Sandra in Minnesota

I agree. My mother taught me to embroider, and my grandmother taught her. Neither of them put anything on the back to hide the stitching. Just make it look neat on the back. Have fun ---- don't worry about it. The embroidery police don't come around very often.

suern3

Another thought, the muslin backing works to keep the travel stitches, knots, etc. from showing through to the front of the completed blocks. With tea towels the back will still show even if you stitch through another layer. So no need to add an extra layer.

JuneBillie

Thanks everyone. So now I can get busy. I want to make some for my sisters for their birthdays. I bought some a couple of years ago, and never used them.

lynnie

Susan, thanks for posting this question. I'm sure it's not just you and me wondering about this.

coopah

I hand embroider and gift kitchen towels frequently. The idea is that stitches are nice enough NOT to be covered (even on the back). It's okay to 'carry' thread for a short distance from one area to another, but if it's a large 'carry', one should end the thread, make a new knot and begin in the next area. The idea is to have it look good on the front and the back.

coopah

Here is a picture of the back and then the front of a towel made in the 1970's. Well used, so pardon the spots. [ATTACH=CONFIG]540959[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]540960[/ATTACH]

marge954

I too had been wondering about this topic. I made a table runner for my Christmas table so the back doesn't show but I kept wondering about the towels. I do need to do better on making the back neater

kathy

are you my sister?! we MUST have had the same mother!

AZ Jane

It's official, I do hate you LOL!! My goodness, that is the neatest embroidery I have seem in a long, long time!! Congratulations!! Do you teach??

JuneBillie

Coopah thanks for your picture, and your back does look good just like the front. The stitch doing the cross stitch or I use to call them the x stitch brought back memories too me. The first embroidery stitch I ever did was this stitch. In the 70's also my mother bought me a small end table type scarf with the x's already stamped on it for me to try, and see if I liked embroidery. That is when I knew I loved it.

Then years passed before I really did more due to life, but then picked it back up a few years back, and wanted to learn more stitches and always have something on hand.

All of you have really helped me with your comments. Thank you again!!!!

Always good folks on here to help with our questions.

Hugs,
Susan