Holiday Dish Towel with Knife Pleats

Last year, I bought a dish towel kit at a local fabric/quilt shop on the Quilt Shop Hop. The kit included:

- Red Kitchen Towel
- Reindeer Fabric (4" x 22")
- Black and White Snowflake Fabric (3 1/2" x 45")

The towel was easy and fun to put together. To make it, iron 1/4" around the reindeer fabric to fit the width of the towel. DO NOT iron the towel.

Stitch 1/4" of the black snowflake fabric (width of fabric) and the two shorter sides. No need to do the top because it will be stitched down with the reindeer fabric.

To make the snowflake fabric pleated, you need to use a kitchen fork. Take one end of the unsewn edge of the fabric with the bottom tine of the fork. 

Twist it towards the feed dogs so that your fork will lay flat on the machine. 

Tighten the fork and fabric so that excess fabric is pulled towards you. This will give uniform pleats. 

Hold down the pleat and remove the fork before sewing. 

Repeat the process above for the remaining fabric.

Attach the pleated strip to the towel with pins; and then sew it in place.

Place the reindeer fabric on top and pin in place. Sew along the top and bottom edges (the width of the towel). 

Turn over the towel and fold the ends under. Pin and then sew along the edge of the towel to attach the reindeer fabric and place and give a nice, finished edge to the fabric.

The towel is finished!

This towel was easy to make and could easily be adapted for different seasons and holidays.