Tea Towel question...
 

First, can you buy then at say JoAnn's or a LQS? Second, are they just a heavier cotton than normal quiliting fabric? I have only seen them online so I don't know how they feel.

The reason I am asking is that I watched Jenny's from MSCO tutorial on how to make an apron from one tea towel, and some matching fabric for the ties. I want to try to make some this week while my DD is at the grandparents so I don't really have time to order online. I am planning on visiting some stores today in hopes of finding some. But if I can't, what fabric would be good to use as a substitute? I am assuming tea towels are thicker so would just a thicker quilting fabric do or would I need a lightweight home decor fabric?

Thanks!

Tea towels is a lighter weight fabric than the quilting cotton. I think it's a muslin. You can find them at most JoAnn's and I've seen them at Michaels in the past. They're NOT thicker --- think of having to shove one into a glass to dry the inside. Do NOT use home decor fabric. 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

If you're making an apron -- just substitute with any 100% cotton....or even a cotton/poly blend.

Thank you!!! I was hoping they weren't thicker as I have some really cute 100% cotton fabric that would be so cute as an apron. Thanks again!

If you have a TJ Maxx, look there. Sometimes they carry a wide assortment of towels, at a reasonable price.

You're welcome, Sabrina --- be sure to post pics when done!

Thanks everyone! I didn't find any tea towels on my venture today...though I did find some wonderful fabric, spent WAY TOO much.

I will post pics when I get done...it will be this weekend or late tomorrow before I can start. Need to get the house cleaned first...darn chores. lol

http://lazydaisycottage.blogspot.com...1_archive.html

Here is a good site for tea towel aprons. You will need to scroll down

I bought some nice weight kitchen towels at Dollar Tree (the kind of store where everything is $1). WalMart would also carry them as well as Dollar General, Family Dollar, etc.

If there is anywhere that you can get the big single thickness 'gauzy' cloth diapers these days, those are 'the best' tea towels! Haven't seen them in years tho...even when my kids were babies they seemed to have disappeared.

Basically, tea towels are made from what appears to be Homespun cotton . They aren't really smooth and not thick, just perfect to embroider and dry dishes with. Mine came from a little store in Aguilar, CO....seems like it was an Alda store or something like that.

I've been looking for a long time....I can't find them either. So much for "going green"!!!!!! You can't convince me that using paper diapers is cheaper NOR good for the landfill. (enough of my rant). I'm down to 2 tea towels, aka diapers, and will have to start looking again!!!

BTW -- I use tea towels/diapers for rolling out pie crusts and biscuits!! Does anyone else do that?

I believe that tea towels are at Hobby Lobby and Joann's but they are in the cross stitch section

Well I didn't think to look there today. lol Might have to venture back tomorrow. ;)

But I already have a lot of projects to do so I might wait.

I use tea towels to roll my pie crust and biscuits on, too, just like my mom did. Funny how some things stick with you, isn't it? I bought a bunch of white feed sacks many years ago and still have some to make towels out of. Love, love them!! :)

Tea towels that I'm used to are sold by Herrshner's. They're made from linen type fabric and have nice stripes on the side. Nice hostess gifts or great for the apron idea. Have fun!

We'll be waiting for pictures! This sounds so neat!

Oooooooooooh... white feed sacks are the best, aren't they?!?!

I found tea towels at Old Time Pottery, 2 for $3.99 and they had a blue border (gingham) with blue crochet at the bottom. Nice size too.

The fabric would work but you'd have to cut and hem it. The advantage to using tea towels is it's quicker.

Amen to that sister!

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.

I didn't think about KMart! Will have to look there too. I did happen to go back to JoAnn's yesterday and went to look in their cross stitching stuff, found some cute tea towels! 3 pack for $9. Not too bad I guess.

Hobby Lobby carries them. I was looking at them in the embroidery section a couple of days ago.