One of the really traditional products from Irish Linen has been – for many years – tea towels.
Usually made from unbleached cloth with two coloured stripes down the sides of them, they are particularly liked by people who own good glass- or crystal – ware. When polishing glass the linen leaves less fluff than the common cotton cloths.
For a number of years, Marion Baur, owner of Flax Mill Textiles, has been the only weaver who uses a traditional hand – loom to make tea towels – a very characterful outcome has made them extremely popular.
The last batch of 120 was snapped up almost straight off the loom by just two buyers – not to the pleasure of our individual customers.
After a sizeable break – Flax Mill has been extremely busy fulfilling orders of hand – woven linens – Marion found space and time to manufacture a good number of the beauties, they are going to be finished by mid – November.
Marion: “It was about time we got some of the traditional tea – towels back onto our shelves – people have been waiting patiently for them. I just couldn’t get at them any quicker…”
Not only have the “new old” tea towels been woven and finished the traditional way (and to the old size of 22 x 16.5 inches) – the yarn Marion used is of the best Irish spinners and partially real historic stuff.
The only difference to the old tea towels: Instead of just green or blue stripes along the side, they can be had with stripes in 11 (!) different colours – it wouldn’t be Marion if colours weren’t in the centre of her work.
Needless to say that even the large batch we have made now won’t last very long. The tea – towels can be ordered and obtained via Flax Mill’s outlet “Bricolage Quilts” in Belfast from now on. Our SHOP button takes you straight to the Linen Section.