A Little "Pink Tea" & a New Cozy For Me

Today I'd like to sit and sip,

Forget about the world a bit, 

Ignore the things I have to do, 

And just enjoy a cup or two.

Author Unknown

Pink Aynsley teacup.

 I would like to ignore the things that I must do...and I will for a little while.  I have poured myself a cup of tea and am indulging myself in a savory snack.  I found this pretty cup at the Hospice Resale Shoppe a couple of years ago.  I love the deep pink color and the bright gold trim but the flower bouquet within the cup charms me. I love how it looks like the flowers were gathered from an English garden.  I wish that I knew the name of this pattern.  I did try to search it out on the internet but was unsuccessful.  If you know, dear reader, will you tell me?

I have paired the teacup with a newer plate by Lenox.  It is one of the many pieces of the large "Butterfly Meadow" collection.  I have have been collecting this pattern this year and have quite a few pieces now.  I think that the pink border matches the Aynsley set nicely.

Cream cheese and olive spread on honey wheat bread.  I only remove the crusts for company.  I really like bread crusts!

 The tea is Sakura Allure by Teavana.  It has a pretty pinkish hue and smells as divine as it tastes.

My teapot has a new cozy!  I made this one from a quilted pillow sham and a vintage hand embroidered dresser scarf.  It is lined in a pink and yellow striped fabric that was the back of the sham.

Front side of the cozy.

 The embroidered piece was part of a set of vintage dresser scarfs found in an antique store.  I used a part of one of them in a sundress I blogged about HERE.  I love the green of the leaves and the black centers  of the flowers.

Back side of the cozy.

 I am sharing my tea today at Sandi's party "Tea Time Tuesday" at the Rose Chintz Cottage HERE and Ruth's party at Antiques and Teacups "Tuesday Cuppa Tea" HERE.   I hope that you will stop by their blogs and see all the beautiful posts.

"Remember the tea kettle, although it is up to its neck in hot water, it keeps on singing."Author Unknown

Last One: Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part #9

Summer Kitchen Set For Kelly

Apron modeled by my beautiful daughter Victoria-Rose.

Last summer I hosted a Tea Party Shower for my wonderful niece, Kelly.  I made many things for a special themed gift:  a very large laundry basket filled with things that would be normally found in a Hope Chest.  You can see the Tea Party itself HERE and a post with links to all the other gifts I made HERE, if you are interested in seeing the other goodies.  This is the last of the catch-up posts on the shower gifts.

This apron was the beginning piece for this set and served as the summer color scheme for the other kitchen things.  It was made using at least three different patterns and changed about to suit my 'vision'.

All the fabrics were from Shelley Detton's "The Garden Club" collection.  These little birds are just so cute!

I love the bow in the back  of the apron and those deep rick rack trimmed pockets!

Next up is a tea cozy that I made using the bird house panel from the fabric line.  I added trims and hand embroidery to both sides of the cozy. 

Crocheted dish cloths in complimentary colors.  Washing dishes wouldn't be so bad with these, right?  

Three kitchen towels were added to the set.  Two were easy.  I embellished two towels purchased from Home Goods.  One was trimmed with lace and ribbon and the other with fabric and rick rack. 

 The most time consuming item of this entire set was the dish towel on the left.  It was hand embroidered from a booklet of transfers purchased at JoAnn's.  I used colors of  DMC  floss that coordinated with the Shelly Detton fabric line, and trimmed it with some pink loop trim from the stash and a border of the material.  I put the border on both sides of the towel.  I did purchase this cotton towel and the quality of the material was fine but it was off grain.  I ended up tearing off all the seamed edges and re-hemming it.

A close up of the embroidery.

Because I did not line the towel and it would be seen from both sides I tried very hard to make the embroidery look pleasing from the backside as well as the front.

Last, but not least, I made Kelly a set of bowl bonnets identical to a set I made a friend earlier in the year.  They are reversible and come in handy when taking covered dishes to pot-lucks, etc.

 

I hope you enjoyed seeing the things I made for sweet Kelly and that it has inspired you to create some things for yourself or for someone you love.  Perhaps you could begin with a simple project to make with your daughter, granddaughter, or a special young friend that would be used in her future.  You would be creating something useful as well as making memories that would last a lifetime.

May your day be filled with the blessings that come from the little things in life.  Enjoy!

Edited to share at the Sew Darn Crafty Linky Party:  HERE and to  Super Mom-No Cape's  Stitchery Link Party HERE.  Check out all the amazing posts in their parties.

The Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part 7: The Bread Cloth

"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"

While perusing my collection of Sew Beautiful magazines last summer, I came across an article about a beautiful hand embroidered bread cloth and I instantly knew that I wanted to make it for one of my niece, Kelly's, shower gifts.  I knew I had the perfect soft damask cloth tucked away to re-purpose into something special:  a lovely, very old, tablecloth that had been my wonderful stepmother's and had been her mother's before her!  One area of the vintage material had worn through but the rest was in excellent condition and was such a pleasure to work with!

