Project by Jeen Brown.
Materials:
19" x 28" Wimpole Street Creations designer dishtowel*
coordinating Wimpole Street Creations 19" x 28" dishtowel or 2 16" square napkins* (see step 3)
8 Wimpole Street Creations iron-on vintage appliques*
8 wooden buttons*
2 yards coordinating floss*
thread
paint for buttons, optional
*Items marked with an asterisk are available in a kit from Barrett House.
Steps:
1. Paint the buttons as desired.
2. Cut one dishtowel in half lengthwise to make two 28" x 9-1/2" valance pieces (figure A).
3. From the coordinating dishtowel, cut two 28" x 3-1/2" pieces from the long outside hemmed edges of the dishtowel for the border. Cut eight 8" x 4" pieces from the coordinating dishtowel for the tabs. OR: Tear the hemmed edges from the two 16" square napkins. Cut four 16" x 3-3/4" strips from one napkin for the border and eight 8" x 4" pieces from the remaining napkin for the tabs. Alternative: Three doilies, cut in half diagonally, may be substituted for bottom border.
4. Machine-stitch the 28" x 9-1/2" dishtowel pieces together to make a 56" x 9-1/2" valance, matching plaids as necessary. Machine-stitch the two 28" x 3-1/2" pieces together--or the four 16" x 4-3/4" pieces together--to form a 64" x 3-3/4" border strip (figure B). Press all seams open.
5. Pin the border strip to the valance piece along the bottom edge with right sides together, lining up the center seams. Machine-stitch with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Press the seam toward the top of the valance (figure C).
6. Trim and hem the side edges (figure D). Note: If using doilies, overlap the cut edge of the doily along the bottom of valance on the right side. Stitch in place.
7. To make tabs: Fold a 4" x 8" piece in half lengthwise. Machine-stitch lengthwise along the raw edge with a 1/4-inch seam allowance (figure E).
8. Press the seam open. Center the seam in the back of the strip (figure F).
9. Mark and sew a point on one end of each tab (figure G).
10. Trim the excess fabric, turn and press (figure H). Repeat for the remaining tabs.
11. Evenly space, lap and pin the raw edges of the tabs to the wrong side of the valance. Machine-stitch the tabs in place (figure I).
12. Fold the tabs to the right side of the valance and hand-sew the buttons through the tab points and valance with six strands of floss (figure J). Tie a knot on top of the buttons.
13. Hem the bottom edge of the border if you have chosen the coordinating napkin.
14. Iron the vintage appliques along the coordinating border, spacing them below every tab (figure K).
Resources Dishtowel Valance project kit
Barrett House/Wimpole Street Creations
Website:
www.barrett-house.com
Guests Jeen Brown
Owner, Wimpole Street Creations
Website:
www.barrett-house.com
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