This is the full you tube tutorial link How to Embroider a Christmas Towel | Machine Embroidery for Beginners https://youtu.be/kPkbkkIgKy4
Cassie Cartmell – Faodail Creation
Table of Contents
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel is a fun and simple holiday sewing project, especially when you are using an embroidery machine such as the Baby Lock Altair 2. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to embroider a Christmas towel from start to finish, including choosing a built-in Christmas embroidery design, preparing your towel and stabilizer, setting up the embroidery hoop, stitching the design, changing thread colours, and removing the wash-away stabilizer when you are finished.
For this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project, I’m using my Baby Lock Altair 2 sewing and embroidery machine and a simple Christmas ornament design from the machine’s built-in embroidery designs.
You don’t need an expensive towel for this project. In fact, I recommend starting with an inexpensive kitchen towel while you learn how to embroider on towels. This gives you a chance to practice without worrying about ruining your favourite Christmas linens.
The finished towel makes a lovely Christmas decoration for your kitchen, a handmade holiday gift, or a fun project to add to your seasonal décor.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel With the Baby Lock Altair 2
The Baby Lock Altair 2 is a sewing and embroidery machine with built-in embroidery designs and editing features that make projects like this quite straightforward.
Before starting this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project, I recommend gathering everything you need and preparing your towel carefully.
What You Need to Embroider a Christmas Towel
For this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel tutorial, you will need:
Below I have added my Amazon Affiliate links if you decide to purchase from one of these links I may receive a small commission at no extra cost yo you
This is my Amazon Store Link https://www.amazon.com/shop/faodailcreation
- Baby Lock Altair 2 sewing and embroidery machine
- Christmas kitchen towel – https://link.amazon/B076zqwqu
- 5″ x 7″ embroidery hoop
- Sticky-back wash-away stabilizer – https://link.amazon/B0e8TkX91
- Wash-away film stabilizer https://link.amazon/B0h1BMpmD
- Embroidery thread – https://link.amazon/B06jbLH7G
- Bobbin thread – https://link.amazon/B0arHCE0Q
- Embroidery foot
- Sewing pin https://link.amazon/B0bc1HNf1
- Scissors – https://link.amazon/B08m6tXSm
- Water in a spray bottle https://link.amazon/B0aMuvL0e
- Paper towel – https://link.amazon/B0f8imS0h
I’m using a relatively inexpensive kitchen towel. If this is your first time learning How to Embroider a Christmas Towel, inexpensive towels are a great choice for practicing.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel Step 1 – Prepare the Baby Lock Altair 2
The first step in this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel tutorial is preparing the Baby Lock Altair 2 for embroidery.
Turn on the machine and press the button that moves the embroidery carriage. Allow the carriage to move into position.
Once the carriage has finished moving, select Embroidery on the machine’s screen.
The Altair 2 will then take you into the embroidery portion of the machine.
Baby Lock Educator Tip From Cassie – How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
Baby Lock Educator Tip: When you are learning How to Embroider a Christmas Towel, take a moment to make sure your embroidery carriage has enough room to move freely. I also recommend keeping fabric, thread, scissors, and other objects away from the carriage while the machine is operating.
Giving the machine a little space can help prevent accidental interference while you are stitching.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel Step 2 – Choose a Christmas Design
For this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project, I’m using one of the built-in Christmas designs on the Baby Lock Altair 2.
On the embroidery screen, select Celebrate to bring up the Christmas-themed designs.
There are several festive designs available, but I decided to use a Christmas ornament design.
Select the Christmas ornament and then press Set.
Your chosen design will now appear on the embroidery screen.
Editing the Christmas Embroidery Design
One of the nice things about using the Altair 2 for How to Embroider a Christmas Towel is that you can make adjustments to the design before stitching.
The machine gives you several editing options.
You can:
- Resize the design
- Make it larger
- Make it smaller
- Move the design
- Adjust the placement
- Make other available embroidery edits
For my towel, I decided to make the design slightly larger. The machine allows you to increase or decrease the size in increments, so I increased mine by 10%.
Once you are happy with the design, press OK.
For this project, I didn’t need to make any additional changes.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel Step 3 – Check the Embroidery Information
Before beginning How to Embroider a Christmas Towel, it is useful to check the embroidery information displayed on the screen.
The Altair 2 shows you information about the design, including the estimated stitching time and the number of stitches.
For my Christmas ornament design, the machine showed approximately 16 minutes of stitching time and 8,600 stitches.
The actual stitching time can vary, so consider the displayed time an estimate rather than an exact finishing time.
Baby Lock Educator Tip From Cassie – How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
Baby Lock Educator Tip: Always check the number of stitches and the estimated stitching time before starting. It gives you an idea of how long the project will take and how much thread you may need.
This is especially useful when you are planning several embroidered Christmas gifts.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel Step 4 – Prepare the Embroidery Hoop
For this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project, I’m using a 5″ x 7″ embroidery hoop.
The next important step is choosing the right stabilizer.
