Thursday, September 16, 2010

Dia de los Muertos Dish Towels

My Day of the Dead preparations are ramping up as the air gets crisp and the leaves begin to turn. YAY!

(Click images to see a close-up)

First Stop: Dish Towels. I'm trying to inject a little more personality and style into the practical day-to-day aspects of our home; and what is more practical than dishtowels?


I've never appliqued before so I had no idea what to expect. In short, it's fun but sort-of slow work. Kind of like coloring in a detailed stamped image with Copics.

When the dishtowels looked like this: 


I called them done and started taking pictures before they set to work mopping up spilled cacciatore.

The boys had a different impression entirely.

Boys: So how are you going to embellish them?
Me: I'm not, they're done.
Boys: Come on mom, you've gone this far...make them special.
Me: Do you know how many times these will be washed???
Boys: How 'bout ric-rac?

*sigh*



Since I'm not a sewist, I'll spare you the tutorial. All I did was cut out cute images from fabric making sure to leave a border around each shape for fraying. Then I pinned them down - skeleton hands are teeny - and sewed very slowly around the perimeter of the image. My only advice is to pin, pin, pin and pin some more. When you think you've used enough pins, add a couple.

7 comments:

chksngr said...

Ummmmm...for me...the best thing about this post is that your boys know what ric-rac is!

Danielle Leal said...

I love it! I love Dia De Los Muertos decorations. They look really nice. i don't think I could have the patience to do this.

Dunx said...

Those are really cute. Happy skeletons are always a win.

Two questions for you: did you hand sew or use the machine? And have you tried tacking rather than using many pins?

Those are kind of connected questions, since it's really hard to machine sew around heavily pinned fabric, but tacking the pieces down might cause you less finger stabbing than the many pins too.

Eileen The Artful Crafter said...

Nicole, did you realize you posted this on the Bicentennial Mexican Independence Day? Very fitting.

Lots of fireworks and parades down here today. Almost all the young children are dressed in period costumes. Very, very cute. The Mexican pride in the air is almost palpable.

Meg said...

I love them....so much that now I want some in my own kitchen!! By the way, I totally agree....your boys knowing what ric-rac is, so totally amazing :)

Cheryl Valadez said...

Swoon!!! ;D

Carmen said...

I adore them but there is NO WAY on earth anyone would be alloweed to use them on the dishes after that :P They're gorgeous - as is the convo with your boys!