Skip to main content

How To Sew Tea Towels

 This article is brought to you by Lizzsews.

Here’s how you can sew a set of tea towels. You can embroider and/or use decorative stitches on these if you’d like to. It’s up to you, personalize them your way! These tea towels make great gifts too.

Recommended read: How to sew scrunchies




These tea towels are a great quick and easy project for all skill levels!


What you will need:

  • Cotton fabric, one fat quarter (18” x 21”)
  • Rotary cutter and cutting mat (or scissors)
  • Pins
  • Iron and ironing board 
  • Measuring tape
  • Sewing thread
  • Sewing machine
  • Rotary cutter and self-healing cutting mat
  • Machine sewing needle, 80/12
-
Optional: 

-embroidery machine
-embroidery thread and tear away or cutaway stabilizer
-embroidery thread
-machine embroidery needle, 75/11


The steps:


   1. Iron the fabric. 



Tea towels are often 18” x 28” but when making your own you can choose your own dimensions. One-quarter of a meter is the perfect size to not waste fabric.


   2. If you are not using a fat quarter cut a piece about 18” x 21” or 18” x 22” depending on how wide your fabric is. After straightening and cutting my fat quarter fabric’s edges, it ended up being a bit smaller and was around 17” x 21”


   3. Fold the edges of the fabric over and iron in place. 



   4. Fold the edges of the fabric over one more time and iron. Pin in place. 



   5. Sew along these edges with either a straight stitch or a decorative stitch. 


Recommended read: Learning to sew article series



   6. On the corners, continue to sew straight until the end, backstitch until you get in line with the edge on the other side. Pivot the presser foot horizontally, backstitch all the way to the end and continue to sew along. Repeat this for each corner






   7. Optional: if you’d like to feel free to embroider your tea towel! Embroider it how you would any other cotton fabric. My fabric was already full of fun designs, so I opted out of the embroidery part. 


Here’s how you can fold your tea towel to look nice at the table:


   1. With the finished side down, fold the tea towel together horizontally. 



   2. Fold the bottom up about 2” 



   3. Fold the bottom over one more time to create a pocket



   4. Flip the fabric over and make about a 1” vertical fold on left side 



   5. Fold the right side over to meet the fold and tuck the fold into the pocket




   6. Fold the top of the fabric down to meet the bottom 



   7. Flip the fabric over and your tea towel is complete!




Recommended read: How to sew bias tape

Leave a comment below and let me know if you made this tea towel! I would love to see your creations in Lizzsew's Facebook group tooAnd don't forget to subscribe to stay up to date with all of Lizzsews new articles. See you next time!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

10 Things You Need To Start Machine Embroidery Today

This article is brought to you by Lizzsews Thinking about diving into machine embroidery but not sure where to start? Here’s everything you need to know to get started—without spending a fortune. Interested in sewing?  Recommended read: 10 Things You’ll Need to Start Sewing! 1. Get Yourself an Embroidery Machine You can start with any embroidery machine, but here are a few great beginner-friendly options: Brother SE600 – A combo machine that sews and embroiders. It’s affordable, versatile, and my top pick for beginners. Brother PE550D – Embroidery-only and comes with built-in Disney designs. Super cute! Brother SE1900 – A step up, with more advanced features and a larger embroidery area. πŸ’‘ Tip: Set a clear budget before buying, b uy the largest hoop your budget allows . While the SE600’s 4x4 hoop is great for starters, you may outgrow it quickly—and the next hoop size up is a big price jump. Recommended read: How to Choose the Right Embroidery Machine   ...

8 Reasons Why Your Upper Thread Is Shredding On Your Embroidery Machine

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Here are some reasons why your top thread might be shredding while you’re embroidering! Starting machine embroidery is definitely a challenge, and troubleshooting is hard.  Recommended read: 10 Things you need to start machine embroidery today Often when your top thread is shredding, it’s caused by when the thread goes through the eye of the needle or while it’s going through the thread guides.  1. A dull or bent needle How long has it been since you’ve changed that needle? It might be time to swap it out! A needle only lasts about 8-10 hours of stitching, this amount of time may vary depending on what you are making. It’s good to have lots of needles on hand. Recommended read: When should I change the needle for machine embroidery 2. Are you using the right needle for the project? Are you embroidering heavier fabrics? Like denim or leather? If so, you’ll want to use a heavier needle size like 90/14. If you’re just...

Guide To The Three Main Machine Embroidery Stabilizers

This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Here's everything you need to know about the three main types of machine embroidery stabilizers, what they're used for and how to pick the right one. πŸ’‘ Why Stabilizers Matter Stabilizers are essential in machine embroidery. They help support your fabric, prevent puckering , and ensure your design comes out clean and crisp. A stabilizer is placed underneath your fabric. Some special ones, called toppers , go on top, but these are only used for certain materials, like towels or blankets. πŸ‘‰ You always need a bottom stabilizer. Toppers are optional and only used for specific projects. 🏷️ The 3 Main Types of Stabilizers 1. ✂️ Cutaway Stabilizer Cutaway stabilizer is non-woven , permanent, and ideal for stretchy or knit fabrics like t-shirts, baby onesies, and fleece. Why it's great: Provides strong support Prevents pulled or sagging stitches Stays put even after washing and wearing Comes pre-cut or in ro...