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-   -   Tea Towels - Alternative to Purchasing Pre-Made Towels? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/tea-towels-alternative-purchasing-pre-made-towels-t251092.html)

Onebyone 08-02-2014 10:42 AM

The last few tea towels I have gotten as a gift, I can tell from the fabric they won't hold up to use. I use them as one time towels for potlucks. They do look nice just won't hold up.

oldtnquiltinglady 08-02-2014 11:29 AM

Muslin, the thin cheap one, is the best thing I have found to make dish towels. It is only 36" wide, so use the sides for your ends, and hem the long sides (I cut mine about 18" wide, so have about a 15" wide dish towel for using. That is for the ones to be used for drying towels. A heavier type cotton fabric (I think some folks use it for counted cross stitch) I cut into about 12" squares--my hands aren't very big, so can't squeeze out a big dish rag--and they are hard and rough for awhile until they get that used feeling to them, but it works for me. Do you knit or crochet. Some of my favorite dish rags are made by friends of mine who give them out at meetings, etc. as door prizes and little thank you gifts for cooking a dessert or some such. Just be sure to use pure cotton thread. Good luck. Please post your efforts in the future.

sak658 08-02-2014 12:59 PM

I love Missouri Star Quilt Co...tea towels, they are so big and nice and only $3.50 each...I have made two aprons out of them, using her tutorial...having trouble posting pics....

RedGarnet222 08-02-2014 01:01 PM

Here you go toweling by the yard.

http://boltfabricboutique.com/shop/

I have some I bought a while back, but haven't had the time to make them up yet. I also like to use the linen fabric you can gleen from old tablecloths.

FroggyinTexas 08-02-2014 04:43 PM


Originally Posted by CarolynMT (Post 6826033)
I have used the five packs of flour sack towels, I get the pack at walmart. I then cut each towel in half. It roughly comes out to tea towel size. I then serge a rolled hem on two sides, the other two sides already have a hem on them. Then embroider on one side. Add oace trim or ribbon. Doing a tone on tone embroidery (heirloom/lacey) design makes a stunning towel. I usually keep one or two pairs on hand (tied with satin ribbon) just in case I need a hostess gift. It goes over very well

Me, too, only I get mine at Sam's Club. And because I don't have an embroidery machine, I applique something on them or put a ribbon of cute fabric on them. froggyintexas

adamae 08-02-2014 09:15 PM

Oh, yes....I like homemade ones, too. I found some really loosely woven fabric in my stash and hemmed some rectangles for tea towels, they really absorb well. BTW, Hemming tea towels was the first project we were given when my sisters and I learned to machie sew. That, and aprons....how I hated doing those small hems on apron ties! Today, I don't mind so much.

Krystyna 08-04-2014 01:15 PM

Has anyone used monks cloth? It is quite absorbent. The only problem I had was with a delicate design getting somewhat lost in the weave.

bearisgray 08-04-2014 01:27 PM

What type(s) of fabric(s) do you want to make them from??

Krystyna 08-05-2014 07:43 AM

I'm not fussy about the type. Just wondering what others found as a substitute for purchasing towels.


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