How do I make a bath towel?

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Request for Question Clarification by aceresearcher-ga on 09 Nov 2002 23:56 PST

neonsparkle,

It would help Researchers to better assist you if you are able to
provide some details about your question. Since you are offering
$10.00 for an Answer, and low-end quality bath towels can be bought
fairly inexpensively (around $2.99-3.99 at a discount store such as
Wal-Mart), I am wondering if you are asking this question with
something special in mind.

Regards,

aceresearcher

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Request for Question Clarification by rbnn-ga on 10 Nov 2002 00:47 PST

Are you interested in how towels are manufactured in general (i.e.,
the machinery used) or are you wanting to make a home-made towel?

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Clarification of Question by neonsparkle-ga on 10 Nov 2002 10:14 PST

I'm in a College Fashion program. We have to do a report on how to
make/create a specific item. I have to do bath towels. I'm sure you
have to weave thred on a weaving machine, add trim etc... but I don't
know the whole process.

Hi neonsparkle~

Towels are very easy to make, and if you make them yourself with
good-quality materials, you can still save a little money, since very
well made towels are quite expensive to buy. (And if you just want to
stitch up some towels for fun's sake, all the better!)

You will need toweling fabric and matching thread. Usually, this means
terrycloth. Here's one example of the sort of terrycloth:
http://www.joann.com/catalog.jhtml?CATID=57773&PRODID=67877
Terrycloth is typically available in local fabric stores.

Cut the fabric to the desired length. Here is a handy site giving
typical towel sizes:
http://www.lnt.com/guide/towelsizechart.asp?strShopperId=E95704A0C2E887D685E2ABB37EDA9C4784674444C03911B1

If the fabric is not already the desired width, cut the width, as well
as the length, accordingly. (Be sure to allow about a half inch on
every cut side, for hemming.)

All cut edges will need to be finished. You can do this simply by
making a narrow hem. To do this, press under a scant quarter-inch of
cloth. Then press the edge under again, about a quarter-inch.
Topstitch.

Viola! You have a towel. An alternative way to finish the edges is to
cut the towel to the *exact* desired measurements and bind off the
edges. The simplest way to do this is to buy ready-made bias binding
(available at sewing stores) and apply it according to the
manufacturer's directions. You can also make your own bias binding, by
following these directions:
http://www.sewing.org/html/lsbiasbinding.html

Finishing edges with bias binding may be easier than hemming, when
you're dealing with thick toweling.

You can also easily decorate your towels not only with bias binding,
but with ribbon topstitched in decorative patterns, or by applying
lace appliques, or topstitching lace to the edges. Other ideas for
towels can be found here:
http://sewing.about.com/sitesearch.htm?terms=bath%20towels&SUName=sewing&TopNode=3042&type=1

Keywords Used:
make bias binding
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=make+bias+binding

sew "bath towel*" "how to"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=sew+%22bath+towel*%22+%22how+to%22

Have fun!
kriswrite

Thanks so much. This is the only place I could find an answer to my
question. Thanks so much for answering fast.