The Tea Towel Swap

The washing of dishes does seem to me the most absurd and unsatisfactory business that I ever undertook.  If, when once washed, they would remain clean forever and ever (which they ought in all reason to do, considering how much trouble it is), there would be less occasion to grumble; but no sooner it is done, than it requires to be done again.  On the whole, I have come to the resolution not to use more than one dish at each meal.

Nathaniel Hawthorne - 1844
 [written while Mrs. Hawthorne was away!]

The tea group, Afternoon Tea Across America, conducted an embroidered tea towel exchange several years ago. Some are requesting that we do it again, so I thought I would find pictures of some of the tea towels that I stitched or received so that any newcomers might see what we did. Each month, each participant would exchange a hand-stitched tea towel with their assigned partner. These heart tea towels were the first ones that I stitched.

This tea towel was one I stitched for Val for our November exchange. I chose a Christmas theme in keeping with the holiday season. I enjoyed stitching in "redwork". The towel is hemmed and then trimmed with red, checked bias tape and narrow lace trim.

Stitched for Karleen

This tea towel is stitched on linen. Usually I embroider tea towels on thin "flour sack" fabric, so it took me awhile to get used to the feel of the needle through linen, but I ended up really liking stitching on linen once all was said and done.

Here is the same pattern, but stitched on flour sack type fabric. The stitched design has been colored with colored pencils which were heat set after stitching.

And yet another of the morning glory pattern. This was stitched on cotton and colored with wax crayons and then heat set.

I stitched many primitive teacup tea towels. Each was unique with details that varied. This one has my initial stitched in each circle.

The vintage lady tea towels were stitched on linen. Vicki was my swap partner for each of these months. I found that stitching faces was a bit more challenging than flowers. But I really liked how these turned out.

A button on the top completed this teapot tea towel. I think this may have gone to Patricia.

Another teacup tea towel. This time stylized tulips were stitched instead of roses. I think this was an Easter exchange.

Same pattern, with colored roses and a new design in the teacup.

Stitched by Val

Stitched for Gwen

Stitched for Val

Stitched by Patricia

Stitched by Val

Stitched by Sandra

Australia, Tea & Friendship

Relationships and connections are important to me. I think that's one reason that I enjoy the practice of taking tea. Afternoon tea with a friend provides opportunity to connect, communicate, and share. Research shows that relationships are extremely important in health and longevity. I'm glad for teatime moments with friends. These times are a special blessing.

And how fun is it to help connect your friends from different parts of your life! The story goes like this. My friend, Hazel, has been my buddy since we met in a religion class when we were freshmen in college. The class met at 7:30 am and our professor was a New Testament theologian. Somehow Hazel and I became friends in those early-daytime hours of deep thought. That friendship has remained over many years. She is one of those forever friends. The kind that you know will love you until the day you die. Recently she told me that she was going on a humanitarian mission to the Solomon Islands. On the way home, she was going to visit Australia and New Zealand. 

This reminded me of my friend, Susanna.

Susanna is a more recent friend. We met online through a group interested in educating kids. She is super friendly and most interesting to visit with. And, Susanna lives in Australia! So, I thought it would be fun to hook Hazel and Susanna up. Hazel contacted Susanna, saying she was a friend of mine. And things took off from there. In the end, Susanna and her family hosted Hazel and her travel companions for four adventurous days! Susanna is a tour hostess of excellence! From her heart, and because of friendship, she provided beds, breakfasts (and lunches and dinners), and tours of Sydney and surrounding areas. Train travel, ferry rides, foot travel, museums, aquariums, China town, gardens, and so much more were crammed into a few short days. Amazing energy, instant friendship (Hazel and Susanna), and fun times were had. Too soon (for them), the journey ended and Hazel's group returned home.

Yesterday Hazel and I met for a four-hour lunch and tea, because we had a lot to talk about and catch up on!

Hazel is my friend who does not like tea. Susanna made it her mission to get Hazel to try some while in Sydney. So, over lunch in China town, she made sure to provide Hazel with a cup of Jasmine Green Tea. She documented it with photo and sent it out by Facebook immediately! Hazel is such a good sport!

We met for lunch at a restaurant whose theme centers around farm and western decor and food. I was quite sure they wouldn't offer Jasmine Green tea, so I brought my own! Stash Jasmine Blossom Green Tea in convenient tea bags were produced from my purse; the waitress kindly brought us mugs and hot water. Instructions were given to Hazel to steep it "only one minute" because I thought she might actually enjoy it if it was gentle and weak. And she did! We visited. I listened to stories of Hazel's travel adventures. We talked about Susanna (who is coming to American next year, so we have some planning to do!). The hours flew by quickly!

And Hazel brought gifts from Australia. Beautifully wrapped, she presented me with a lovely tea kit from Susanna. It's paired with an Australian tea towel from Hazel. The tea is by Tea Tonic and is named Australiana Tea. The tin says that it is cool, dry, vast and a whole lot of soul. It contains lemon myrtle, sage, and eucalyptus leaf.

