SANTA BELLY FACTORY & TUTORIAL

It looks like a Santa Belly Towel factory in The Queen's Studio today.  I made 10 of these towels.  They are so easy to make.  I first showed you them on the Twas the Night Blog Hop.  I also told you I'd do a tutorial on them and I finally got around to doing it.  You really don't need one, I'm sure you can figure it out on your own; it's that easy.  But I'll take the guess work out of it for you.

 Here's what you'll need:

1 red hand towel ( I purchased mine at Walmart in the Kitchen section and it was $1.48)
1 white bath towel or white terry cloth yardage (my bath towel made enought 2 1/2" strips for 11 towels plus 2 placemats.)
1 - 18" piece of black 7/8" gross grain ribbon (or any other kind of ribbon you'd like.  Satin ribbon will work too or a strip of black fabric also.)
Coordinating thread - white, black, and metallic gold

Cut 2 strips of white terry cloth the width of the towel by 2 1/2".

Lay one of the 2 1/2" white terry cloth strips down the length of the towel, centering it.  I cut mine 23" but you will need to measure your towel to make sure that will work.  I didn't measure anything on mine.  I just eyeballed it but my towel had a grid woven into the towel so it was easy to use the grid as a guideline.  I didn't go all the way to the bottom of the towel, I stopped short of the edge of the bottom of the towel by 2".  Using a zigzag or a button hole applique stitch, applique the strip to the towel.

Then cut a strip 2 1/2" by the width of the towel and place along the bottom edge of the towel.  Applique to the red towel.

Now cut a piece of 7/8" black gross grain ribbon the width of the towel plus 1".  Turn under 1/2" on each end of the ribbon and stitch down to the towel.  Again, I eyeballed it but it is about 3 1/2" above the white bottom band.  I used a straight stitch to stitch it in place.

Using your metallic thread, satin stitch zigzag a belt in the center of the black ribbon.   As you can see, I used the edge of the ribbon as a guide across and came in about 1/2" - 3/4" from the edge of the white band.  It makes your buckle about 1 1/4" square.  I didn't mark anything, I just eyeballed it and started stitching.

Ta Da!  A Santa Belly Hand Towel!

The thing I love about these towels is that they are all washable and you don't have to worry about messing the towel up.  

When I was looking for the post from the Twas The Night, I realized I didn't post a picture of all the Santa Belly things I made.  They are so easy!  You can do them on just about anything; placemats, pot holders, wine cozy's.... the projects are endless.  My next project is an apron but not sure that will happen this Christmas!