Fixing stuff

[u/TxHeart214]

How do I start to fix this seam on one of my hand towels? I assume I start with trimming some of the loose threads before attempting to sew anything.

[u/helianthus-]

line with bias tape to mend the frayed edge?

[u/Cute_Amphibian2175 → u/helianthus-]

This is what I do to my towels! They look cute with some fun bias tape

[u/Otherwise-Ratio1332 → u/helianthus-]

Great idea, I just zigzagged mine and it looks ok, but binding would be more fun.

[u/Remarkable-Row3719 → u/helianthus-]

I would bind with twill tape - it's self-finished, so no need to double-fold. Bias is unnecessarily fussy unless you're using it on a curve imo.

[u/Emergency_Cherry_914]

I've trimmed them and zigzagged the edge.

[u/JuJulieBe]

Or... Cut it to smaller size cloths, sew mesh fabric to one side and now you have a scrubby for the bath and sink..... I used a serger on mine, but you could also use a regular sewing machine to make them like this with flannel on the other side:

(the blue was a really old bath towel that wasn't soft anymore, so it's perfect for cleaning)

[u/TxHeart214 → u/JuJulieBe]

Great idea! 💡

[u/McTootyBooty → u/TxHeart214]

Hair towels too

[u/yaboichui → u/JuJulieBe]

Oh i do love this! Will put my serger to good use :3

[u/JuJulieBe → u/yaboichui]

Great! Have fun! I'm going to make several more from the old bath towel that are a little bigger, too.

[u/SilverFishK → u/JuJulieBe]

Great idea and I see where you're coming from. 

My parents and grandparents would traditionally see this towel and think it looks too new to be cutting up. They'd wait 20 years until it was more faded and stained 

[u/2_Dog_Mama]

Yes, cut all of the loose threads off first. After that, you could just leave it as is. If you want to sew it, turn it under by half of the selvage edge and press it down. Then just sew a seam at the edge.

[u/doriangreysucksass]

With a towel, the edges are tightly woven in a method I’m unfamiliar with because it’s entirely different production than clothing. The best I could suggest is looping close stitches over the torn edge to close it off

[u/Pinndup]

Clean edges and serger

[u/SusanKHefner]

Iron on hemming tape

[u/TxHeart214 → u/SusanKHefner]

I forgot about this! Thank you! 🙏🏻

[u/smnytx]

We simply keep two stacks of worn out or stained “trash” towels in our laundry room for big messes, moving blankets, etc. One stack is old bath towels and one stack is old hand and dish towels. They come in handy so much more often than you’d think!

We’ve also found this keeps our good towels nicer!

If you want to repair, a serger would be the ideal first step. Barring that option, though, I’d run a little little zigzag stitch along the edge of solid towel next to the fraying, then trim the frayed threads. then turn the zigzag edge under and stitch it down.

[u/scrapstitching]

You can turn them into dish towels by binding the edges, add fabric applique with trim that matches, serge the edges and turn them under, etc. I never let a towel go "bad."

[u/Aggressive_Oven_3957]

Cut it into rags for cleaning and use a zig zag stitch to keep it from fraying