Have you ever heard of bath sheets? They are like bath towels, but bigger. I accidentally purchased one years ago and fell in love with it. I always planned to purchase more, but they are surprisingly hard to find, and the idea slipped from my mind. Recently, I saw a Facebook ad promoting bath sheets for $40 each and I was reminded of how great they are. I also knew that I could make them myself. So that’s what I did. Using five meters of this super lush, bamboo and cotton blend velvet towelling (provided by Minerva), I made bath sheets, hand towels, and wash cloths. I even made wash cloths for my dog, Habibi. Every morning before daycare, I wash her face with warm water. It’s gotten to the point where she’ll fuss if I don’t do it, which makes total sense. No one wants to take on the world with a crusty face!
Unlike most of my other makes, there’s no pattern for this project. I basically just cut and sewed a series of rectangles and squares. The first thing I did after I laundered my fabric was to write the dimensions on a piece of paper and draw a rectangle representing the fabric. Since my main goal is to make bath sheets, I took the fabric, wrapped it around my body and noted the dimensions of how big the sheet should be. I added those dimensions to the drawing (I had enough fabric for two sheets) and decided the best way to use the leftover fabric. After researching standard sizes for hand towels and wash cloths (and considering seam allowances), I added those dimensions to the drawing. In the end I was able to make two 87×41 inch bath sheets, six 29×17 inch hand towels, and 13×13 inch six wash cloths.
It’s hard to describe how luxurious this Minerva Core Range Bamboo Cotton Velvet Towelling fabric is! On one side, it’s a lovely, scrubby texture that’s perfect for cleansing your body. On the other side, it’s a rich, velvet texture that works great for removing suds and drying your body. This medium to heavyweight fabric comes in over 40 different colors (I chose Bordeaux), so I’m sure you can find the perfect color. Because the fabric is so lush, I had a little bit of fuzz flying around when I cut the fabric, but this disappeared after I finished the seams and gave the fabric a quick shake. The color stayed rich and true after laundering and I haven’t had any issues using the towels for my daily shower. I’m obsessed with the final product, and it’s got me thinking about what other non-garment sewing projects I should explore. Here’s to trying new things in the new year!
