So, what’s the well-dressed stove handle wearing these days?

Well, if I had MY way, they’d all be wearing the dressy tea towels I’ve been feverishly pumping out the last few weeks. A kitchen just isn’t properly prepared to receive guests without one.

Oh, and those bowls you so lovingly and carefully fill with microwavable goodness – and then wrap in a dish towel to keep from burning your hands? They’d be sporting a new wrap, the kind that bowl models dream of displaying in 8X10 glossies for fancy kitchen magazines. Dinner looks so much more photogenic wrapped in these.

My friend reminded me, two weeks before July 4th, of the upcoming Independence Day street sale, parade, and fireworks. I’d done the sale with her a couple of years ago and didn’t sell much, so didn’t mess with it last year (besides, we were on our cross-country trip at the time…seemed like a more fun thing to do). But this year I thought I’d give ‘er a shot, which meant some FEVER-PITCH sewing! So I spent the next couple of weeks working, sewing, and a little sleeping in between. Good thing hubby likes to cook, or we would’ve starved!

I ended up making more than 26 tea towels, five tortilla warmers, and several microwave bowl holders. I still had purses I hadn’t sold or given away, so I took those to the Fourth sale too. I did get all fast and furious and made one more heavy-duty tote bag, which my coworker ended up buying. You go, girl!! Love it when coworkers show up at these events and buy stuff.

inside zip pocket and 3 outer pockets – I love pockets!

But, as my late husband used to say, I’d never make a good car (or anything else) trader, cuz I’d trade myself afoot. Yep…I sold 8 of the tea towels and gave 7 away. I sold two purses and gave two away (hey, they were cute little girls, and they loved purses…what can I say). The rest of the stuff will wait patiently in the sewing room for the November sale at my friend’s church, and after that, they’ll make their way into the unsuspecting homes of other friends as Christmas gifts. Some may even make a long journey to family out of state. Hey, it could happen.

With all that said, reckon it’s time to get back to the sewing room and finish the orders that came in. Yes, some folks DID order things after seeing them at the sale, so that’s good. Right? Now I’ll be making some coffee filter holders and more tea towels.

I found a site online called 6diamondsintherough that really helped. I was having a pesky problem with getting the necklines done neatly. I was sewing the side seams first and then folding the neckline under and top-stitching it down, which wasn’t working very well, in my almost professional opinion. Her You-Tube video made all the difference! When I watched her show how it was done, I thought, “Hey, that’s kinda like when I did the yoke on hubby’s shirt.” It was a great time-saver, and made the towels look SO MUCH more professional.

I noticed that her pattern looked almost exactly like the one I drew up last year, with a couple of differences. I had a V-neck opening and the sides straight under the arms, while hers curve and the neck is rounded. I may try her way next, just to see if I like it. I did try the rounded neckline, and liked it.

I also got busy and made my son’s girlfriend that purse she wanted from the beautiful fabric she and my son got me for my birthday. I want one now. 🙂

I love this fabric!

So…….what has been keeping YOU at fever-pitch this summer??

This slideshow requires JavaScript.