Can you make something prettier by adding a little crochet or knitting here and there? With little time to knit or crochet a large project, how can you customize a gift or put your individual stamp on a purchased item?

crocheted starfish, knitted fish on towels

These applique towels were my answer to that question early in the 2000s. They foreshadowed my books, Crochet Bouquet, Crochet Garden, and Cute Crochet World, which are full of motifs for customizing and decorating fashions, home decor, and gifts.

I machine-stitched the felt sand and seaweed onto the towels. The fish are knitted, a pattern I borrowed from one of my early designs in print: “Tropical Fish Cardigan,” Christmas Year-Round Needlework and Craft Ideas, p. 14 ff., March 1994.

Eventually an English magazine published my crocheted basket starfish towel design: “Star Bright” (crocheted starfish on towels), Popular Crafts, p. 62, July 2002.