By Frances from Valdosta, GA
I believe my Grandma made some of these. She took two bath towels and folded the first length-wise, cut a slit for the head in the middle and faced it. She then took the second one and cut it in half width-wise to sew onto the middle of the top towel for the skirt. The arms are sewn at the same time as the sides which is last. It looks kind of like a kimono, I loved it.
I took 3 lighter weight bath towels (not the huge and heavy ones), stitched them together at the seams, folded over the top for elastic insert, did a trim around the top and then put a GIANT button and button hole. Wore these pregnant, wore it to the beach, on a hot day when everything else felt bad. My favorite one I still get compliments on at the pool, and I made that one back about 1980. Never wears out. Perfect for over the suit to the pool, making some for my little grand-girls this summer.
I made one of those robes way back then. I saw a neighbor lady wearing one and studied that. If I remember right a small circle was cut out of the center of the towel that would go cross ways on the robe. Then I centered the two vertical towels on the top one and sewed them in place on the horizontal one. Then I cut a slit vertically in the center, starting at the neckline and going as far down as I wanted it for the length of a zipper. I think I went down quite far, as long as I could find a zipper for. I installed the zipped then sewed matching bias binding around the neckline and then sewed the side seams, leaving about up to the knee open on each side. To sew the side seams I started at the end of one sleeve and went around the arm pit and down the side as far as I wanted the slit to begin. These are really comfortable. The neighbor that had one wore hers almost every morning, they were new in town and had no family nearby and she had new born twins.
Does anyone have the pattern for making a robe from towels. It was very popular in the 60's. Thanks!
Karen from Winona, WV
By Luvyabye
I don't have a link for you, but my memory is fairly good for those days when Terrycloth was so popular and used for so many sorts of bath clothes. I'll bet the one you remember is like this:
It takes three large bath towels. One across the shoulders for the upper body and arms, hole for the head cut/shaped/bound (in matching colored biased tape that is hand finished to lay down inside robe edge), to accommodate a long zipper(preferably invisible if you sew well and the towel is thin), for the front. The other two towels were sewn to the middle lower edge of the top one, back and front.
The long zipper opening is also cut much of the way down the front towel that is split vertically to allow the "step in" robe, with side slits at the knees left unsewn to allow for movement.
The entire robe is a T shape. The trim on the original towel purchase makes trim for the sleeves and lower hem, requiring fast completion and no hemming, but extra heavy duty sewing machine needles if any pre-hemmed seams interfere. The under arms are somewhat tricky to finish out, and very important to do so as smoothly as possible for maximum comfort. This finish out can make or break the robe's usefulness/comfort. It had no pockets which would have been too thick.
Tip: Cut the head hole very evenly, oval, slightly forward, higher in the back, lower in the front, but not too low. Cut EXTRA straight when cutting the front and top towel zipper opening. Double stitch all seams, binding any raw edges inside, VERY WELL, because Terry edges fray badly when left raw.
Use "Body" long Towels for oversized needs on extra large persons, otherwise, normal sized large bath towels work for a number of people's sizes, with the smallest persons having the benefits of looser fit, longer sleeves and robe length, wqith this "one size fits all, back then" design, but the med./larger persons having a snugger fit, shorter sleeves and a slightly shorter finished robe, depending on the person's height.
Use the best poly-blend thread you can afford, carefully matching the towel.
Keep in mind that this makes for an "Empire Robe", with a seam right across the breast, if young/small, or on top of the breast, if for a more mature/larger person. Young people preferred solids and velour. Older preferred the patterned terry in two-three colors, longer looped weave.
The thicker "original hems" on a towel can be a roughness to the wearer, so search for towels with good woven edges instead of sewn/hemmed. 100% Cotton Terry seemed to shrink and draw up at seams especially, including the zipper, so look for a velvet napped/velour towel( but remember they are heavier and thicker/hotter.. than ones that have a polyester blend fabric.(Sears have always had good towels, if you can afford them/buy on sale.)
I hope this helped and that you can understand my directions? God bless your efforts and help you succeed. : ) (11/02/2006)
By Lynda
By Great Granny Vi
By wichypoo
By Becky Menefee
Does anyone know how to make a robe from bath towels? If so, I would appreciate the instructions. Thanks.
Betty from Redding, CA
Betty (09/12/2008)
By bessdd
flickr.com See this site for more pictures. Click on the picture and they enlarge. I hope you are able to make it now with the pictures and Lynda's instructions. If I see the right towels, I may try.
Harriet (09/15/2008)
By Har'iet
By Faith
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