My mother has always had a tea-towel hierarchy. Such are the ways of the rare domestic goddess hailed from the 1940s. Her tea-towels are pressed and folded to perfection and assorted in various piles depending on their social status. The Queen Bee(s) of the tea-towel assembly, surface at Christmas and special occasions only, where they rarely lower themselves to work. The mere wipe of a tea cup or glass is as much as any blue blood cotton cloth should endure. No, these elegant beauties are folded and displayed for the most part for all to revere.
As we move down the tea-towel social strata, we reach the Lords and Ladies and finally the everyday foot soldiers, who whilst not possessing the rare unique beauty of the Queen bees, are still handsome, clean, crisp and ironed to within an inch of their military lives.
Hmmn, not so here. My two ‘display’ pairs of raggedy red polka dot and gingham numbers make a cameo appearance to cover proving bread on the Rayburn. These are the most high of my collection and are very much at plain Jane level.
Moving down the social strata we have the under-class of the tea-towel world. These grey striped sorrowful rags have been used to filter hops from home brew and pat dry, stain filled red rosehips and blackcurrants. In short, although clean they have had a working life akin to a character in Hard Times or similar.
Others have bounced off the social radar completely, banished from the kitchen facing a life of dog paw bathing, and drying the hen coup post cleaning.
Enough! I can deal with my functional fabric inadequacies no longer!
I am going to treat myself to tea-towels of god-like status.
Eh voila … so many to choose from … my bread will prove to the greatest of heights … I will update with a photograph when they arrive!
Bye for now
R!
xx
Emma Bridgewater Joy Tea Towel
Matthew Rice 2013 Tea Towel
Pip Studio Shabby Chic Blue Tea Towel
Pip Studio Roses For You Patch Tea Towel
Gift Set 3 Linen Farmyard TeaTowels
Hydrangea Set Of 3 Tea Towels