Saturday, January 30, 2010

I've still got more Tea Towel Challenge ideas! What about you?

I love being Australian, and part of that love is treasuring the written history left to us by wonderful bush poets such as Banjo Paterson. His iconic poem "The Man From Snowy River" is known to all Aussies, and was even immortalised in a movie many years ago that still thrills me today when I watch it, especially 
the 'descent' chase scene - watch this link on You Tube - it's absolutely brilliant!

A while back I was sent a "Man From Snowy River" tea towel and I just didn't want to use it for drying the dishes so I stored it away until an idea came to pass. That idea finally did spring to mind with this Challenge, and today I gave my tea towel a new purpose! 

I began by cutting the tea towel into 5 pieces...
Then  I stitched the top and bottom pieces together...
...before laying the front piece down on it, stitching them together as you would a bag, and trimming them even at the sides.
The next step was to box the bottom of the 'bag'...
before turning it right side out and trimming the top of the bag level. I used one of the side strips I'd cut off at the beginning and hemmed the raw edge. This was to become a handle, so after folding in large 1" double seams around the bag top I added in the handle before stitching it all down. I stitched a row along the bottom and the top of the hem to secure the handle firmly in place.
Once this was done I made a simple calico sack and filled it with 2 kilos of raw rice, stitched it closed and popped it in the tea towel bag.
There was a bit of space left to fill so I added some poly fibre-fill before stitching three red buttons along the top to close the bag.
And now we have a very special Door Stopper, a reminder of the amazing mountain men and their wild horses who helped build our country!
~~~~~
Many of you have been busy with your own unique Tea Towel Challenge projects, and I have to say WOW, they are amazing!!
Janet made some new covers for her old and worn pot holders...
Clever Karen made an organiser...
Lauren made a restraint snug for her little boy's car seat...
and Christine made two aprons for some special little people!

Leslie hasn't made anything for the Challenge, but she did send me THIS link to an unusual tea towel project! Have a look see!
Only today and tomorrow remaining to get your projects entered in the January Challenge, so be sure and send me a photo in an email,  or a link to your blog post. 

Have you enjoyed seeing what others are making from the humble tea towel?
Hugs
Jenny
xxx

12 comments:

KaHolly said...

Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, You are just too darned clever to keep up with!
All you "Aussie girls" amaze me with your creative talents. If it wasn't for you, I'd never have anything to make. I'm so anxious to get back to my sewing quarters! I like traveling around to visit my family in the winter, but you make me miss my sewing machine more and more! ~karen

Terry said...

Lovely door stopper! The Man From Snowy River is one of my favorite movies!! :0)

Lurline said...

Wow, I love that idea for the door stop - I would have to put a brick in mine, but that's okay!
Hugs - Lurline♥

retdairyqueen said...

How do you come up with these wonderful ideas?
Loved that movie
I spent my childhood in " Snowy River Country" and many of the extras in the movie were old school friends, so it was even more presonal to me

Joy McD said...

Hi Jenny, Love your doorstop! and all the other clever things :) I've finally managed to make up two projects with four teatowels :) I've posted about them here:
http://joysquilts.blogspot.com/
It was fun, thanks!!
lv,

Joy

Unknown said...

My favorite Blog, and obviously, a lot of others too! You keep me creative. I'm working on some tea towels things, but only finished one so far! Love what you did as a door stopper, now that gives me another idea. Thanks again for a fun blog!! You are so generous with your sharing ways!
Ruth

Allie said...

Oh girl you are the clever one! HOW did they film that movie - sheesh, gave me palpitations to watch it! Didn't understand why they were chasing the horses but it was exciting.
Love your doorstopper, and I've really enjoyed seeing all the projects!

Bec Clarke said...

How cool that you have one of those towels. I live 30 mins from Corryong and still havn't been to the festival.

Annie Bee said...

Love the door stop idea. We have a lot of door slamming in our house so might have to see what can be done. Such clever ladies out there.

Bec said...

Very cool teatowel ideas, I have missed heaps on the blogs while I have had dh at home, am hoping to get back to normal this week.
must email you a pic of a teatowel kids apron.....

Vickie said...

lovely to see what others have made form tea towels and also gives one ideas for bits of fabric of around the same size..love your doorstop,cheers Vickie

Heather - Dollarstorecrafts.com said...

What a cool project! I never knew "Man from Snowy River" was based on a poem... the tea towel is so neat.