Embroidered cotton tea cloth or towel very old unusual hc1824

The only thing I know for sure about this piece is: it is old, embroidered, and beige with a taupe border. I would guess it is European and meant to be used either as a tea tray cloth or a bath towel. Currently it is starched stiff as a board so it would be very uncomfortable as a towel.
I have never seen this embroidery before so if you know what it is called I would like to hear from you. Those little embroidered flowers are created separately and appliqued on. There is not a single broken stitch. This is a survivor and intends to be around for a long time to come. It measures 21x34 inches.