Going Green with Red!

Note: This posted originally in 2012!  You can use this little tutorial to make a lipstick blotter to save on tissue and toilet paper!!!
Who would have thought we would be worrying about that in this day and age!

   

         Lipstick Blotter Towel

My husband's Aunt Rubye was an extraordinary seamstress. She had a career embroidering monograms for Neiman Marcus at one time! She shared with me the little embroidery design of the two birds with the word "Lip Stick" in between them. When I asked about it, she said that during World War II, tissues and toilet paper were at a premium and they didn't waste them by using them to blot lipstick! They made little red towels to blot their lips on! 
  Here I'm going to give you a simple tutorial for making your own!
(Of course, if you embroider, you can just hem a red cloth and embroider near the bottom.) This is such a simple project, many of you will not need a tutorial, but I have several followers who are new to sewing. I do have a little tip in there that even the more experienced might appreciate, so glance through it for that. If you're new to sewing, this is EASY! You can do it!

1. Cut two pieces for the front and the back (I'll call these A). Also cut a coordinating strip for the bottom (B) and if you want to add trim, cut that too. The size is not crucial. You can make it any size you want. My red strips are 7" x 13" and my bottom strips are 7" x 3". The trim is cut 7" long each.

2. HERE'S THE TIP! If you will use a glue stick to stick the trim where you want it, sewing it into the seam will be SO much easier! The trim I am using is so narrow, I have dropped it down so that only the top of it is on the 1/4" seam line. If your trim is wider, you can just glue it flush with the raw edge.

3. Place each A piece right sides together with a B piece, sandwiching the trim in between the two. Sew a 1/4" seam to connect the two.

4. Press each sewn piece, turning the seam upward so the trim will lay flat.

5. Put the two pieces right sides together. Pay attention to match the seams at the sides for the borders.

6. Sew all the way around, leaving a gap at the top that is about 2" to 3" wide. Turn the piece right side out through this gap. (I like to cut the points off the corners first to reduce the bulk, but be sure you don't cut across the seam when you do this!) Push the corners out with a long skewer or some other tool. Press and hand sew the gap closed. You're finished! Wasn't that easy?

Now you can feel like you're doing your part to save that paper!!