As any inventor knows, the first prototype likely looks much different from the finished product, and that's usually a good thing. This is definitely true for the Towel Tie! It took hundreds of hours to perfect, but the final product was definitely worth the wait. Naturally, inventors may wonder why the final model didn’t come to fruition right away, but doing so only robs them of the challenges and joy of the creative adventure.
This whole journey started with a frustrated grandmother who had reached her limit picking up the kitchen towel that had either fallen to the floor or was in a heap on the countertop. As long as there have been kitchen towels, grandmothers have been trying to solve this dilemma with the crocheted towel topper. A skein of blue yarn and a blue kitchen towel were purchased, and this grandma was armed for battle with her crochet hook when a better idea struck. What if a band of some kind could be attached around the towel to secure it to the handle? The real journey had begun.
The first prototype came about by trying to combine fabric with elastic, basically a scrunchie for your towel. Functional? Mostly. Kid proof? Kind of. Elegant? Not quite. Problems? Indeed. It was back to the drawing board. After hundreds of hours of experimentation, a box full of new prototypes emerged, some of which were duds and others with some potential. They all soon found themselves in a plastic container tucked away to preserve history, when some leather from Grandma’s shoe shop was discovered in a closet. This changed everything.
Countless more hours were spent transforming a simple leather band into a decorative piece of artistry worthy of being displayed on any kitchen towel. Several leathers and techniques later, the Towel Tie was born!
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