Hooded Towel with Pleats

I went to a baby shower recently for the mother of twin baby girls who will arrive in a few weeks.  I pulled out a favorite gift/project to make for them and I thought I'd try a tutorial of it for anyone interested.

Supplies:

1 bath towel

1 wash cloth

pins

ruler

thread

  ** I found some towels and matching wash cloths at Walmart.  You can use any combination that you like.

Find the center of the long side of the towel and mark it with a pin.

Use your ruler and measure 2 1/4 inches from the center and mark this spot with a pin.

This point will be a fold.

Fold the towel over with the second pin as your fold marker. 

Then fold the towel back with the fold point near the center.  Pin this first pleat in place.

Your folding should look something like this:

Use your ruler again and measure 2 1/4 inches from the edge of the first pleat and mark this point.

Repeat what you did to make the first pleat, to make a second.

You don't want the edges of the pleats to overlap because it will be too bulky.  They should be just next to each other.

Now, do all of this over again on the other side of the center pin, folding it toward the center.

With matching thread, sew along the edge of the towel to keep the pleats in place.

Go carefully with all that extra bulk.  I broke two needles with this project trying to hurry it.

It should look something like this:

This is the front of the towel.  You'll need to know that later on.

Set the towel aside and find your wash cloth.

If your wash cloth has more of a design or picture you want to show, you can adjust this part to fit your needs.

Place the wash cloth with the right side up. Fold down the top about 1/3 of the way - right sides together.  

Now, fold down each top corner, like this:

I pinned it on the inside because I turned mine right sides out to sew but you can pin it and sew it on either side.  Which ever is easier for you.

I turned mine right side out and sewed along the edge of the cloth.

Hopefully, you have something like this:

Next, lay out your towel so the sewn edge is closer to you and the back is up. (The front has the pleat folds right up to the middle.)

Lay the wash cloth over the edge of the towel about 1 1/2 inches or so and pin it in place.

Sew it along the edge of the wash cloth (from the black pin, following the red pins to the other black pin).  Try to keep the pleats in place but they don't have to be perfect.

Next, turn the towel over and sew across the edge of the towel.

That should do it!  I hope this made some sense.  Please let me know if anything is unclear.

Enjoy your little ones wrapped in a new towel.