Towel Topper Set (In-the-Hoop)

A template, or printout, of a design is an excellent tool to help with placement. Print off template of the design using an embroidery software. If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom TrueSizer is a free program to use.

Center the template on the folded towel, and make sure the top edge of the design sits about a 1 1/2" below the top edge of the folded towel. Using an air-erase pen, mark the center point and the horizontal and vertical axis lines of the design.

Unfold the towel. Cut a piece of cutaway stabilizer that is larger than the hoop, and spray one side with temporary adhesive. Smooth it onto the back side of the towel behind where the embroidery will be sewing.

Extend the axis lines using a ruler and air-erase pen to make it easier to hoop accurately. Then hoop the towel and stabilizer together tightly, lining up the drawn axis lines with the marks on the hoop.

The embroidery hoop may hang off the edge of the towel, but as long as the stabilizer is hooped and adhered to the fabric, this is okay.

Load the embroidery file onto the machine, and secure the hoop in place. Then move the needle directly over the marked center point on the towel.

Follow the color change sheet, and embroider the design.

Once the embroidery has finished sewing, unhoop the towel, and trim away the excess stabilizer from around the design.

The embroidered towel is complete -- next, embroider a towel topper to match!

When you download the in-the-hoop towel topper design, you will find multiple files.

Some are the embroidery files, and the others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size.

Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, Wilcom TrueSizer is a free program to use.

First spray one side of a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive. Smooth the stabilizer onto the wrong side of the fabric piece.

Then spray the back side of the printed front piece dieline with temporary adhesive and smooth it onto the right side of the fabric.

Cut the front dieline shape out of the adhered fabric and cutaway stabilizer. Then remove the paper dieline.

Then repeat to cut out the other front and back pieces with cutaway stabilizer on the back of the fabric.

Once all the fabric pieces are cut to the correct shapes, it's time to embroider the design.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer. Madeira E-Zee 1.5 oz or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less like paper, and will tear more cleanly.

Attach the hoop onto the machine, and load the embroidery file (not the dieline files).

Use a 75/11 sharp sewing needle instead of an embroidery needle. The sharp sewing needle has a finer point, and it will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline (or outline stitch). This marks the area on the stabilizer where the fabric piece will be placed.

After the dieline has sewn, remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Spray the wrong side of the first fabric piece with temporary adhesive. Smooth the fabric piece onto the stabilizer inside of the sewn dieline.

Then place the hoop back onto the machine, and embroider the tackdown for the fabric piece. The tackdown will hold the fabric piece in place for the remainder of the design.

Then follow the color change sheet, and sew the next dieline step. This marks the area on the stabilizer for the next fabric piece.

Repeat to remove the hoop from the machine, spray the wrong side of the next fabric piece, and smooth it inside the sewn dieline. Then embroider the tackdown step.

Then continue to follow the color change sheet, and sew the dieline for the next fabric piece.

Repeat again to remove the hoop from the machine, spray the wrong side of the fabric piece, place it inside the sewn dieline, and embroider the tackdown step.

Once the front fabric pieces are stitched in place, embroider all the inner details. Make sure to stop before sewing the "back piece tackdown" step.

Before sewing the "back piece tackdown" step, remove the hoop from the machine, and turn it over so the back side of the embroidery is facing up.

Cut a strap that is 7" long, and tape one end in place along the top center edge of the towel topper on the back side of the embroidery.

Cut a piece of elastic that is wider than the back fabric piece. Spray one side of the elastic with temporary adhesive, and smooth it in place across the widest point of the back fabric piece.

Then trim away the extra elastic around the back fabric piece, so the elastic matches up with the edges.

As all the embroidery from here on out will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin to match each of the remaining thread colors used into the design.

Then spray the back side of the back fabric piece with temporary adhesive, and smooth it into place on the back side of the embroidery.

Place the bobbin into the machine, and follow the color change sheet to embroider the rest of the design.

Make sure to match the bobbin to every thread color used in the top needle as the embroidery will be seen from both sides.

Once the embroidery is finished, carefully tear the excess stabilizer away from the outside edges of the design.

Using a hand sewing needle and thread matching the strap, sew one part of the snap onto the end of the strap. Then sew the second part right above where the strap meets the embroidery.

Slide the folded towel through the elastic on the back of the towel topper.