Manalto

My latest easy project is faux chenille kitchen towels that button to a towel bar - they stay put and drink up water quickly from busy hands. So far I've only used muslin, which is OK, but I think I can do better. I understand the concept; loosely or coarsely woven fibers are best, and for this purpose, they should be absorbent. How about rayon? A mix? Any suggestions?

thimblebug6000

Osnaburg is a nice loose weave that works well for the faux chenille as well. Just googled it and see quite a few shops that carry it, you could check in whatever location you are. Doesn't look too pricey. (it reminds me of linen in it's looks but is 100% cotton)

Manalto

What a coincidence, I just bought a BOLT of unbleached Osnaburg - great stuff. I'll give it a try. Denim is also supposed to work well, but seems like it would get heavy and dry slowly.

I have some loosely-woven Indian cotton that I got for super cheap, (probably because it's orange and blue plaid) which I'm going to try too.

tessagin

I wouldn't use synthetics. not very absorbent

Manalto

Rayon is sometimes called a synthetic, but strictly speaking I think it's a man-made fiber, using a naturally-occurring substance (cellulose). Rayon ravels like crazy and it's absorbent, so I thought it might be a good candidate.

fish92241

what is faux chenille?

Manalto

It's a technique of layering, stitching and slashing fabric to create a texture that resembles chenille.

Google is your friend.

DogHouseMom

How about some of the Shot Cottons? Some of them have a looser weave than most quilting cottons, and the different colors of the warp and weft might make an interesting Chenille or rag quilt.

Manalto

I will check it out; hadn't heard of shot cottons. Thanks!