Because towels have a pile or raised surface, stabilizer is especially important.
For the towel itself, I’m using a sticky-back stabilizer.
Sticky-back stabilizer is helpful because it keeps the towel securely in place without requiring you to hoop the towel itself.
Preparing Sticky-Back Stabilizer
Sticky-back stabilizer has two sides:
- A glossy side
- A paper side
Place the glossy side facing upward.
Use a sewing pin to gently score the paper layer. You don’t need to cut deeply into the stabilizer. The goal is simply to create an opening that allows you to lift away the paper.
Once you have lifted the paper, remove it to expose the sticky surface underneath.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel Step 5 – Position the Towel
Now it is time to position the towel.
To find the centre of the towel, fold it in half.
Gently press or finger-crease the fold to create a centre line.
Open the towel and use that crease as your positioning guide.
Place the towel onto the sticky stabilizer, lining up the centre of the towel with the area where you want the Christmas embroidery design to appear.
The sticky stabilizer should hold the towel securely in place.
For this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project, I’m not adding pins to the towel. I’m simply allowing the sticky stabilizer to hold it in position.
Baby Lock Educator Tip From Cassie – How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
Baby Lock Educator Tip: Take your time with placement. Once the towel is stuck to the stabilizer, carefully check that it is straight before attaching the hoop to the machine.
A few extra seconds spent checking placement can make a big difference to the finished project.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel Step 6 – Add Wash-Away Film Stabilizer
Towels have a raised surface called pile.
If you stitch directly onto the pile, your embroidery can become partially hidden between the towel fibres.
That is why I’m adding a wash-away film stabilizer on top of the towel.
This type of stabilizer is often called a topper.
Place the wash-away film over the area where you will embroider the design.
The film helps hold the towel fibres down so the embroidery stitches sit on top of the towel rather than disappearing into the pile.
You can use a couple of small pieces of tape to hold the topper in place if necessary.
Understanding the Two Wash-Away Stabilizers
There are different types of wash-away stabilizers, and they have different purposes.
The wash-away film used on top of the towel is designed as a topper. It helps control the pile while the embroidery is being stitched.
A heavier wash-away stabilizer is different. It provides more stability and may be used in the embroidery hoop for projects such as certain patches or freestanding designs.
Baby Lock Educator Tip: Don’t Confuse Your Wash-Away Stabilizers
Baby Lock Educator Tip: Always check whether your project calls for wash-away film or wash-away stabilizer. They are not interchangeable.
The film topper I’m using for this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project is specifically helping control the towel’s pile.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel: Step 7 – Thread the Machine
The first colour in my Christmas ornament design is black.
I’m changing the top thread to black and also using black bobbin thread.
One feature I really like about the Baby Lock Altair 2 is its automatic needle threading system.
Press the automatic threading button, and the machine threads the needle for you.
This is a particularly handy feature when you are changing embroidery thread colours throughout a project.
Why Use Matching Bobbin Thread? – How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
For this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project, I’m using the same colour in the bobbin as the top thread.
When you embroider a towel, some of the bobbin thread can be visible on the back of the project.
Using a matching colour gives the reverse side a cleaner appearance.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel: Step 8 – Attach the Hoop and Embroidery Foot
Now we are ready to attach the towel and hoop to the embroidery machine.
Move the towel out of the way as you position the hoop.
Line up the hoop with the embroidery carriage.
While pushing the hoop into position, hold the back portion securely and push the hoop into place.
Once it is attached, move the towel out of the way of the embroidery foot.
Now attach the embroidery foot.
The machine will display the design’s position on the screen.
You can also see information about how many stitches remain and the estimated amount of time left.
Baby Lock Educator Tip From Cassie – How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
Baby Lock Educator Tip: Before pressing start, make sure the towel, stabilizer, and topper are completely clear of the embroidery foot and needle area.
It is also a good idea to check that nothing is caught underneath the hoop.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel Step 9 – Stitch the Christmas Design
Now comes the fun part of How to Embroider a Christmas Towel stitching the design!
Start the embroidery machine and allow it to stitch the first colour.
The Altair 2 displays the embroidery progress on the screen.
You can see where the design is stitching and monitor the number of stitches remaining.
The towel and topper may puff up slightly while the machine is stitching.
Don’t panic if you see the stabilizer lifting or the towel looking a little puffy. The towel’s pile and the topper can create this appearance while the embroidery is being stitched.
Once the first colour is finished, the machine will prompt you for the next thread colour.
For my Christmas ornament, the next colour is red.
Stop the machine, change the thread to red, and then return the embroidery hoop to the machine.
Continue stitching the remaining colours according to the prompts on the screen.
Baby Lock Educator Tip From Cassie – How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
Baby Lock Educator Tip: When changing thread colours, always make sure the new thread is properly seated and threaded before continuing. If your machine has automatic needle threading, take advantage of it it can save time and make colour changes easier.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel Step 10 – Remove the Stabilizer and Finish
Once your Christmas embroidery design has completely finished stitching, remove the hoop from the machine.
