Saturday, 28 June 2025

Don't Throw In The Towel!

To throw in the towel means to give up, to accept defeat. It comes from the world of boxing - when a fighter cannot go on, he [or his second] throws a towel into the ring to signal the end of the bout.
I was beginning to feel a bit snowed under with sewing tasks, because I didn't have the time or energy to sew any of my own projects. But as the slime and prom dress took less time than |I thought, I was able to get the machine out for myself on Thursday. I wanted to work on a Beach Towel. 

My rules for the ideal beach towel

  • big enough to wrap right round you and cover yourself when getting changed in/out of cossie
  • not so big it won't fit easily in the beach bag
  • thick enough to dry you quickly, and keep you warm
  • long enough to cover a sunlounger
  • not shabby, but not so precious you'd be upset if an irreversible oil stain meant it had to be discarded or if it somehow got left behind on the sand
  • easy to find when you are packing for a day out
I have such a towel. Rather old, and much washed, but it meets all my criteria except I often have to sort through a stack of white towels to identify it. I spent a happy half hour on Thursday sewing two strips of pretty blue cotton from the Great Stash. I cut them and pressed the hems, then sewed them along the non-terry stripes. A simple modification, but one which will make the towel stand out among its plainer neighbours, and save time later.
Do you have a 'dedicated' beach towel?
Are you as organised as my Liz? She always keeps a "Beach Go Bag" ready, with towels, cossies, sun cream, wipes, buckets and spades etc.

11 comments:

  1. At last! Time to catch up on useful sewing for yourself! Those stylish stripes will make you smile every time for years to come.
    A ready to go bag? Moi? Non. Never!!

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    1. πŸ˜€ Not going to beach today, but will venture to the post office with my CoverStory stitching

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  2. I have a Hospital-Go-Bag and a Disaster-Go-Bag but as I never go to the beach haven’t one of those. Besides two is enough n’est pas?
    Margaret from New Zelns

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    1. I had maternity -hospital-go-bags 40 years ago. A disaster go bag is not something I've considered

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  3. The beach towel looks lovely. I have two beach towels bought from a market stall in The Cut at Waterloo when I worked at the Dept. Of Education before they moved to Westminster in the 1980s! Gosh that long ago. They are white background then lots of rainbow coloured stripes and the word "beach" just in case there was any doubt. They have been used hundreds of times and still very usable. They were not expensive but good quality and have travelled to many a beach in many countries. They match your perfect size criteria. A very good buy. I don't have a beach ready bag. Regards Sue H

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    1. Is it me, or were towels in the 80s generally better quality than now? I have a few 1979 wedding present towels still in use

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  4. I have a Minnie Mouse towel which my lifelong friend brought me back from Florida about 30 years ago! I can't bear to part with it since we lost her to pancreatic cancer 8 years ago. We'll use it this week when we go rockpool rambling (organised by local council for school holidays -paid event and then got to pay parking charges at the beach once we're there - which began yesterday).I'm going to use Liz's tip and make up a Beach Go Bag.

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    Replies
    1. Oh that towel is so special. Enjoy the rock pools πŸ¦€

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  5. I'm glad you had some time to tend to your own sewing projects. I like the colorful band sewn to help you identify your beach towel more easily.
    I don't have a dedicated beach towel, partly because I rarely go to the beach. I think the last time I went was about 15 years ago! I do have a couple of "Go bags" but, they are for earthquakes or wildfires, not a trip to the beach!

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    Replies
    1. Oh Bless, I cannot imagine having to keep a Disaster Go Bag ready. Praying this hot weather doesn't mean more wildfires for your area ❤️πŸ™

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    2. Oh Bless, I cannot imagine having to keep a Disaster Go Bag ready. Praying this hot weather doesn't mean more wildfires for your area ❤️πŸ™

      Delete

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