Cheap and Easy Linen Tea Towels (Hand Towels, Whatever)

As I was idly roaming around the web one day, I found this fabric store (www.fabric-store.com) online that sells linen for really great prices and they sent me an email stating that for one day only, I could get a yard of their best-selling linen for $1.00. Now, I love a good deal. So heck yeah, I jumped on that! While I was on the site, I also discovered they have a "Doggie Bag" section where you can get pieces of linen in anywhere from tenth to half yard sizes (only caveat is it's often limited in weights and colors). So for about $30.00, I got 10 different pieces of linen in 10  gorgeous colors! The smallest piece was a quarter yard. Now I had all this lovely, lovely fabric to play with. I decided to try tea towels for my first linen project, cuz it looked so easy.

I used unbleached linen and a creamy beige called "cloud cream." Sounds like a paint color. The weight is a medium weight. The lightweight is too flimsy for towels and the heavyweight just didn't feel right for towels to me. When I first got the linen, it was stiff and I was wondering what, exactly, was I to make from this stuff? Ok, maybe I didn't say stuff :) I washed and dried it twice before sewing it to preshrink it. And, baby, did it ever soften up! I was a much happier puppy after that. 

I started by cutting out 27" x 17" rectangles. I used my rotary cutter and straight edge so I would get nice, clean straight edges. Then I folded over the longer sides 1/4", ironed them and then again folded and ironed 1/4".  I pinned it and took it over to my beloved sewing machine and stitched close to the edge. Well, the first time I didn't and it looked like, well, poo (or something less polite than that). So, I whined, complained, ripped out the seams and stitched it properly. 

Looks much better! I was impressed with myself and pretty darn happy at how well this was going. Then I did the corners...

I cut all corners at approximately 45 degree angles, then you are supposed to fold and iron 1/4" twice just like you did to the long sides. Didn't work as easily as the tutorial said it would. I got a little better with each towel, but I still had to fudge a few corners. Eventually, I got the hang of it. 

 Yes, I know this pic sucks.

After I stitched the short sides, I decided to be creative. My machine has decorative stitches which I have never used. So, I decided to put some decorative stitching across the bottom. This was a new experience for me. You can't mash the pedal to the floor and zip through this! You need to keep a nice, steady pace or else this happens...

I didn't even try to rip this out and start again. I just did it on the other end. This end will go towards the back, where no one will see it. Easy fix (or lazy, call it what you will).

Here are the finished edges. Next time, I'm using some nice cotton ribbon or fabric strips. It will be faster and easier.  

I'm happy with the way these turned out, after some minor trials and tribulations. I really like the way the look and feel and they wash up nicely. Now I have lots of linen left over and I'm going to search out some more projects. As if I don't have a big enough list already. 

Chris :)