This Old Bath Towel

First of all, I have to apologize about the lack of regularity of posts on this blog. January has a way of sapping my energy and motivation. February will be better. I actually like February.

Okay, moving on. I'm still sewing! My first project was enjoyable enough and the end result not nearly the disappointment I thought it would be, so I moved on to another project from Handmade Home. Since I needed a new rug for the bathroom upstairs, so I decided to tackle the towel rug (click on page 57). Mine didn't turn out quite as well as the finished product in the book, but I figure it's not too bad for my second sewing project ever.

I didn't need many supplies at all for this project. I bought a yard of funky fabric at IKEA for six bucks and then I just used a towel that's been taking up space in the linen closet. I think the towel was one of the thousands we got for our wedding. The towel served us well, but it had some bleached out spots and was looking a little too shabby to hang up in the bathroom. So, I decided to cut it up.

The project is fairly simple - and coming from someone as inexperienced as I am, that's saying something. You need a 34" x 21" piece of cotton fabric and 34" x 21" piece of towel, along with 8 2" x 22" inch strips of towel. Add some thread and pins and you're on your way!

Pin the strips of towel however you like on the fabric. I followed the book and did some of my strips straight and others slanted. Once you've got it all pinned, sew them to the fabric. Next, you lay the towel right side up and put the fabric you just sewed on top of the towel, right side down. Pin together and then stitch around the edges, stopping just four inches short of where you started. This was the most frustrating part for me. I think I may have used a towel that was too thick. The needle of my sewing machine kept getting jammed and I even had to replace it after it broke. But I was still undaunted and finished it. Well, mostly.

After you've stitched it, turn it right side out. Then, you're supposed to topstitch the whole thing, but I couldn't feed it through my sewing machine, even with the foot up. I'm sure there's some way around it, but I'm a complete novice. So, I skipped that last step and sewed the four-inch gap by hand. Works for me.

Like I said, maybe not as pretty as the one in the book, but I like it. The thing I'm going to like about the towel rug is how easy it will be to wash and it will be absorbent. Plus, I got my new rug for a bargain - it only cost around $3-4 to make (since I didn't need the whole yard of fabric), and it gives my house a unique, homemade touch. I think I'm really starting to get into this whole sewing thing...

One other note: I've got another giveaway coming up soon. I've been scouring the thrift stores for a particular item and I found it today! (along with a Rockband guitar for the PlayStation 3. *fingers crossed* Please work, please work...) I think it's hilarious. You may just think I'm weird. In any case, I thought I'd let you know.