Today I want to share a quick tutorial for an old towel that becomes 2 ruffled guest towels:) I had this super soft but slightly stained towel:
I trimmed the best 2 pieces out of the towel:
To make the ruffle, I cut a 4″ wide strip of fabric, twice the length of my new towels small end. I folded it over with wrong sides together and pressed it:
To finish the sides I folded the edge in 1/4″ and once again 1/4″ and pressed it. Then I sewed it down (repeat with other side):
To ruffle my fabric strip I set my machine to the longest stitch and my tension to the highest number. This should automatically fabric. This is now my ruffled strip:
I finished my towels long sides by serging/zigzag stitching the edges, then folded them over 1/4″ and pressed them. Then I sewed them down:
It’s time to pin the ruffle to the slim end as shown:
I sewed the ruffle on with backstitching beginning and end. Then I serged the raw edge (you can also zigzag stitch it).
Then, last step, I top stitched my towel from the right side close to where the fabric meets the towel:
Repeat with other small end of towel, make 2, then you’re done!:)
What do you think?
Great idea! Thanks for sharing. I cannot get eigher of my machines to automatically ruffle the fabric. I have to manually pull the threads when I am finished with the seam (longest stitch, low tension). When I try with a high tension, It doesn’t ruffle and then I cannot pull it manually without breaking threads. I am sure I am missing something but I can’t figure it out.
Try changing your stitch length to 5, or as high as it will go. I do not change any other setting. I am easily able to gather. If you have a serger, I serge the edges with 4 thread overlock, and the pull the straight stitch closest to the edge.
Hope this helps.