Sewing Tutorial – Dish Towels

Here is a great project for your own kitchen or to use as gifts. I just measured my favorite size kitchen towel and added 2 inches for the initial cut. Always pre-shrink your fabrics when sewing anything that will be washed again and again. It may still shrink a bit over time, but will keep it shape much better if you wash and dry once before cutting and sewing.

If you use the measurements (or even a bit wider) I provide, you can get two generous towels out of one half yard of fabric. My favorite fabric for this project is Art Gallery’s canvas. A bit heavier and sturdier than a quilters cotton, but still nice and absorbent for drying dishes and catching spills. I have it available in several prints in the SHOP

Cut your towel 16 inches x 27 inches.

Press the 4 corners down 1 1/4 inch. cut off the tip, leaving about 3/4 inch piece folded down. This doesn’t have to be perfect, just the same measurement in each corner. If you want a wider hem, then this will need to be a bit deeper as well. My finished hem is half inch.

Press down a quarter  inch seam on all 4 sides.

This next step is a bit tricky, but the more you make, the easier it gets! Before you press the seems another half inch, lets tackle the mitered corners. Folding the edges in another 1/2 inch while bring the corners together to meet making a nice neat corner.

Now, after the corners are in place, press the remaining sides down to match up to the corners.

Stitch seams in place. I often do a back stitch at the corners just as added security to keep the corners crisp. Press one last time.

Finished! If you try this project make sure to let me know how it goes for you! Share your finished projects on the Shaggy Baggy Facebook Page  page or Instagram using the hashtag #shaggybaggytotes