Sunday, April 15, 2012

A Unique Baby Gift




I've been making baby hooded towels for almost 30 years.  About a year after my first daughter was born a friend had a baby girl and her mom gave her a hooded towel she bought at Macinaw Island.  It was the most beautiful baby towel I had ever seen.   It was pink and was made from a bath towel and a wash cloth.
It was a luscious thick towel and had appliqued tulips across the bottom of the towel.  This was about 1982 and her mom had paid $40 for it.  I nearly fell over at the thought of that price.  Being a home economics major in college and someone who had been sewing since high school, I decided I could make one.

I made some and did some machine applique, but it was  new thing and people did not want to pay anything for them.  At that time I tried to sell them for $12.00.  I just found that people didn't want to pay much for handmade items.   I continued to make them for baby gifts and still do.  Sometimes it seems like young moms aren't so sure about the gift, but after they have the baby and are able to swaddle that little one in a super absorbent towel then they love it.

I'm still making them and I try to find the best towels I can.  I buy them retail so I shop at Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning.  The best towel I ever found was at Tuesday Morning and it was made in Brazil.  I haven't seen any like those in years but recently I found some at Tuesday morning and right now I have several on hand.  If you are looking for a special baby gift that can be used for years this is it.
When the baby is and infant you can swaddle the child in the towel after a bath and the towel quickly absorbs the water and your baby is warm.  Unlike those crummy thin so called terry hooded  towels that can never be folded again after they are washed.  As the child grows you can use the towel at the tub, or pool or backyard sprinkler.  Most children can use then until they are 3 or 4.

I make mine out of a towel and hand towel and like I said pay retail.  I drive to Lexington to buy them and  I sell them for $25.00



Here are some pictures of what I have on hand.  Feel free to contact me by email for more info
tgoepper@aol.com.





                                         This is a Vera towel.  The bath towel retails for $26.00

5 comments:

  1. Our first towel was a gift from you, Linda for our baby son - 16 years ago. I then made one for each of our other children. They grew up using them - some of the towels lasted until the child was 10 years old!!! Great, great, great!!!

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    1. Thanks Anita. It's great they can use them so long!

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  2. These towels are absolutely beautiful - by the way!

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  3. Replies
    1. Thanks Cuz! That's a great compliment coming from the best seamstress I know!

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