Assistance request - bath towel

[Aetius]

After seeing the "stages of mario" pattern done by someone on reddit, I decided to teach myself to cross stitch and try it out (slightly modified) myself. I finished earlier this week and it's attached to this post.

For my next project I want to get more ambitious. I like the idea of functional cross stitches (hence the kitchen towel for my first project) but I want to go up to a full size bath towel. Unfortunately I've been unable to find one with a big enough stitching area (I need about 100 pixels vertical and 400 horizontal. Exact measurements aren't too picky, I can always edit the pattern, but it needs to be in that ballpark just to fit the stuff in the pattern). If anyone could assist me in figuring out how to make the following happen, I'd be very grateful:

-Full size bath towel
-Cross stitched area of at least 100x400
-Able to be used and (slightly) abused as a functional towel without damage

I will of course post pictures of the towel and the pattern when I finish.

Thanks!

[Eliste]

-Able to be used and (slightly) abused as a functional towel without damage

You're going to have to accept that anything used is going to eventually be damaged. The threads used are just not strong enough and are placed in a way that they will be rubbed. It WILL get damaged- eventually. Even if it's only fraying of the threads.

[Aetius]

-Able to be used and (slightly) abused as a functional towel without damage

You're going to have to accept that anything used is going to eventually be damaged. The threads used are just not strong enough and are placed in a way that they will be rubbed. It WILL get damaged- eventually. Even if it's only fraying of the threads.

That I can handle, I just mean I don't want it to go through the wash once or twice and all the stitches come out.

[Eliste]

My solution for that part has always been interfacing then a backing material. You can seal the back threads with the interfacing and then lock it all in with a backing fabric. If you're good with you anchoring of threads as you stitch, it should work beautifully, but that means avoid knots! Those are what are more likely to come out in the wash.

[Aetius]

My solution for that part has always been interfacing then a backing material. You can seal the back threads with the interfacing and then lock it all in with a backing fabric. If you're good with you anchoring of threads as you stitch, it should work beautifully, but that means avoid knots! Those are what are more likely to come out in the wash.

I didn't use any knots in my first piece, and by the last part (the pipe) my anchoring was much neater than at the start. Thanks for the tip on the interfacing and backing fabric, any idea how to get it onto a towel?

[Eliste]

I didn't use any knots in my first piece, and by the last part (the pipe) my anchoring was much neater than at the start. Thanks for the tip on the interfacing and backing fabric, any idea how to get it onto a towel?

With the iron of course! =P
Honestly, are you not doing it on a section of a towel designed for this? So the principle should be exactly the same. Just use cotton at the back to cover the section up.

If your talking about embroidering into the towel, like monogram type thing, I'd suggest not doing cross stitch but something more like crewel and back it with stabilizer.

[Aetius]

Honestly, are you not doing it on a section of a towel designed for this? So the principle should be exactly the same. Just use cotton at the back to cover the section up.

I couldn't find a towel with a stitching area big enough :\

[Aetius]

I think I've got an idea. Not sure how it's gonna work, but I'm going for it. I bought a towel earlier and am pulling out the loops one strand at a time in the pattern area (if cross stitching needed one thing, it was more repetitive tasks!), which leaves a pretty flat weaved surface that I can lay a waste canvas over. I shall keep you all updated.

[spinuntilyoufall]

My solution for that part has always been interfacing then a backing material. You can seal the back threads with the interfacing and then lock it all in with a backing fabric. If you're good with you anchoring of threads as you stitch, it should work beautifully, but that means avoid knots! Those are what are more likely to come out in the wash.

This may sound like a really stupid question - what is interfacing, and can I get it at any craft store? (Like Michaels or Joanns)

I am doing some stitching on shoes, so I'm worried that even though I usually don't have any problems with my stitches coming out (I do a backstitch, overstitch sort of method of securing them,) that the constant rubbing of a foot on the back will eventually pull them out, but don't really want to stitch a piece of fabric on the inside, as the stitches to secure that show around the piece itself.... so I was thinking sort of a plain black patch that could be ironed on, that would be on the inside of the shoe and protect the back of the piece against rub.... is that what interfacing is?

Or does anyone know where I could get plain black patches? It wouldn't have to be pretty, but it would have to be fairly thin so that it didn't rub when you're wearing the shoes...

[Eliste]

Interfacing is basically a stabilizer for fabric. You'll see it near seams in a lot of clothes that have a layer or a stiff part- like jackets. If you've ever looked in near a seam and seen a flimsy kinda see through white bit that sticks to the fabric, that's probably interfacing.

It's basically a lightweight thing that is iron-on on one side. Michaels and Hobby Lobby absolutely should have some. If Joann's doesn't have it, then it shouldn't be called a Joann's cause it's missing vital fabric stuff. It comes in different weird and can be used for a variety of things. It usually comes in white, but I've found black on some occasions. Generally speaking, the "fabric" of it is very light and one side has what will feel like little bumps on it. The bumps are what fuse when you iron.

Also beware, there are kinds that are fusible on both sides. Its really not pleasant to accidentally fuse it to your iron!

As for the shoes- I dunno. Interfacing isn't really the mot secure and you'll have to find a way to make it stay put and get it ironed on. I can't imagine shoes will be easy to get a iron into and you really need to make certain it's well and truly sealed for it to work. It's not a easy iron either. For a good seal, you'll need to keep the iron there for a bit. Its flimsy enough stuff, so while it might work, I think you'd be better off finding a way to stitch something over the back. If you use a proper slip stitch you should be able to stitch it down without it showing through the front of the shoes.