{DIY} Deer Head Applique Tea Towel

Texas doesn't get much of a Winter, so I love to embrace all the shapes, fabrics and textures that accompany cold weather, as long as possible. Just because Christmas is packed away for another year, it doesn't mean we have to remove all traces of the chilly season. I had a hankering to make a custom tea towel, so I decided on an appliqued deer head. As long as there's no Rudolph nose, it's more Winter than Christmas!

The supplies are simple and inexpensive (isn't that a given for me?!)...plain kitchen towel, fabric swatch for applique, and Heat-n-Bond Lite. I found this pack of Kitchen Towels for a few bucks at WalMart, and my fabric is actually an old plaid scarf I no longer wear.

Ever since I made Faux Antlers, I've been smitten with deer heads, and thought the Wintery symbol paired well with the wool fabric. To get the shape, I searched 'Deer Head Silhouette' online, and traced it directly off the screen in the size I wanted, then cut it out.

Using Heat-n-Bond gives your applique better shape, and prevents movement or puckering when sewing. First you adhere the Heat-n-Bond to your applique fabric, then adhere the applique to your towel. Sounds complicated, but it really isn't.

Cut a piece slightly larger than your shape, lay the textured side directly on the back-side of your fabric, and iron the paper side to adhere the Heat-n-Bond. Then trace your shape on the paper side, keeping in mind it's the reverse.  

Cut out your shape, peel off the paper, and position the applique on your towel.

Iron it in place, adhering your applique to the towel. To keep the edges of the applique from fraying in the wash, you'll want to seal them with a simple zig-zag stitch.

Your eyes are not deceiving you....this is indeed a sewing machine...and I'm the one operating it!! Painfully Very slowly, I sewed around the perimeter of my deer head. Had I thought this through, I'd surely have chosen a much simpler shape as my first applique attempt!

Don't look too closely, but you get the idea of how it should look. Hard to tell, but I was indeed sewing sober.

And to further punish myself, I opted to add pom-pom trim to the bottom edge of the towel. Pom-poms are like frosting is to cake.

Considering this was only my second attempt at sewing (read my first tearful experience here), I think it's not too shabby. Granted I won't be opening an Etsy shop anytime soon. An experienced sewer could probably knock this out in about 30-minutes.

I pat myself on the back every time I see it hanging in my Kitchen. I'm already dreaming up applique options for the next season...or dare I attempt a monogram?!

The Ikea sewing machine I had went bye-bye, and I'm making friends with a big-girl machine (thanks for the recommendation, Courtney, I loooove this one!) Hopefully that means I'll finish those Dining Room drapes I keep talking about. *snort*