Behind the Seams

Ever wondered why we're all a bit obsessed with tea towels?

Turns out they've got quite the history!

• The term “tea towel” comes from its original use in tea service: lining trays, draping over teapots, drying fine china and glassware.

• The material of choice was often linen or a linen-cotton blend because it was soft, lint-free and gentle on delicate china and glass.

• In Victorian times, using a good tea towel became part of the display of refinement: a woman might hand-embroider the towel with motifs, monograms and use it for afternoon tea to impress her guests.

• With the advent of the Industrial Revolution and mass textile production in the late 18th and 19th centuries, tea towels became more affordable and their use broadened beyond elite homes.

• In the early 20th century, tea towels started to serve not only functional roles but they also became decorative or promotional and were often printed with advertisements, landmarks, calendars and souvenir motifs.

• In the U.S. during the Great Depression, resourceful homemakers repurposed flour sacks into tea towels; flour companies even printed designs on sacks knowing they'd be used and seen.

• In May 1890, Van Gogh painted Daubigny's Garden on a red and white striped tea towel because he had no canvas available at the time. This original tea towel painting is now part of the Van Gogh Museum's collection.

• Today the tea towel is back as a design icon: often displayed rather than just used, printed with bold and colourful imagery, proudly displayed in kitchens and even framed. They make a wonderful gift and we're astonished (and a little envious) of those who add a collection to a drawer so that they always have a gift on hand.