dishrag people

Quiet Guy and I have a mixed marriage, but somehow we've managed to make it work. He comes from sponge people, whereas I come from dishrag people. Dishrags are lovely because you can toss them into the laundry pile at the end of each day and start out with a fresh one the next. Sponges, on the other hand, when used daily and repeatedly for washing dishes and counters, are just plain nasty with their dingy grey splotches and their funky smell. The scent gets worse as the weeks of service wear on, but sponge people never seem to notice. Their noses have become dysfunctional with years of sponge overuse. 

The first time I visited QG's mom's house, when we started dating, it was rough, what with that ancient sponge looming in the kitchen sink. That sponge was old enough to have grandsponges. And I had to eat the food that touched its sponge-wiped surfaces. By day three, I broke down, uttering ever so softly to Jane, my future mother-in-law, "Do you think we should possibly switch that sponge out for a fresh one?" 

"Why would we want to do that?" She asked, oblivious to the non-stop germ orgy happening in her very sink. I knew then I had my work cut out for me, but managed to pull QG over to the dishrag side as soon as we got hitched. It was a condition of our engagement. 

So, when Jane visited our apartment after the wedding, one of her first questions was "Where's the sponge?" 

I said, "We don't have a sponge, but the dishrag's hanging right there on the faucet." She looked at me. Her jaw dropped open, then slowly closed. The next day, she bought us a sponge. It quickly got lost. she bought another. That, too, got lost. Funny how that happens.

I have turned QG into a dishrag person. He is the only turncoat in his entire clan. Naturally, on our recent vacation with his family we had to endure the sponge. Not a dishrag in sight. Oy. I wanted to shout, "You're killing me, people." But I didn't. I tossed myself under the sponge bus for the entire week without a peep. It was downright heroic, if I say so myself.

The reason for all this yammering is today's craft. I want to show you how to make a quick and easy linen dishrag. For whatever reason, I am picky about dishrags. I don't like the thick ones you often see in stores. I like thin-ish, yet strong ones, and linen is the perfect material. Also, it is easy to find bargain linen items at Thrift Shops which items can be re-purposed for dishrags, pillows and such. Here's how to make a dishrag out of a jacket. I picked this one up for two bucks. You will have leftover fabric and I'll give you ideas on what to make with that one day soon. Wait for it.

Lay out the jacket and cut away all of the seams. Now, use the back portion to cut a 20 inch by ten inch rectangle. I used a rotary cutter. Fold it in half to form a square and stitch raw edges together, but leave a 2-3 inch open space along one side. Snip corner-tips off. Now turn right-side-out, pulling the fabric through the opening. 

Use a hemming tool or butter knife to press edges and corners out from the inside and iron flat, pressing the edges under on the little open portion. 

Now stitch along all four edges in one continuous seam. Stitch corner to corner across each opposite corner of the square to make two intersecting lines. Now stitch two more lines from midpoint to midpoint on the diagonal. This quilting effect keeps the sides together nicely. Trim threads. Your dishrag is ready for service.

PS. I am sorry if I have offended any sponge people out there. I love you. I do. It's your sponge that I'm not so crazy about.