Transform a tea towel into a cozy pillow cover in just a few simple steps with this helpful tutorial. It's a surprisingly fun and fast way to give your home decor a mini-makeover.
Supplies & Materials:
Project Needs & Notes
- 12" x 16" pillow form
- 18" x 28" dishtowel
- Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
- Air-erase pen for marking
Finished Size: 12" x 16"
For this tutorial, I used K7688, the 7.81" x 5.67" size of the Make Today Beautiful design from the A Sweet Sentiments Design Pack.
Other designs featured include D4456 Tulip Spray and H6830 Bunny in Blooms .
Gather Materials:
Begin by wrapping the towel around the pillow and planning where to stitch the design.
Use a template, or printout of the design, to plan where to stitch the design.
If you don't have software, we recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made with this link.)
Lay the towel flat, wrong side up, and trim at the top.
Fold the bottom edge up five inches. Fold the top edge over the bottom edge.
For the gingham trim to land in the right spot, leave 2 1/2" between the trim and the bottom fold.
Finger-press the folds at the top and the bottom.
Use an air-erase pen to mark where you'll stitch the design.
Center the design between the two sides. Leave at least 2" from the top folded edge. This is where the pillow will curve, so the design should be stitched lower so it doesn't get lost in the curve.
Once the template is in the right spot, mark the center point as well as the axis lines. These marks will help with hooping.
Hoop the towel with a piece of cutaway stabilizer. Align the marks on the towel with the marks on the hoop.
Start Embroidering:
Attach the hoop to the machine, and load the design. Move the hoop so that the needle is right over the center point, and embroider the design.
After embroidering, trim the excess cutaway stabilizer away from the back. Leave 1/2" around the design.
Place the towel flat, embroidered side facing up.
Fold the towel along the finger-pressed folds. Fold the trim edge first, then the top edge down and over.
Pin the layers together along the side edges.
Sew a 1/2" seam along the side edges.
Turn the cover right-side out, and slip the pillow form through the front opening.
This nifty project is a quick and easy way to cover pillows and add a fresh look to your home!
