Covered in Cotton
Ty and Tracy Woodard
Covered in Cotton, a unique family-owned business from Darlington, South Carolina, was born out of a personal crisis that turned into a mission of comfort and giving back. Ty and Tracy Woodward have applied the "farm to table" concept to the cotton they grow on their family farm. They select the best fibers from their crop, which are then ginned, spun, and woven into blankets at local cotton mills within a 100-mile radius of their farm. These blankets have gained recognition from Ben and Erin Napier of HGTV and have won a Best of the South Award from Garden and Gun magazine. The Woodwards have donated more than 1,000 throw blankets to children's units in South Carolina hospitals.
Influences:
The idea for Covered in Cotton came to Tracy in a dream, two years after a small act of kindness unknowingly changed her family's lives. One of Ty and Tracy’s three-month-old twins, Tobin, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, the most serious form of the disease that affects the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. After 35 days in the hospital, Tobin's condition worsened, necessitating emergency brain surgery. Right before the procedure, a nurse gave the family a blanket which brought them unexpected comfort during a harrowing time. This simple act of kindness planted a seed in Tracy’s mind, leading to a dream two years later that set the foundation for Covered in Cotton. Tobin is now 8 and healthy, but the family has not forgotten the profound impact one small act of kindness can have on people.
The Birth of Covered in Cotton:
Six years ago, Ty and Tracy Woodward started the business Covered in Cotton from their Darlington, South Carolina farm. Tracy's dream about the blanket she received before Tobin's brain surgery gave them a new mission and purpose. Covered in Cotton products result from a 500-mile round trip journey. For every ten blankets sold, Covered in Cotton donates one to children's units in South Carolina hospitals, a practice inspired by the blanket they received during Tobin's surgery.
Made in the Carolinas
Cotton grown on the Woodard's farm travels to mills across the Carolinas to be woven into yarn and the yarn into blankets.