This morning, tea was taken on the porch. I paired my Australiana Tea from Susanna with the tea towel from Hazel. In my cupboard was a mug of Australian Roadsigns (featuring Australian animals like wombats, crocodiles, koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, emus and camels) that was brought home to me by Dad and Alma on a trip they took to Australia in the past. The tea was delicious! The sage, very evident, giving it a surprisingly nutty taste. With notes of eucalyptus in the background, the cup is accented by lemon myrtle. This was a wonderful way to wake up and take on the day!

Thank you for the lovely gifts, Hazel and Susanna!

Grandma's Recipes

This has always puzzled me, just how much is a pinch?

These recipes of dear Grandma's surely are no cinch.

A "snip" of this, a "dab" of that, a "lump" of something else,

Then "beat it for a little while", or, "stir until it melts."

I have to be a wizard to decipher what she meant,

By all these strange proportions in her cookbook worn and bent.

How much nutmeg in the doughnuts? Grandma wouldn't flinch,

As she said, with twinkling eyes, "Oh, just about a pinch."

There must have been in her wise head a measuring device,

That told her just how much to use of sugar, salt and spice.

Author Unknown

The Washing of Dishes

The washing of dishes does seem to me the most absurd and unsatisfactory business that I ever undertook.  If, when once washed, they would remain clean forever and ever (which they ought in all reason to do, considering how much trouble it is), there would be less occasion to grumble; but no sooner it is done, than it requires to be done again.  On the whole, I have come to the resolution not to use more than one dish at each meal.

Nathaniel Hawthorne - 1844
 [written while Mrs. Hawthorne was away!]

Love Seasons

 

Love maketh its own summer time,
'Tis June, Love, when we are together,
And little I care for the frost in the air,
For the heart makes its own summer weather.

Love maketh its own winter time,
And though the hills blossom with heather,
If you are not near, 'tis December, my dear,
For the heart makes its own winter weather.

 

Sweet Warmth and the Heart

I'm sending you love and tea,
To warm your winter's day.
Think of me as you pour your cup
And all the good things we would say.
If we could be together now
Instead of miles apart,
We'd sip our teas and memories,
The sweet warmth fills the heart.

Susan Young

 

*a blue teapot tea-towel that I stitched for Karleen

Redwork Embroidery

Redwork is the art of embroidery using only one color: red. I used to think the idea was quite boring, as I tend to like selecting color families that work together in a project. But, recently I tried my hand at redwork and have enjoyed both the process and the cheerful finished sampler. The redwork tea towel in the picture above is one I recently embroidered for a friend in the tea towel exchange group I belong to.

Originally, red dyed cotton threads were not colorfast and the colors tended to bleed when they became wet. Embroiderers tended to select other colors or stitch red's in silk threads that would not bleed. Then a red dye was developed in Turkey that did not bleed or fade when washed. Soon, Turkey red thread became a reliable and popular choice for stitching decorative patterns on household items.

In 1876 The Royal School of Art Needlework from Kensington, England produced a booth at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. American women were charmed by the intricate embroidery and were ready to try their hand at it. It soon gained popularity, as more and more stitchers created embroidered samplers and quilts using this process.

Redwork designs range from very simple to elaborate and intricate. Over time, pictures of nursery rhymes, people, buildings, animals, and flowers have been depicted in this art. In times past, squares of preprinted patterns were made available for redwork. These squares cost a penny apiece, thus the name penny squares became a common term when describing these blocks. Completed blocks were used for many household projects, but became especially useful and popular for bedcoverings. Blocks were sewn together and a feather stitch or cross-stitch was used to cover the seam line.

Stitches especially common when stitching redwork are backstitch, outline stitch, and the stem stitch. The stem stitch is also called the South Kensington stitch or the English Kensington stitch, a name that probably took hold because of the popularizing of this embroidery style by The Royal School of Art Needlework in 1876.

Morning Glories and Chatter

This morning I'm headed out to pick a bucket of Simplicity pink roses for Paula. She's doing an antique show with her sister this week-end, and they are decorating their booth with fresh flowers. How fun to be able to share with them in this way! Earlier I walked my yard, looking at what was in bloom and might be of benefit to them. The roses are nice, but what it so magnificent right now are the morning glories climbing the dog kennel fence! They are a jumble of heart-shaped leaves and purple and hot pink flowers! Each morning they are at their best, but take an early nap mid-afternoon, disappearing into themselves, only to open wide again the next morning. I wish they could be cut and shared for the antique booth, but they are too tender. So, with morning glory thoughts in mind, I thought I'd share with you a tea towel I embroidered on linen --- one that was inspired by my garden morning glories. Thanks for stopping by and may your day be glorious!

Colorful Tea Towels

Embroidered tea towels are fun to stitch, but sometimes a bit more color is desired. There's an easy way to fill in the stitching lines with shades of pretty colors. Here's how:

After tracing the pattern onto the flour sack fabric, color the design with regular coloring crayons. Color gently, but with an even stroke. Areas that you want shaded can be colored with a heavier hand or colored in a darker color. Then cover the pattern with a piece of paper and iron with a warm iron. This sets the color. Then, stitch as desired. Coloring crayons work well for this effect, but pencil crayons will work as well. You can wash and dry your tea towels as usual.

Happy Stitching!