My Pin-Up Kitchen Towels

I guess my favorite room of the house must be the kitchen.  I spend a lot of time in there.  Like most homes, it's the hub of activity.  A while back I took you on an official tour, but today I wanted to share my pin-up towels.  I've posted a couple of these in other places so I apologize for those of you who've seen them before.

I cannot take the credit for this idea.  I ran across an article in the Christmas 2012 issue of Country Living magazine.  EllynAnne Geisel, owner of Apron Memories, had shared her collection of vintage towels.  One embroidered towel featured the back view of a lady with a plaid skirt.  One flick of the finger lifted her skirt to reveal her panties underneath!  It was positively scandalous!

My first attempt was this girl holding a wooden spoon.  I used a Vargas pin-up drawing as inspiration for the basic body, and then added the details to make her look like the 'girl next door.'  The red panties underneath are made with a single layer of netting, stitched down with the embroidery.  And the skirt is attached only at the waist.

My second towel was a gift for a friend of mine who dances burlesque, Miss Lolita Haze.  This peek-a-boo technique lends itself perfectly to burly-q.  Using the same body, I stitched platinum blonde hair, no panties and feather fans.  Instead of rick rack edging, I used lush lace.    All that's missing are the rhinestones!

Along came another friend's birthday (Wild Kat from Hometown Victory Girls), and I again tweaked the pattern to fit the recipient.  This time I added a paint brush, pallet and a cherry print skirt to match Kat's kitchen. 

Well, after giving two away, I decided that I needed to stitch up a shepherdess for my own kitchen.  I used fabric scraps and gave her a full dress instead of just a skirt.  And of course BoPeep needed boots and a crook to finish off her outfit. 

By simply changing the position of the arms and the accessories, these pin-up towels can be tailored to any person or occasion.  Embroidered towels are a must for any farmhouse kitchen, but who says they have to feature dancing spoons or grocery-shopping kittens?