True and I have thought of that. I will see if I can find any tea towels this morning when I go get some batting, if not I will hem the fabric I do have.

A tea towel is actually a small kitchen towel...its name more about the size than the fabric content.
I think what is being referred to here is a flour sack towel, I find them thin and often with permanent creases that I just can't get ironed out even after washing.
Here's a large selection of embroidery blanks of all kinds

http://allaboutblanks.com/Kitchen_Goodies.htm

[ Way back, when I was a kid, my mother used my diapers as tea towels....the fabric was about the same. However, I know most young people nowadays have no idea what a cloth diaper is. LOL

You can buy Birdseye or diaper fabric by the yard from fabric.com. Very reasonable price and some of it is only 18" wide so very little hemming is needed as you have the savages, just the top and bottom. Or you can search the thrift shop for those old white damask table cloths...mostly all cotton and make wonderful tea towels for a fraction of the price of specialty fabric or premade towels. You just cut, and hem. Or you can get some inexpensive linen, fabric.com, and cut and hem. All these options are cheaper than buying premade towels. A half yard of linen with make two towels. I know because I just finished some. I hemmed and added a bit of trim and a hanger and it was done in an afternoon.

Kellen -- thanks for the heads up -- I think I'll go shopping!!!

Target, Kmart, Walmart, ShopKo all carry them. But check the label: sizes and quality vary. I've seen some very very thin. I've gotten decent ones at all 4 of these stores. (better than I found at Joanns.)

It isn't a tea towel as I didn't find any....yet. But here is an apron using the tutorial. I hemmed the cotton before starting.

https://ny-image3.etsy.com/000/0/694....345811603.jpg

Cute -- and looks handy, too!

I get towels at Cornucopia in Shipshewana, IN. They are nice to applique on or machine embroider. They are cheaper than in the LQS. Maybe half off what the shops charge. I don't use them to dry dishes, but they are a nice thing to hang on my towel rack and can be changed with the seasons.

I love the tea towel aprons - Since it is an apron, I made some from tea towels & also made some from fabric that I had that I loved - Italian pasta - just cut it so I had enough to hem and make the size of a tea towel. It turned out wonderful.

I know Hobby Lobby has them, if there's one near you. I ran across them by accident looking for something else. I thought about making some of Jenny's aprons, too, but not until I get a million things done from what I already have.