Towel Tote/Beach Bag

I love sewing with towels, so when I saw an idea in the August/September issue of Bust Magazine, I found the perfect way to utilize this cool Asian bath towel I found at a thrift store (brand new in the cellophane). My friend who speaks Japanese says the characters on the edge of this towel are Chinese. I think it's so beautiful. The pattern is a take on one of the 'Jordy' bags that are all over craftster.


For the interior, I used a thrifted faux suede in a burgundy color. It was in pieces, so I patched it together (who's gonna know?). If I really were using this as a beach tote, nylon would be a better choice for wet swimsuits, etc.
For the pocket, I took a washcloth I bought at the Japanese store, and folded it in half. The top edge was already finished, so it makes a self-lined pocket that matches beautifully. I added a velcro closure.


I was looking around for other tote patterns using towels, and found quite a few.
here's a nice one by Martha Stewart.