A good tea towel is absorbent, dries quickly and softens with every wash. Linen and linen blends do all three, and a printed tea towel makes one of the nicest gifts you can sew in an afternoon.
Here are the fabrics we recommend, and how many tea towels you get from a metre.
The best fabric for tea towels
Cotton Linen
The linen look and absorbency, with cotton keeping it neat. It washes hard and irons back flat.
The one we recommend for table linen and tea towels.
How many tea towels from a metre
Based on a hemmed tea towel about 48 x 68cm, cut from our 135cm wide Cotton Linen before washing. If you pre-wash first, add 10%.
Prints for the kitchen
Fruit SaladCarla Ellis
Whimsical Strawberry FieldMable Tan
Cinnamon and Oranges TrellisAdeline-Julie Bee
Minimal Windowpane CheckAline Bea
Prints for the kitchen
Tea towel fabric questions
What is the best fabric for tea towels?
Linen or a linen blend. Linen is absorbent and dries quickly. Cotton Linen gives you the linen look with less creasing.
Is linen or cotton better for tea towels?
Linen absorbs more and leaves less lint on glasses. Cotton is softer from the first use. A blend gives you a little of both.
How much fabric do I need for a tea towel?
1m of 135cm wide fabric makes two tea towels, and 1.5m makes four when cut before washing.
Should I wash tea towel fabric before sewing?
It is your choice. Linen and cotton can shrink a little on the first wash. Wash first for the truest finished size, and add 10% to the metres if you do.