Recycled Towels

Today it is rainy and cold - a perfect day to stay in my pajamas and be lazy.  I thought about sewing but I just never made it to my sewing room.

I am super cheap when it comes to buying towels and wash clothes because I think they are ridiculously expensive.  I have been needing wash clothes for years now but just could not bring myself to buy any.

I saw this idea but I don't remember where.  I thought it was from one of the project sites I use but I could not find it when I went searching for it.  Anyway a saw it last week and wondered why it never occurred to me to do this earlier.

I had some old towels that I no long used because I didn't have matching wash clothes to go with them.  The three towels were still soft and in good condition so I decided to recycle them and make some much needed wash clothes.

New Wash Cloth

How I did It

With the first towel I used an existing wash cloth as a template to cut out the new ones.  I used my serger to finish the edges.  The problem I found when sewing the curved corner was I didn't get close enough and had to re-stitch the corners.  The other issue was I wasted a bit of the towel.

First Towel

Wash Cloth Template

My New Wash Cloths of Varying Sizes

With the second towel I folded it into thirds and cut right down the middle and ended up with six squares.  Cutting squares instead of rounded corners made it much easier when serging and I did not have to re-serge the corners.

I rounded the corners by starting about 2 inches from the edge turning the cloth to create the rounded corner.  I also slowed down a bit.

Second Batch Multicolored Ones in the Back

I decided the second batch of wash clothes were too big so with the third batch I made the third and final change (it was my last towel).

I folded the towel into fourths and cut it straight down the middle - the perfect size this time.  Again I used the serger to create the rounded corners.

Third Batch Single Colored Ones in the Front

Close Up from the Third Batch

Conclusion

I now have 22 new wash cloths and three less towels.  They don't match my current towels but I am over that.  It will be nice to bathe with a wash cloth that is in tack and not falling apart.

Here are the wash cloths that I am replacing.  I still can't bring myself to throw them away.  One day I will find a new purpose for them.