Tuesday, November 21, 2017

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And what better way to get in the Christmas spirit than using StencilGirl to help with holiday decor and gifts. Cindy here today for Team Tuesday to show you how to use your stencils to make a quick and easy stitched kitchen towel for the holidays.


I usually pull out paint and ink to use with my stencils but today I'm using them for another love of mine...stitching! StencilGirl stencils make the perfect starting point for any stitching project. Today I'm going to show you how to make a cute and easy kitchen towel that you can use for decorating or give as a gift.

Let's get started.



You will need the following supplies:
  • Kitchen towel - I used one that I found in the embroidery section at Walmart (pictured in photo above). However you could purchase one from the kitchen section too.
  • Embroidery hoop - not required but it helps a lot to have it in a hoop.
  • Embroidery thread - I used DMC size 3 because I love the chunky texture it creates.
  • Embroidery needle
  • Pencil
  • Washi tape or masking tape - optional
  • Stencil of your choice. I used Christmas #3 Stencil from StencilGirl (pictured below)
  • Scissors
  • If you are new to embroidery you may want to check out this page at DMC for instructions on stitches.

First decide where you want to place your design on your towel. I decided to do the Christmas lights at the bottom of the towel. So I measured 3 inches up from the bottom and put small pieces of washi tape across the towel to help me keep my stencil straight. If you are using an embroidery hoop you will want to make sure your design in far enough away from the edge to insert in your hoop. I was not able to use my hoop toward the corners but it was easy enough to stitch without a hoop on that part. I just prefer to use a hoop if I can.


Then trace your design through the stencil with a light pencil mark. You will be stitching over the pencil marks so they won't show when you finish.


Here's what my design looked like after tracing. Remove your tape when you are done.


Place your towel in your hoop and start stitching. I am doing a simple backstitch around the lights.


To fill in the lights I am using a simple satin stitch.


For the light strand I am using a backstitch and a satin stitch for the light connection. As with all my art I am not worried about my stitches being too perfect. I like the imperfect hand made look.


When you finish it should look something like this. Eeeek I love how these cute little lights turned out!




I stitched in colors that I like to decorate with during the Holidays. I collect vintage ornaments so this sweet little towel goes perfect with some of the pink ornaments I've collected.


It would also make a wonderful Christmas gift. I hope you enjoyed this little project and remember you can use non-holiday designs to make the perfect gift for that special someone.



Now I think I'm off to stitch more stencil goodies! The possibilities are endless!

Thank you so much for being here! I hope you have a beautiful and creative Holiday Season! Stop by and see me anytime at my online home.



3 comments:

  1. This towel is absolutely GORGEOUS!! What a fantastic tutorial with beautiful easy-to-follow pictures and written instructions. I think I'll be making one as well and I'm honored that you used my stencil!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for this idea! I love the designs and will be sharing your link in my newsletter.

    ReplyDelete

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