DIY Vintage French Tea Towels

I seem to be obsessing with towels lately, since in addition to my Wisteria knock-off linen towels, I have another project to show you! It’s my version of vintage French tea towels!

Actually, the towels are not vintage, but the designs are! My friend Babs at Upstairs Downstairs gave me a stack of wonderful vintage illustrations recently and I have been waiting to find the just right project for them. I believe I have finally found it!

First, I started with two yards of Osnaburg that I bought with a 40 % off coupon at Hobby Lobby…so about $2.50 a yard. I love this fabric! It has the nubby texture and unbleached color of linen, but without the fussiness, since it is 100% cotton. With the assistance of my co-host Baby Kitty, I cut four pieces, each measuring 20 inches wide x 28 inches long.

Then I hemmed them on three sides, leaving one of the short sides for a ruffle made from the selvage. You don’t even have to unravel it, since the selvage comes that way…and is stitched so that it will not unravel any further! This will make the three tea towels I am showing you, plus one more.

Next, I scanned the drawings and, using Photoscape, I added French labels for each of them and then flipped them so that the writing was backwards. I then printed them on iron-on transfer paper and added them to the towels. I had been avoiding using transfers, but it was really easy!

I love the way they turned out! The fabric has a real vintage look, don’t you think? Helping it look even more authentic is my Victorian silverplate master sugar spooner in the background. I am using it as a vase, since it has no lid. It was a $14 thrift store find and dates from the late 1800s! Woo hoo!

This one is my favorite! Any one who knows me knows I have a thing about goats! I want one! (And for you Francophiles, there is an accent mark over the first e in chèvres…it just doesn’t show up! Sorry! Stuff like that drives me crazy!)

Here they are all together…a cow, sheep and goats! Hmmm…I think I have an idea for my next post! Can you guess? Think very French thoughts!

Here's a final look at my French-inspired vintage tea towels! (Miss Kitty, on the other hand, seems more interested in the children playing outside than my latest project.) I think they are the perfect contrast in texture for my vintage silverplate tea set and could even be used as napkins for afternoon tea! And stay tuned to my next post to find out what a cow, sheep and goats have in common!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my project!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures on Mondays
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Sizzle into Summer
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Leigh at Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday
Jill at French Cupboard for Voilà! French Inspiration on Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Diann at The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Fridays
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!