Tea Towels


The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a tea-towel as, “ ...a cloth for drying dishes.”  

Made of linen, cotton, or a combination of the two.  The increasing availability of affordable textiles during the 18th Century brought about decorative tea-towels. Becoming more than a functional item in the kitchen they  were (and still are) used to cover baked foods cooling from the oven, insulate tea-pots, to decorate the tea-tray (hence the name) as well as drying dishes. During this time they were often embroidered and gifted to friends and family.  They add a decorative touch to a tea-tray and look pretty in a kitchen.