Ruffled Kitchen Towel

I whipped up this cute little ruffled towel just in time for my Norwex party last weekend.  {Check out my sisters Norwex website.  Believe it or not, Norwex makes cleaning go faster.  And it's better for you and the environment.}  I mostly followed this tutorial from Craftaholics Anonymous to make it.

I used the Moda Bliss fabric that I bought while on the Spring Across the Border Shop Hop with my mom.  Aren't they so fun and cute?  {you maybe seeing more of this fabric on an upcoming project.}  Finding the right towel turned out to be the highest part.  Can you believe that Target doesn't have regular white kitchen towels?  I did finally find something at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Then a couple of days later I went to Homegoods and found a set I liked just a little bit better.  {This was my first visit to Homegoods.  I was looking for a clock and found the towels and something for another project.  I am currently working on that other project and let me tell you - it is awesome!  I can't wait to finish and share it with you.}  The towels came in a set so I'm already making plans for a Christmas version.  And they have these goofy dots on them but I figured I would be covering them up so it didn't matter.

The instructions use a ruffler foot but I don't have one of those.  {Frankly, I didn't even know such a thing existed.}  So I went old school to make my ruffles - the gathering stitch.  I also cut my fabric shorter.  I choose to use 32 inches instead of the instructed entire length of the fabric.  Why 32"?  Well, I wasn't sure how much but felt 44" was too much so I just doubled the width of my towel which was 16".  I think I will make the next one 30 inches.  I decided to hem the ends of the strips before folding them in half.  Just personal preference.

I made two rows of gathering stitches on the first strip but got lazy after that and did just one on the other three.

I then pulled the bobbin thread to bunch up the fabric and slowly eased the fabric to the length I needed to go across the width of the towel.

I sewed it in place and pinked the unfinished edge.  The ribbon I used to finish was just a litle bigger than the instructions but only because I was just using what I had on hand.

The tutorial had great instructions for sewing on a towel leash but since I don't have kids or pets to pull it down, I didn't bother to add it.

I love my new fun and flirty kitchen towel.  Don't you think it adds a nice girly touch to my kitchen?

I am linking to these parties.