Feather your nest/quick gift idea

I acquired 3 towels on clearance at that fancy store with a red bullseye logo for $2 each.  I decided they needed a little {love} from the shop. I will post each towel's transformation here in a  tutorial form as I complete them so you'll have three cute and quick gift ideas or decorating ideas to start the fall season.


Towel #1
Materials:

1 hand towel
1/8 yard of fabric (4.5"x WOF) that compliments your towel color/season/ theme etc..
1 yard Trim matching the towel and fabric combo
Basic Sewing supplies- matching thread, rotary mat, rotary cutter, ruler, pins, sewing machine with zipper foot, iron etc...


First measure your towel width. (Mine is 16.5")  

Cut your fabric piece to measure one inch longer than your towel measurement and 4.5" wide. (I cut mine to measure 17.5" x 4.5").


Next cut your fabric piece lengthwise down the middle giving you two rectangles- mine measured 17.5"x 2.25" each.

Using a zipper foot, sew the trim along the right side of the fabric rectangles' long edges keeping close the the raw edges.  Make sure your fringe is laying on the fabric and the edge of the trim is laying with the edge of your fabric:

Once both sides are sewn on you'll have this:

Next sew the strips right sides together along all four sides but leave an opening in one of the long sides about 3 inches long as you would a pillowcase you mean to turn right side out. Seam allowance 1/4" for this making sure you are stitching beyond the stitches that attached your trim to the rectangle so they are hidden when you turn the right sides out.

Trim your corners. Flip the right sides out and be careful to get your corners poked out using a manicure stick or knitting needle. Press neatly turning the raw edges of the opening in.

Lay the decorative band you have just created onto your towel and pin in place wherever it suits you.

Match your top thread to your band and your bottom thread to the towel color.  Top stitch the band onto the towel 1/8" from the trim on the fabric.  You'll catch the band opening which was turned in as you stitch closing the opening with these stitches.

Here is your finished towel ready to use or to gift!

Other ideas:

Use an embroidery to stitch a monogram onto the band before placing it on the towel or use children's novelty fabric and give as a burp cloth at a baby shower. 

This technique will be used but, added onto in the next tutorial so stay tuned!