Cleveland Makers: Hazelmade's Tomato Tea Towel Brightens Your Kitchen

The bright pattern seen on Hazelmade’s tomato tea towel ($18) was inspired by owner Susan Hazel Rich’s memories of summer gardens, tomato sandwiches and youthful sunshine. 

“It’s a little bit odd but it’s such a nostalgic thing,” says Hazel Rich. “There’s nothing like the smell of a garden tomato. It just brings back so many good memories of being a kid and summer.”

A former logo designer, Hazel Rich hand-draws each tomato, leaf and flower pattern herself before sending it to be sewn and screen printed by family-owned printing and sewing companies in the Midwest. Quality, durability and sustainability are important values for her company, which also sells delicately illustrated bandanas, recipe cards and more. 

Each towel is created using cotton flour sack fabric and was washed and dried in Hazel Rich’s kitchen to ensure the best fabric, hem and ink. Even the way the towels are cut (by the width) ensures there is as little waste and excess produced as possible.

“It’s actually been really popular and one of the few designs that brought a lot of feedback and stories and sharing,” she says. shophazelmade.com

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