughter all in red (she likes that red & black chef design)in the same pots & pans design. So there's so many places you can find free designs and get ideas. There's also some books that have iron-on patterns you can use or trace. I have several that have different kitchen designs in them. If you're interested, let me know and I can e-mail you the info. You're going to have such fun stitching your towels. It's very relaxing. |
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fiddlegirl89
True Blue Farmgirl
232 Posts
Kayla
Dunnville
KY
USA
232 Posts |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2012 : 11:25:29 AM
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Also check out Aunt Martha (colonialpatterns.com) sign up for their newsletters. Sublime, and Doodle Stitches is also good, as well as many others out there, you may want to join some yahoo embroider groups and flicker. (like hoop love).
Go with what ever pattern theme you want, any will go well with any decor. Same with colors. Think about it, our ancestors probably just used odd bits and pieces of thread left over from bigger projects. I look at my antique ones and they are very whimsical in colors and go good in any kitchen I have had! Furthermore, Red is a neutral color so will go with anything. So if you go with red work should work with any colors you choose in your kitchen.
Maybe you need to sew in a longer tail, I have never had any of mine come lose....
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2012 : 1:18:07 PM
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I've been embroideing dishtowels for, gulp, 42 years and I always not the thread ends just as my grandmother and mother did on dishtowels. I just figure that with something that get that much use and washings knots are a good idea. On pillowcases and other things I avoid knots but there are times to break the rules on knots. Coloring books are a great source of designs.
Kathy |
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Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2012 : 10:46:14 AM
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Here are some web sites I have used in the past to download free designs:
Mary Corbet's Needle 'N Thread - needlenthread.com
Urban Threads Badbird's embroidery patterns
Tip Nut The Floss Box
homeberries.com michelleclement.typepad.com/blog
patternbee.com orangerugyarn.com
Aunt Martha's to order iron on patterns of all sorts
Stitcher's Revolution for other darling iron ons
Hope this gives you some ideas to work from. We're all here for you whenever you need help.
Also, you can order on-line from Joann's Fabric, Hobby Lobby or Micheals (be sure to use your on-line coupon for discounts)
Kathy, I'm with you - I'm a "knotter" too.
Whatever works - it's all good. |
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fiddlegirl89
True Blue Farmgirl
232 Posts
Kayla
Dunnville
KY
USA
232 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2012 : 10:49:34 AM
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Oh wow! Thanks so much! I made all the towels yesterday and cut all my scraps into "rags" or whatever you call them...replacements for paper towels, really. I ended up with about 30 of those! I spent all morning hemming those.
Thanks again, everyone! I'm excited!
www.crazykcreates.blogspot.com
www.crazykcreates1.etsy.com
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heritagehunter
True Blue Farmgirl
207 Posts
Julie
La Salle
Co
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2012 : 11:20:43 AM
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| If you are looking for something different to do with the towels, try coloring them with fabric markers or fabric crayons. Looks nice and is alot of fun. |
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pnickols
True Blue Farmgirl
808 Posts
Patricia
Parma
Ohio
808 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2012 : 3:58:59 PM
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| I have made the flour sack ones and I use the transfers from the Aunt Martha designs, have never had the embroidery come out |
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Simple Living
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Joan
Staten Island
NY
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2012 : 4:50:31 PM
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I wish you gals lived near me to teach me embroidery. I just love all the flour sack kitchen towels with such funny cute embroidery on them :( I might have to move out of New York just for that lol
A Friend is Someone who Reaches for your Hand, But Touches your Heart!
Farmgirl #3842 |
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thebyrdhaus
True Blue Farmgirl
520 Posts
Patty
Columbus
Oh
USA
520 Posts |
Posted - May 08 2012 : 05:56:18 AM
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My embroidery doesn't look the best, but believe it or not some folks think it looks more primitive...lol. For people who do not embroidery, they don't mind the imperfections. I always knot, just like my mother and grandmother. Usually a small knot and I run my needle through it before taking my first stitch.
