Making a Tea Towel Jacket (and Why I’m Now Obsessed)

I’ve made a lot of things out of unexpected materials, but this might be one of my favourites! A quilted jacket made entirely from tea towels. But not just any tea towels. These beauties are from Aqua Door Designs - screen printed by hand in Brisbane, and covered in the most joyful, eye-catching prints.

This jacket is bold, bright, and absolutely one of a kind. And while it’s made from tea towels… you wouldn’t know it just by looking. Every time I've worn it I've been stopped for compliments and it's sparked many lovely conversations about making and upcycling!

Figuring out tea towel compositions and shapes

Why Tea Towels?

Because the prints were too good not to wear.

I've been fortunate to get my hands on these linens from Aqua Door Designs at different times over the years and they are so, so special. I love the aesthetic of this brand, it's graphic, playful, and full of colour. When I recently got my hands on a stack of their tea towels, I knew they deserved more than a life drying dishes. So I turned them into fabric panels, quilted them up, and stitched them into something completely new.I can't believe I haven't thought of this sooner!

The Process

1. Planning the Layout

Each linen has its own personality, so the first step was figuring out how to showcase them all in a way that felt cohesive but still fun. I laid them out like puzzle pieces, balancing colour and scale, then added lightweight batting and backing fabric to quilt each panel individually.

2. Quilting

I quilted simple straight lines to add texture without distracting from the prints. This gave the panels structure and a lovely squishiness.

3. The Jacket Pattern

I used a simple, boxy jacket pattern (anything with minimal shaping works well). The real star here is the fabric, so the simpler the silhouette, the better. I bound the edges in wide custom made bias tape added oversized pockets to the inside so that I could still have pockets without interrupting those gorgeous prints.

The Result

Honestly? A jacket that turns heads and starts conversations. People are always surprised when I tell them it’s made from tea towels, but that’s what I love about it. It’s unexpected. It’s creative. And it’s proof that functional things can still be beautiful.

The prints from AquaDoor Designs do all the heavy lifting. They’re bold, vibrant, and full of joy and wearing them feels like wrapping yourself in a good mood.

Fresh off the machine!

Thinking of Making One?

Highly recommend. It’s the perfect project for when you want to slow down and make something playful but practical. And if you’re using tea towels this gorgeous, half the design work is already done for you.

You’ll need:

• 5 tea towels

• Lightweight batting

• Fabric for the lining

• Simple jacket pattern

• Bias binding

• A sense of adventure

If you make your own version, tag me! I’d love to see your take on it. Especially if your tea towels are too pretty for the kitchen too.

You can see more of the process on my YouTube channel

More on how I made this beauty over on YouTube