project: hand-worked eyelet towel loops

Yesterday I shared a new book with you and promised a project to accompany my newly learned skill of hand-working eyelets. It makes me feel so very accomplished, and I know you'll feel the same as I do. As in, you'll want to find places to stitch these little guys...and I've got your first project!

I've found kitchen towels at IKEA or other stores that have a little loop at one corner to make it easier to hang the towel, keeping it handy in the kitchen. But why not add a bit of color and make your own hanging "loop"?



You will need:
a kitchen towel
pearl cotton
a water-soluble pen (optional)



Draw a circle on one corner of the towel. Make it a tiny bit larger than you want the eyelet to be.



Cut a length of pearl cotton (about 2 feet). Tie a knot in one end and thread the other through a large needle. Stitch around the circle with running stitch.



Here's the scary part. Cut out the center of the circle. Leave a small margin of fabric so you don't cut the stitches. Now, if this all worries you, consider doing a test eyelet on scrap fabric first.




Start stitching around the opening to bind it. You can use an overcast stitch like you see I've done, or a blanket stitch, which is going by the book.



Continue all around the circle, so that it looks like satin stitch. Try to keep your stitches all the same length, although, this takes practice. Which I, obviously, am still working on. If it helps, you can draw an outer circle to follow. When you've reached the end, secure it with a knot hidden on the back.



Now it's ready to hang! I stitched this one in navy because it matches our kitchen counter, but I think the next one I do will be red. Pearl cotton comes in lots of colors, so imagine the possibilities for customizing your towels! You could even make a whole set as a very nice little shower gift!