Just because I want to have my kitchen towels work hard doesn’t mean I don’t want them to be cute too! This pattern of cascading hearts is super easy to make and very inexpensive.
There may be affiliate links in this post. If you make a purchase using a link I may be compensated at no cost to you. Steam a Seam 2 Sheets were provided to me by The Warm Company.
Materials:
Kitchen Towel of your choice – I used Mainstay Flour Sack Towels from Walmart
Scrap Fabric – I used five prints but you can use fewer if you like
Steam a Seam 2 (Walmart link)
Free downloadable Hearts template
Sewing machine – I am using my Necchi NC-102D
Iron and pressing area
Prepare Materials:
Wash all of your fabrics and your towels to remove any spinning oil or sizing from the manufacture. Iron them when dry.
Print the template onto the grid side of the Steam a Seam 2. I needed to trim my sheets down because I have an inexpensive printer – the sheets are 9″ x 12″ but my printer only prints 8 1/2″ x 11″. It wasn’t hard to do because I used the grid side as a guide.
Rough cut the number of hearts you wish to use out of the printed Steam a Seam 2.
Cut Your Hearts:
Carefully peel the white paper ONLY from your hearts.
Apply the hearts to the wrong side of your fabric – you can move the appliques around because they are not permanent yet, but don’t iron anything until you are sure of your placement!
Neatly cut out each placed heart on the outline.
Place Your Hearts:
Carefully peel the grid paper from each heart making sure the adhesive layer stays by the fabric and you are not accidentally peeling it off!
Once again you can experiment with placement until you are satisfied, but once you have ironed on the applique it is permanent.
Using an iron setting appropriate for whatever type of fabric you are using, iron each applique into place for approximately 20 seconds.
Topstitching:
Choose a decorative stitch with a little width for ease of taking the curve.
Use the slider on your sewing machine if you have one to slow the machine speed down if applique is new to you.
Pick a stitch pattern that is forgiving on curves! I used one on the Necchi NC 102D that looks like a stem stitch. It curves nicely without the stitch length getting weird, and while I tried to keep it super close to the edge of the appliques it looks good even when I wandered a bit.
Stitch around each heart from the bottom of the next hearts overlap, around to the top of the next hearts overlap. The final heart will be stitched all the way around.
Trim your threads and you are done!