Hanging a new set of crisply striped towels immediately transforms a kitchen. And now, with the new book Farmhouse Fresh, you can apply that same transformative power throughout your house with a beautiful assortment of toweling projects!
If you’re unfamiliar with toweling, it’s 16″ wide and comes off the bolt prehemmed on the two selvage edges. (How convenient is that?) You can find it in solid colors and prints, but usually you’ll see toweling with clean, classic stripes.
Toweling is heavier than quilting cotton, making it ideal for projects that see a lot of use. The classic example—and how toweling got its name—is to make it into tea towels or kitchen towels. But there’s SO MUCH MORE you can do with toweling, and Jenelle Kent is here to tell us all about it—and about her new book, Farmhouse Fresh.
G’day everyone.
My name is Jenelle and I live in the land down under, Australia. Welcome to my world of toweling! A world where woven stripes and texture add zing to your sewing projects.
How and why did this love affair with toweling start? Well, firstly, I never met a stripe I didn’t love. I initially found antique European grain sacks that were full of texture—with beautiful handwoven, wonky stripes—that were just timeless and classic. Unfortunately, these sacks are a finite resource, so they’re expensive and hard to find. Then I discovered Moda toweling, and all my dreams came true. The toweling was as close to antique grain sacks as possible, and it’s sold on 15-yard rolls! Happy days, this meant that I could make anything.
Now I have the pleasure and joy of designing toweling fabric for Moda Fabrics. Stay tuned for lots of interesting innovations and projects as new styles emerge. I love my job!
Stripes open up lots of possibility. You can run them lengthwise, crosswise, or even diagonally. You can piece them in interesting ways to make geometric patterns. Stripes coordinate perfectly with florals, solids, and dots. If you’ve already got a patchwork pillow, why not freshen your decor by making a toweling pillow to coordinate?
The texture of toweling is great for home decor projects and hard-wearing bags. It also washes really well. I’ve made many a table napkin from toweling (often the afternoon before a dinner party), and they look as good as new after washing.
My book Farmhouse Fresh contains loads of projects using Moda toweling. If you can sew in a straight line, you can make these projects. The most important tip is to use the walking foot on your sewing machine. A walking foot isn’t essential, but it will definitely help feed the thick fabric through your machine.
Embroidery and appliqué are fantastic on the thick, textured toweling. I love needle-turn appliqué, and sewing on toweling is a pleasure. With its slightly heavier weight, there’s no need for stabilizer on the back.
I’m excited to see what you all create using Farmhouse Fresh. Please share your toweling creations on social media with #farmhousefresh, #piecestotreasure, #modatoweling, and #martingaletpp. For the latest ideas, follow along on Instagram @piecestotreasure.
Mostly, I hope you have fun with this book and discover a love for working with toweling and stripes while enjoying all the possibilities it has to offer. I’m just busting to see what you make.
Happy sewing,
Jenelle
Thank you, Jenelle!
For more toweling uses, make sure to follow the Farmhouse Fresh Instagram book tour. Check out the first stop @piecestotreasure today, then be sure to follow along as the tour progresses. And after you’ve looked over the tour schedule below, read on for an exciting giveaway announcement.
Moda Fabrics sent us three yards of toweling fabric to give one lucky winner—along with a copy of Farmhouse Fresh, of course! To enter your name in the drawing, tell us in the comments:
What do you want to make from toweling?
We’ll choose a random winner on February 20, 2020, and will contact the winner by email. (For a chance to win different toweling + a copy of Farmhouse Fresh, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.) Good luck!
If you just can’t wait, you can purchase Farmhouse Fresh at our website and we’ll send you a link to instantly download the eBook.
Australian readers, be sure to follow Jenelle on Instagram to learn about a toweling giveaway just for you!
Welcome to Wish List Day at Stitch This! Everyone loves a look at what’s coming soon, right? We’re excited to introduce you to the newest Martingale books, coming your way in April. Keep track of your favorites and start dreaming about the beautiful quilts you’ll make!
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