Patterns, Techniques, Articles, Blogs, and other resources to learn how to sew
Germana from Hobby di Stoffa shows how to make this lovely dishtowel 
with a topper that buttons around a handle. She includes a free pattern for making the topper. She made the towel from honeycomb towel fabric
, cutting it to size and finishing the edges nicely. You could also use a purchased towel. Her blog is written in Italian, but you can tell from her photos how to make this project. Go to Hobby di Stoffa for the tutorial.
[photo from Hobby di Stoffa]
I love a good patchwork project but I’m not always wanting to take on making a whole quilt. Sometimes I want to just make some patchwork squares and turn it into something pretty. That could be lots of things besides quilts. Like this adorable patchwork fold over pouch! Quilted clothing and accessories have become super trendy lately. Melissa at Polka Dot Chair created this project and she has a tutorial showing how you can sew this pretty patchwork pouch.
If larger patchwork blocks on a quilt are pretty, these smaller scale patchwork blocks in this pouch are sending me over the moon. They’re just so sweet! And because they’re made from half square triangles, they’re actually pretty quick to sew together. Her tutorial includes how to create 8 of these half square triangles at a time.
This is a great project for using up your scraps! This project uses a ½ yard of a solid fabric and then a total of ½ yard of scraps of various prints. As long as your scraps are big enough to cut a 5 ¾” square then you can use them. And pairing the scraps with a solid color in all of your blocks helps keep the look both scrappy but also cohesive.
And while the small pinwheel blocks are perfect for this project, I think you could also substitute other quilt blocks – or even some orphan blocks left over from quilt projects.
When you’ve got all your blocks made, it’s easy to sew them into a fold over pouch. It’s basically a larger version of a simple zipper pouch. If you’ve ever sewn a zipper pouch before, you know how satisfying they are to sew. Quick, easy, and always useful! And in this case, a stylish patchwork pouch!
Go to Polka Dot Chair to see how to sew this adorable patchwork pinwheel fold over pouch.
[photo credit: Polka Dot Chair]
OMG!!!!!! Thank youuuuuuuu!!!!!!! =^_____^=
I can’t believe!!!!!!!
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!
I seen your tea towels on Facenbook and loved them.
I really like the hanging towel, really nice. I plan to do more sewing in this new year 2014.
Great idea – but the website is not English..help?
I love hand towels like this but I don’t like to out them on my oven door because they drag on the floor. Do you have any suggestions for the type that hangs on cupboard knobs? I use the ones that tie but they’re hard to come by.
At the end of the tutorial, it states “sew all the way around” Can someone explain? Wouldn’t you just sew straight across once you put the towel up into the piece? Any help appreciated.
If you look closely at the photo for the last step, she’s got the needle turned at the corner. I’m thinking she will sew up the sides and possibly across that first line of stitching, and then back down the other side. –Anne