If you wish to see the initial post about the Tea Party or some of the other gifts I made, please see the links below: 

• The "Hope Chest" Inspired Shower, Part 1:  The Party 
• The Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part 2:  The Nightgown
• The Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part 3:  The Spring Kitchen Set
• The Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part 4: Bowl Covers!
• The Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part 5:  The Embroidered Hankie
• The Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part 6:  The Shoe Bag and Round Travel Tote

Please click on the photos to enlarge them.

The original design in the magazine had the wheat sprays in all four corners of the cloth.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to complete this project and the others that I still wanted to do if I did the entire design, so I chose to do the sprays in just two of the corners.

I used a tiny back stitch to stitch the line from the Lord's Prayer and shadow work, stem stitch, and bullion knots for the wheat sprays.

I found a beautiful standing master butter knife in an antique store to add to this gift.

I really tried to make my handwork neat because I knew that it would be seen as soon as you uncover the bread!

I also found a triangular bread basket in another antique store that would be perfect for using with the cloth.

As I had hoped, Kelly loved the cloth and was touched that it had been made from a tablecloth that had graced her grandmother's and great grandmother's tables.  I know that when she read the tag I had prepared explaining what I had done, I felt like these special women were present with us in spirit.  I have to say that of all the things that I made for Kelly, this was the most meaningful for me.  

I hope that you enjoyed this post.  Perhaps it will inspire you to make something new out of something old!  Please join me again later in the week for another gift for Kelly made from one of my mother's tablecloths!  

Blessings for a wonderful day!

The Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part 4: Bowl Covers!

Reversible Bowl Covers:  useful and attractive coverings to be used instead of (or over) plastic wrap.  They are great for taking to pot lucks and picnics!

This set was a small and quickly made gift addition to the 'Hope Chest' shower gift basket for my niece, Kelly's, Tea Party wedding shower.  (See HERE for details of the shower, an explanation of the 'Hope Chest' gift project, and the first set of gifts.  See Here and  Here for Parts 2 & 3.)

They were made with coordinating cotton print fruit fabrics from my fat quarter stash and narrow elastic in the casing made between the two fabrics.  Although I made them to go over three different sized glass bowls in my kitchen, they will fit over many sizes.  I simply traced around the bowl tops onto brown paper and added a couple of inches for overlap and seams.

This was actually the third set I have made of these covers.  I have given each set away as gifts and each time the recipient has to be told what they are!!!  The first thing they do is put them on their heads!  They think they are shower caps!  We all had a great laugh over them at the shower.  I will have to enclose a picture on a gift tag next time.  (Maybe not...  I love the surprise when they are told they are Bowl Covers!)

A little thought to ponder:  "It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth---and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up---that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had."  
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

The Hope Chest Inspired Shower, Part 3: The Spring Kitchen Set

 

From A Light in the Attic  by Shel Silverstein

 

I think that everyone likes to see and to use things in the kitchen that make them smile... something to lift their spirits when performing the routine tasks of keeping an orderly and clean kitchen.  I wanted Kelly to have some little home-made love that would make her smile as she went about her new life.  This set started with pinterest pins of denim aprons.  They have always made me think of Kelly. She has always loved a good jeans outfit.  One of her favorites was a fancy denim skirt, blouse and jacket set we bought her when she was about six years old.  It was very fancy with ruffles and laces and she wore it all the time.  

While I was trying to come up with a jeans apron that reminded me of that little denim outfit, I was in Home Goods and picked up the pink towels you see in the picture above.  I was inspired by Kathleen of Miss Abigail's Hope Chest to try a little crochet edging.  I have several crochet books and know the basics but reading the patterns for specific edgings is a skill I am still acquiring.  Sooo...I made one up!  I had to use an awl to pierce the fabric over the thick hem to get my thinest crochet hook through at regular intervals and then did a a single crochet into each hole.  From there I did a row of double crochet and then chain stitched lacy loops that were attached with a slip stitch at regular intervals again.  I think it came out pretty but I really would like to learn to do some of the edgings in my books! I appliqued the butterfly from some scraps of fabric that coordinated and then added a band of the same fabric and some ribbon to the other towel.

 

The apron was made without a pattern.  I just used the backside of a pair of old jeans and bound the side edges in a blue and white lace.  The bottom has a ruffle of pink lace and two fabrics. 

Several of my pinterest denim pins were of totes/bags made of recycled jeans and they got me thinking of a reusable 'gift wrap' for this set for the Hope Chest Shower.  I took another pair of old jeans and just cut off the legs and sewed up the seam.  I added some little charms, tiny  bits of hand embroidery, more of the blue and white lace and some handles.  Done!

Kathleen, of Miss Abigail's Hope Chest has posted lovely crocheted dish cloths several times on her blog.  She even has tutorials for them and when I get a little help with reading the directions, I will be making some of those beautiful sets.  In the meantime, I was inspired by her to make a set of very simple pink dish cloths using single crochet and cotton yarn.  The border edging was just made up of chain stiches and slip stitches.

