TEA TOWELS / WORK IN PROGRESS

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Finally I’m making my tea towels! If you had known that I started talking about this project two years ago, you’d be as excited as me. Finally! Is it just me or every project seems to have a need to hibernate in me for a long while until I become too full of it that I have to let it out. Well, the project was simple. I wanted to make a series of hand painted linen tea towels. Simple enough. Then why did it take this long to actually do it? Fear I suppose. Well, let me explain. There are a few reasons why I came up with this project. One, I like handsome tea towels. Oh I really do. They make me feel like I live in a cosy farm house. Two, I like linen. I’m drawn to its texture and how it gets softer with every wash. Three, I wanted to start painting again.

I painted throughout high school. Then I gradually stopped painting in university as I focused on digital media. That was many many years ago. Recently, I wanted to paint again, but the idea of painting on a blank canvas scared me. The permanence of a canvas is darn scary (complete contrary to painting on walls, which will be covered by others in a day or less if the sun’s out). So I decided to paint on tea towels. It is not a precious thing which belongs on a wall, but rather a functional thing which must be used. This somehow takes the pressure off. This might seem insignificant, but for this very reason, this is a milestone for me to actually realize this project.

For about a week now, I’ve been busy with meters of natural linen in different weights. I pre-washed them, cut them, hemmed the edges, painted, iron-pressed for the paint to set, then washed to make them soft again – while listening to Stuff You Should Know podcast none stop (the only podcast I listen to, which is awesomely funny and interesting). I still have a few more to make, but I wanted to share some photos with you : )

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Some digital sketches.

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I also sewed the cotton loops for easy hanging. What’s a tea towel without a loop?! ; )

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