Now you can remove the wash-away film.
The topper should tear away from around the embroidery.
Gently pull away as much of the excess film as you can without disturbing the stitches.
Next, remove the sticky-backed stabilizer from the back of the towel.
Take your time around the embroidered area.
Removing Wash-Away Stabilizer From the Ornament
There may still be some wash-away stabilizer remaining in the centre of the embroidered Christmas ornament.
This is where warm to hot water comes in handy.
Lightly spritz the remaining stabilizer with warm or hot water.
The stabilizer will begin to dissolve.
You can use your fingernail to gently help remove any remaining residue.
A piece of kitchen roll can also be useful for wiping away the softened stabilizer.
If appropriate for your towel and the stabilizer manufacturer’s instructions, you can also wash the towel to remove any remaining stabilizer.
Allow the towel to dry completely before displaying it.
How to Embroider a Christmas Towel The Finished Project
And that’s it!
You now have a finished embroidered Christmas towel.
The Christmas ornament design adds a festive touch without requiring a complicated embroidery project.
This How to Embroider a Christmas Towel technique can also be adapted for other seasonal towels and decorative projects.
Try experimenting with different built-in embroidery designs, thread colours, and towel styles.
You could create Christmas trees, snowflakes, ornaments, Santa designs, stars, or other holiday motifs depending on the embroidery designs available on your machine.
Baby Lock Educator Tips for Better Towel Embroidery – How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
As a Baby Lock Educator, here are a few things I recommend keeping in mind when you are learning How to Embroider a Christmas Towel:
Choose an Affordable Towel for Your First Project
Don’t start with an expensive towel.
A dollar-store or inexpensive kitchen towel is perfect for practising embroidery placement, stabilizer selection, and thread changes.
Once you are comfortable with the process, you can move on to higher-quality towels.
Use the Right Stabilizer
Towels need special consideration because of their pile.
A sticky-back stabilizer can help hold the towel securely, while wash-away film on top helps prevent the embroidery from becoming buried in the towel fibres.
Check Your Placement
Before starting the embroidery, fold the towel to establish the centre.
Make sure the design is positioned where you want it before you begin stitching.
Match Your Bobbin Thread
Using matching bobbin thread can make the back of the embroidered towel look much cleaner.
This is particularly helpful if the reverse side of your towel will be visible.
Don’t Rush Thread Changes
When your machine stops and asks for a new colour, take a moment to check your threading.
Proper threading helps keep the embroidery stitching consistent throughout the project.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
Can a Beginner Learn How to Embroider a Christmas Towel?
Absolutely. A Christmas towel is a good beginner embroidery project because the finished item is relatively small and you can use a simple built-in design.
Starting with an inexpensive towel also makes the learning process much less intimidating.
What Stabilizer Should I Use to Embroider a Towel?
For How to Embroider a Christmas Towel, I recommend considering a stabilizer that securely holds the towel in place and a wash-away film topper to control the towel’s pile.
Always follow the stabilizer manufacturer’s recommendations for the specific towel and embroidery design you are using.
Why Do You Need a Topper When Embroidering a Towel? – How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
A towel has raised fibres that can surround and hide embroidery stitches.
A wash-away film topper helps hold those fibres down while the design is being stitched, allowing the embroidery to remain more visible.
What Size Hoop Do You Need for a Christmas Towel?
For my How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project, I’m using a 5″ x 7″ hoop.
The correct hoop size depends on the design you choose and the embroidery machine you are using.
Can You Wash an Embroidered Christmas Towel?
Yes, but always follow the care instructions for the towel, embroidery thread, and stabilizer you used.
Make sure any wash-away stabilizer residue has been removed before laundering the finished towel.
Final Thoughts on How to Embroider a Christmas Towel
Learning How to Embroider a Christmas Towel is a great way to combine machine embroidery with a practical holiday project.
Using the Baby Lock Altair 2 makes it easy to select a built-in Christmas design, make simple size adjustments, position the design, and stitch it out in multiple colours.
The most important things to remember are to choose the right stabilizer, secure your towel properly, use a wash-away topper over the towel’s pile, and take your time with thread changes.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to experiment.
If you’re new to machine embroidery, start with an inexpensive towel and a simple design. Once you’ve completed your first How to Embroider a Christmas Towel project, you can start experimenting with different Christmas designs and create handmade towels for your own home or as gifts.
I hope you enjoyed this How to Embroider a Christmas Towel tutorial and that it inspires you to pull out your embroidery machine and create something festive for the holiday season.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more sewing, quilting, appliqué, and embroidery tutorials from Faodail Creation.
Please note: I am a Baby Lock Educator, but I am not paid or sponsored to create this tutorial.
More Baby Lock Altair 2 Projects
If you enjoy using your Baby Lock Altair 2, be sure to check out my other sewing and embroidery tutorials and projects. You can also find more information about the Baby Lock Altair 2 through the link below.
Happy sewing and embroidery!
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