The cloths are straight and not wobbly, I promise.  I just had them tied up with the ribbon and they became creased.
 

Thank God for dirty dishes;

They have a story to tell.

While others may go hungry

We're eating very well.

 

With Home, Health, and Happiness,

I shouldn't want to fuss;

By the stack of evidence,

God's been very good to us.

Author Unknown

A Visit With My Heart Sister

Karen and Jana, June 2013

 I recently spent a wonderful little vacation in Georgia with my dear friend Jana.  Although my family adores her and would like to come, as well, I go alone and soak up the goodness of being with someone who is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful, people on earth!  We have been friends since we were in ninth grade and she knows my entire life story almost as well as I do.  This little 'retreat' is a gift we give each other every summer that we can.

We don't schedule very much and just take each day as it comes.  In fact, we make sure that we have time to nap every day and the 'tea parties' begin as soon as I arrive.   I usually schedule my flight to arrive just before lunch time and Jana has all kinds of goodies made up ahead to put together a quick gourmet organic luncheon when we get to her house.  But first, we have tea...beautifully brewed loose black tea that is perfectly timed so that no trace of bitterness can be found.

We talk...a lot...and then it is time for a nap under quilts and flannel sheets and pillows with hand-embroidered pillowcases.  On the bedside table is a lamp, a small vase of flowers from the garden, a stack of books and magazines that Jana thinks I might like (some with pages marked), and copies of things that she has read/researched that she thinks that my family or I might need/want to read.  There are often little wrapped presents on the table as well (dark chocolate candy, tea themed note cards, notebooks, etc.).  To put it simply, Jana spoils me rotten!  When it is time to get up, Jana brings in a pretty tea tray with tea for two and we prop the multiple pillows up at both ends of the bed and talk some more.  Now, I must tell you that tea comes to me on a tea tray in the morning, too.  Yes, I know....VERY spoiled.

We do go out on errands and often have one lunch and one dinner out at a fancy restaurant.  This time we ate dinner at a middle eastern place that was amazing.  We ordered seven different dishes and they arrived on little serving dishes to serve ourselves and share.  Wow!  Very yummy.

I made the Christmas stocking below to match the one I made for Jana last Christmas.  (See HERE.) I had made her stocking and filled it with little things for her present.  She was tickled with it and suggested that I make one for myself but leave the decorations of the stocking to her.  I was to bring this stocking with me on this visit and return with the one I made her last year.  We will now have a new tradition:  filling and sending the stockings to each other.

The stocking is made from two different (damaged) hand-made small tablecloths, linen for lining, and a holiday print for the back of the stocking.  Aren't those scallops on the edge of the finer linen tablecloth beautiful?  Every stitch was hand done!

Jana gave me her waffle maker when I told her that I had some wonderful Belgian waffles at a P.T.A. breakfast the last week of school.  Oh, my!  Who knew waffles could be so good?  I have already used it twice!

The waffles are very pretty, too, with roses on one side.

 It makes a very large waffle.  (It fills the center of a dinner plate.)  We had ours with fresh fruit, butter, and maple syrup.  Delicious!

One of the things that we make time for every year when I visit Jana is an afternoon of visiting antique shops.  I always come home with lovely vintage linens to use in my home and in my sewing creations.  The photo below is a small sample of the things I found on this visit.  (I'll be doing another post on my 'finds'!)  Aren't the two sets of matching pillowcases pretty?

Just click on the photo to enlarge.

Needless to say, I always feel that time has flown and that our visit is too short.  I look forward to this time with Jana all year.  I leave the end-of-the-school-year madness and stress and take deep, rejuvenating breaths, basking in a precious friendship with a cherished friend.  

Thank you, Jana!  

Linking up with Thrifty to Nifty Thursday at:  http://www.ajennuinelife.com/2013/07/thrifty-to-nifty-thursdays-24.html

Jana's Tea Time Linens

I have been busy embroidering and constructing a first communion dress as a gift for a former student.  I'll be able to share the dress later this week but I wanted to share these darling linens with you.  None of them were embroidered by me and most are vintage linens found in antique shops in Georgia.  They belong to my sweet friend Jana.  The red work on the left in the photo above is similar to designs republished in a book by EllynAnne Geisel called The Kitchen Linens Book.  Isn't it charming?  The one on the right is more recent.  I believe it was embroidered for Jana by another friend of hers.

The bluebird with the kettle below is a vintage design you can find on the web where people scan vintage (out of copyright) patterns to save for posterity and to share.  There is a whole group of these wonderful ladies on Flicker ensuring that these precious designs aren't lost forever.

 This last one is just too cute with the basket of cherries spilling into the pot to make jam or jelly.

Have a wonderful day!  Do something that makes you happy!  Have more fun!