Hand Towel/Holder Project
Make a Hand Towel Holder. By the end of this
project you will have completed one of similar
design. The project is intended to help 4-H
members who are beginner sewers to learn the
basics of sewing. Before starting the project you
should have a 4-H leader and sewing manual at
hand. Definitions and procedures listed in this
booklet came from Nancy Zieman’s “Let’s Sew!”
manual. Once you have a leader and manual all
you need to do is find the materials listed on the
next page and begin. HAVE FUN AND BE SAFE!!!!
Created by Joy Fry, James May, Subir Swarup, Ben Woods in conjunction with Jan Scholl, 4-H
Curriculum Specialist, and Lisa Eutsey, Technical Communication Instructor.
How to Sew a Hand Towel/Pot Holder
Materials
Pic 1:
Hand
Towel
1 kitchen towel
1 square potholder with a loop
1 5/8 inch button that fits and holds in the loop
Needle
Matching Thread
Sewing machine
Iron
Pins
Scissors
Pic 2: Square
Potholder with
loop at middle of
one side
Glossary
WRONG SIDE: side without pattern or undesired outside pattern.
RIGHT SIDE: side with pattern or design, desired outside pattern. (Refer to Pic 3)
Pic 3: Hand Towel
folded over. Top
section with pattern
is Right Side.
Bottom section with
no pattern is Wrong
Side.
Procedures
PRESSING: using an iron to apply steam to a surface in an up and down motion. (Refer to Pics 4, 5, and 6)
Caution: Bottom of iron is Extremely HOT be careful when handling the iron.
Pic 4 & 5: Hand
Towel folded over
and Pressed.
Caution: Use Ironing
board. Surface
shown in picture is
an example of a bad
ironing surface.
Pic 6: Good
example of ironing
surface.
HAND BASTE STITCHING: with a needle and thread, sew a long stitch where specified, having about 3 stitches per inch;
it is used so that it holds the fabric in place.
MACHINE BASTE STITCHING: same as hand baste stitching, except use sewing machine to make stitches
GATHERING: making a larger fabric condensed so that it can be joined to a smaller piece of fabric. Do this by using a
hand basting stitch at about 6 stitches per inch, leaving long pieces of thread at both ends. Pull on these long
threads in opposite directions when baste stitching is finished to make the fabric condensed and lines up
evenly with the smaller fabric. (Refer to Pic 7)
Pic 7: Gathering is
shown here.
REINFORCE STITCHING: locking stitches at the end of each seam so that they don’t come undone. Sew 2 to 3 stitches
at the end of the seam and put machine in reverse. Sew 2 to 3 stitches in reverse to reinforce end seam, then
switch machine to forward and continue sewing to end. Trim off ends.
Directions
1. Lay right side of kitchen towel in front of you.
2. Fold in half crosswise so that wrong sides are facing each other and right sides are facing you, and press the fold line.
(Refer to Pressing in the Procedures Section and Pic 8)
Pic 8: Hand Towel
shown folded in half
with wrong sides
facing. (Step 2)
3. Fold the potholder in half so that the loop is at the bottom of the fold but not in the fold.
4. Press the fold line. (Refer to Pressing in the Procedures Section)
5. Open up the towel and potholder.
6. Place the pressed fold line in potholder onto the pressed fold line in the towel. (Pin if necessary to hold in place) (Refer
to Pics 9 and 10)
Pic 9 &10: Hand Towel and Pot Holder after
both are pressed. Pot Holder’s press line is
set on the Hand Towel’s press line. Notice
placement of wrong and right sides of both
Hand Towel and Potholder. Also notice
location of loop in comparison to Pot Holder
fold line. (Step 6)
7. Machine baste fold line of towel. Then gather towel to match the width of the potholder, which will be placed on top of
the fold line. (Refer to Machine Baste Stitching in the Procedures Section)
8. Hand baste together. (Refer to Hand Baste Stitching in the Procedures Section and Pic 11)
Pic 11: Gathering has been
done to the Hand Towel and now
the Pot Holder is hand basted to
the Hand Towel along their fold
lines. (Step 7)
9. Reinforce the stitching at the start; stitch the potholder and towel together, stitching directly over the hand basting.
10. Reinforce stitching at ends and remove basting stitches.
11. Clip threads at end and remove basting stitches.
12. With a needle and thread, sew the button onto the front of the potholder so that the potholder can be folded up and
securely held by the loop. (Make sure the loop and button fit together)
Pic 12: Final look of Hand
Towel/Holder. Notice how the
button and loop work to connect
the holder to the bar of the oven.
Also notice the locations of the
wrong and right sides.
College of Agricultural Sciences • Cooperative Extension
Prepared under the supervision of Jan Scholl, associate professor of agricultural and
extension education.
Visit Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences on the Web: www.cas.psu.edu
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Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by Penn State Cooperative Extension is implied.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of Congress May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Legislature. T. R. Alter, Director of Cooperative Extension, The Pennsylvania State
University.
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