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Radiant Home Studio

Radiant Home Studio

November 22, 2013 ·

Wildflower Tea Towel Calendar Hemming Tutorial

Fabric Design· Spoonflower· Tutorials

This design has been updated for the current year! I participated in Spoonflower’s 2014 Tea Towel Calendar contest this year. This seems to be one that many of the designers look forward to and tea towels seem to be one of their best selling items. I received my order a few days ago and the design is now for sale in my Spoonflower shop.

2019 Wildflower Tea Towel Calendar | Radiant Home Studio

The dark blue prints as a true navy blue on the linen-cotton canvas. The other colors printed very true to the colors on the screen. I wanted to design something that I would hang in my own kitchen, but also something classic enough that my mom would enjoy it too. It’s a little bit modern and little bit classic.

Need some hostess gifts for those holiday parties or something inexpensive for gift exchanges at the office? You can order a yard of fabric, with four towels, for less than $30. The edges are unfinished, but I’ll show you how you can hem them easily.

This is easy enough for a beginner. If you can thread your machine and sew a straight line, then you can do this!

Start with navy thread, which will blend in making uneven stitches less obvious.

Trim around the edges. If you order a yard of fabric with 4 towels, just mark the center of the blue border and cut there. Cutting with a rotary cutter and mat makes the most even edges, but scissors and a steady hand will work as well.

Hemming a Tea Towel |Radiant Home Studio

To hem, fold over and press 1/4″ and then 1/4″ again. I also folded and pressed mine a third time so that I could see where my fold line was when stitching from the front. Unfold that third section before stitching and use the pressed line to make sure you get all of the edges stitched down.

Pressing Hem Fold | Radiant Home Studio

The fabric can get pretty thick at the corners with all of those folds, but when I used a heavy duty needle I ended up with big ugly puncture marks. So, lesson learned—use a sharp universal needle.

If you want to add a hang tag, cut a piece of twill tape or ribbon (about 4-5 inches long, with angled edges) and tuck it under the fold as you are stitching.

Tea Towel Hang Tag | Radiant Home Studio

Stitch near the blue border edge along the long sides. Then do the same along the top and bottom.

How to hem a Tea Towel | Radiant Home Studio

That’s it! Hang it up on the wall or start using it!

Tea Towel Calendar Wall Hanging | Radiant Home Studio

Finished Tea Towel Calendar | Radiant Home Studio

If this isn’t your style, there are dozens more beautiful designs at Spoonflower you can check out.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tiana says

    December 23, 2014 at 7:19 pm

    Total amateur question…should I wash before or after sewing? Or do I need to at all?

    • Sara Curtis says

      December 23, 2014 at 7:34 pm

      Always wash first, unless you are quilting. 🙂

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Welcome! I’m Sara. I share modern home & accessory sewing patterns, and I create surface designs for licensing. I hope you are encouraged to see beauty in small things and are inspired to try new creative projects!

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Happy little houses ❤️ I reworked this pattern Happy little houses ❤️ I reworked this pattern without the barns. It coordinates with the neighborly art prints I added to the shop a few weeks ago...a reminder that we need each other. Intentional community ☺️

My favorite part of pattern design is changing color palettes. Which is your favorite?

#surfacedesign #surfacepatterndesign #surfacepatterncommunity #patternobserver #wallpaperdesigner  #giftwrapdesign #artlicensing #showyourwork #doitfortheprocess #littlehouses #fabricdesigner #intentionalhospitality #intentionalcommunity
I’m in organizing mode, trying to get systems se I’m in organizing mode, trying to get systems set up for this year. What about you?

Have you made a Water Bottle Tote yet? Whether you are going out or staying in, you can keep everyone’s water bottles contained and organized.

Just a reminder i have this pattern in the shop in case you need a solution for this ☺️

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Have you adopted more plants this year? I’ve man Have you adopted more plants this year? I’ve managed to keep some succulents alive for a few years, so I’ve slowly been adding a few more houseplants.

This isn’t one of them, but I thought it would be fun to decorate a planter for the #hollyjollydesignchallenge - to illustrate over an image. Plain pot to happy painted pot 🪴

#houseplantsmakemehappy #surfacepatterndesign #surfacepatterncommunity #designerplants #procreatedesign #cozymodernvibe
I’m always freezing in the winter. Do you see th I’m always freezing in the winter. Do you see the hot drinks theme? 

Another quick design prompt for the @hollyjollydesignchallenge ...
These short design projects have been a good way to rest and experiment with some new work. Having a specific end product in mind really makes the design process easier.

These are coordinating winter coffee cup patterns. I prefer a seasonal vibe over super theme-y Christmas designs. How about you?

#coffeecupdesign #papercoffeecups #fancycoffee #boutiquedesignstudio #surfacepatterndesign #surfacepatterndesigns #surfacedesigntribe #hotdrinkseason #winterpattern
Hopeful for the day when our space is filled with Hopeful for the day when our space is filled with friends again! We bought this house with hospitality in mind. Not being able to invite people in has been challenging me to extend hospitality in other ways...loving and supporting our community from a distance.

It’s worth reaching out to people, even from a distance. You never know how a small gesture might be just what someone needs to make through another hard day. ❤️

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Because cups of your favorite hot drink shared wit Because cups of your favorite hot drink shared with a friend makes you happy. ☕️🎄☺️

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Do you have any neighbors or coworkers that have g Do you have any neighbors or coworkers that have go above and beyond this year to help you?

My eco-friendly notecards and art prints are great gifts! I set up a flash sale for this weekend - ✨BOGO 30% off cards sets and art prints. You can mix and match. No code needed. ✨

You can always grab some cards for yourself and toss it in your stocking too. ☺️

Tell me you good neighbor and coworker stories!

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My Christmas color palette taken from an actual ph My Christmas color palette taken from an actual photo of our decor. 

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For the @hollyjollydesignchallenge -  create a custom holiday color palette. 🎨

#hollyjollydesignchallenge #colorpalette #holidaycolorpalette #christmascolorpalette #wintercolors
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