Patty #1840
http://ladygonegreen.blogspot.com/
A rind is a terrible thing to waste. Compost.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”
-Jesus in John 6:12 NIV Bible |
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pinkroses
True Blue Farmgirl
2350 Posts
Sheila
Virginia
USA
2350 Posts |
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Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - May 10 2012 : 3:22:12 PM
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| I have picked up the same striped dish towels from Hobby Lobby and Joann's Fabric. These are what I've used to embroider sets of the week towels as gifts. Did dig out some really old flour sack towels I had and plan to do some work on them to spruce them up a bit just for my own use. Or may invest in some nice new ones for more gifts down the road for others. Just love doing towels, but really should start thinking of something else to work on! |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - May 10 2012 : 11:18:07 PM
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Joan I just moved from NYC a year and a half ago.
I bought my patterns at the time at Walmart in LI, but walmarts stopped selling them, I then started getting them at Joann's around LI more.
Thread, I bought on clearance at Walmart when they discontinued it! hahaha But, you can also get it at Joann's. I mainly went to the one on Old Country Road, in oh....starts with a W....there's a walmart there, and a babies r us too....where Rosevelt Field mall is...But, there was a good Joann's in Centerville as well.
I only took embroidery a little bit in junior high home ec. I would suggest teaching yourself, cause I basically did. Buy a few books that show pics of basic stitches. I really like this blog in teaching stitches- http://bigbgsd.blogspot.com/
basically you can't mess up that bad, even bad embroidery looks pretty good.
I bought my towels mainly at Walmart in Green Acres (Valley Stream LI), but sometimes at Kmart, and IKEA too. (Ikea is cheapest).
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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Simple Living
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Joan
Staten Island
NY
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2012 : 03:41:03 AM
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Heather thanks for the info about teaching myself embroidery. I will look into it.
A Friend is Someone who Reaches for your Hand, But Touches your Heart!
Farmgirl #3842 |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2012 : 07:48:23 AM
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Welcome and you know what I completely forgot, I also would get thread at AC Moore and Michaels. They didn't sell the iron on embroidery patterns though but good for thread! And all over LI and Queens!
There's a cross stitch store but I never went inside it also off Sunrise Highway just past Valley Stream, I can't think of the name of the town, but I want to say it starts with a P....there's a Panera Bread, a Italian Ice place, King Kullen, etc all there. I always wanted to go in, but just window shopped there cause I was never there when they were open. But, I would bet you could find some one there that stitches. Also there is a major guild there.....I want to say the Sublime Stitches woman lives in NYC but now I can't remember, maybe it's Florista instead...I know one of the big blogging embroiders lives in NYC and actually has monthly meetings, look on hoop love, seems to me there was lots from NYC there....I didn't of course find out they were in NYC till I moved here to Kansas. But funny enough then I found out one of the major embroidery blogs I follow the woman is from right where I live, we go to the same Goodwill! haha
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2012 : 4:58:54 PM
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| Joan, if you have a Hobby Lobby or Joann's Fabric in your area they carry towels, thread, etc. Also, I went to a book store and picked up books on embroidery to learn as well as ordering from Amazon.com. Sometimes it's actually cheaper on Amazon if you get more than one book - super savings over $25.00. I just read and read. The first book I got was from Sublime Stitching - Embroidered Effects. It actually has patterns you iron on and learn from the book as far as what stitches to use. To me it was a great beginners book to learn from - great instructions and visuals. They also have the books Sublime Stitching - Hundreds of Hip Emboidery Patterns and How to and Doddle Stitching - the Motif Collection by Aimee Ray. But I especially love the Sublime Stitching books with the patterns already to use and learn from. Go for it girl freind! |
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Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2012 : 5:00:52 PM
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| P.S. Joan, you can also go on-line to Hobby Lobby and Joann's to order if you don't have those stores in your area. Or Hancock Fabric in store or on-line too. |
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DianaMT
Farmgirl in Training
46 Posts
Diana
Billings
Montana
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - May 13 2012 : 5:50:52 PM
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Hi,
I am getting back into embroidery. My goal is Jacobean Crewel embroidery.
For dishtowels, try this group. I think you have to join, but there are oodles and oodles of things to embroider: http://www.flickr.com/groups/embroideredstuff/
Oh - I also look through clip art/cartoons and have picked a favorite font to do DOW (Day of the Week) towels, then added the clip art that I like.
HTH
Diana
Is your tea pot ready for winter:
http://montanamadetradingpost.com/patterns.html |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: Flour Sack Dish Towels |
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Flour Sack Dish Towels
