Tea on Tuesday- Last Day of August...........

Summer's almost over, altho'  you couldn't tell by the temperatures we have had here lately!

I am still "abed", with my mug of chamomile tea, a good book, and two dogs who are playing lazy today also!

                                    (two reasons why I will never have a nice bedspread on my bed!)


I am re-reading a book sent to me by a good friend, and fellow apron fanatic, Lennie. The Apron Book, by EllynAnne Geisel is a must have, if you love aprons!

It has stories, memories, photos, and patterns of aprons. The vintage aprons from the author's collection are to die for!

There is even a pull out pattern in the back of the book, and other patterns within the pages.

I am using a cute little bookmark, sent to me by Lennie's daughter, Diane- a piece of scrap quilt fashioned into a blanket stitched kitty. Thanks, Diane and Lennie!!!!

I also received a belated b'day gift in the mail - tea time chimes!!!! They are now hanging out back by the picnic table. Thanks, Evan!!!

Well, staying in the bed doesn't last very long- would be nice if it did.............................time to get moving- chores to be done, animals waiting on me to get moving!!!
Please feel free to join us for Tea on Tuesdays any time - and visit Kimmie and Patty for a list of other who come to tea!!

Rummage Treasures, Part 2

Just a few more of the treasures from last week's yard sales...................................

A pair of vintage, linen, starched hospital bed sheets. Can't imagine these being on a bed in a hospital today - Linda thought they were from a local hospital, but appear to be marked from a veterans' hospital. I would guess turn of the last century. One is perfect, the other has age stain along the top. If I can get that stain out, I am thinking of turning them into curtains, without having to cut into the wonderful fabric.Hmmm, did they have linen sheets during the Civil War?

Great old wire planter/pot basket. Too bad the 6th pot was missing!!!

Above is a gorgeous 9 patch(?) quilt top - made of what appears to be "satin" lining material. It is soo pretty, but so impractical, because I don't really think this fabric is machine washable. I would love to send this out to be machine quilted, but not really sure what I will do with it. If it ever got a spot on it, I would have to scream!!!LOL

Not sure about this pretty ribbon mesh - looks like it was meant to be a poncho of sorts- but I'm thinking it would look cool draped over a lampshade.

Some kaleidoscopes (see previous post) a signed Puerto Rican print (now hanging in my guest bathroom), and a cool Moroccan bottle.

Not sure if I showed this in a previous post- but this was from the same "haul"!!! There was just so much "stuff", I forget!!! This is a vintage hand tied whole print quilt- not the best colors - but very warm. My nephews will be sleeping under this one and another I found a while back, when they come to visit at the end of the month!

I bought this candle set (75 cents!) just to get all the "coins" scattered in it!!!!

Well, time to go clean/purge the basement - this last weekend's finds have kind of tipped the scales on me having a bit too much stuff!!!LOL Definitely time to re- open and restock the shelves in the eBay, Etsy and land shoppes!!!!!!

Happy Anniversary

 It would have been 58 years today, my dad almost made it to their 50th.

Another Sleepless Night.....

...............with words and thoughts rolling around in my head. So, I got up, put those words to (cyber) paper, and let's see if my now, hopefully empty head will allow me to go to sleep.
If you're awake, drop on by my other blog, to see what words spilled out...........................good night.........

Hapa Zome Tutorial

I subscribe to the online newsletter Quilting Daily, from Interweave. Today they featured artist India Flint, and interviewed her about her natural dying techniques.

It was really quite interesting. One of the things she spoke about was a technique she calls hapa zome- "essentially a "kitchen Japanese" phrase meaning leaf dye "

It seemed quite simple, so today, I gave it a try!

All you really need is:

     a block of wood, 

            a piece of paper (I used a section of brown paper bag), 

                       some leaves and flowers gathered from outside, 

                             some fabric (I used muslin- no silk available!), 

                                                and

                                        a big hammer!

*Place your fabric on the wood block.

**Place your leaves/flowers on the fabric. I did them one at a time- the paper tends to slide a bit when hammering.

***Place the paper over the leaf

****Hammer it to a pulp!!

The hammering beats the color into the fabric. I found that placing the leaves face down on the fabric bleeds a bit more color, and if you are lucky, the complete imprint of the leaf will show up. Some plants leave better imprints than others.

I tried cedar with berries, it smells great - but really doesn't leave the best imprint. I picked some wildflowers, lavender, lavender blossoms, sunflower leaves, clover, hyacinth bean flowers and pods, kale, spinach, broccoli leaf,  foxtail, strawberry leaves, and quite a few others. Some just left a green blob, some left a nice print.


India says the colors will set with a steam iron. She used this technique on a 6m x6m floor cloth for a theatre, and several years later, the colors are still set, even with folks walking on it!

My muslin square just happened to fit perfectly on a vintage "ventilator" I picked up at a yard sale last week, for $1 !!!

This was a square cut in an old log cabin, with a piece of screen over it, for ventilation in a kitchen. Pretty cool piece of wood- I laid the muslin on top of it to get a photo and it fits!!

The print even looks good on the reverse side of the fabric (see above). Once you figure out which flowers and leaves work best, you could fill up the whole piece with color.
This was just a practice piece, but I will steam iron it, and then figure out what to do with it!! Now, on to the woods, for more leaves and stuff to hammer into fabric....................................hapa zome!!!!

Teabag Quilt-Really!!!!

Check out this Etsy artist- who makes wonderful little journals-she made a quilt out of teabags - 600 used teabags!!!

Introducing Rosamund and Lily

As mentioned in my previous post - I had a great day yard sale-ing on Saturday!


This is one of my favorite finds-( for a whole 75 cents!)- at Saturday's church sale:(click on the photo for a larger view)

This is Aunt Lily's Treasure Shop! Once put out  by Hearthsong, now a discontinued item, this boxed set is made to look like 2 books, and opens up into a 3 dimensional shop. Inside are 2 halfpenny dolls, Lily and Rosamund. There are patterns for making their clothes (uncut, no less!), a precious storybook about them - Rosamund is the adventurous one, Lily, the more retiring, nervous one. There are also some items to stock Lily's treasure shop.

This is so cool - I guess it just appeals to the child within me!!! LOL

I just found an out of print book about a Halfpenny family on Amazon.com- of course, I ordered it!!!
Halfpenny dolls are made of wire armatures, wrapped in thread or yarn, with flat round heads. The artist who designed these is Gillian Heal, an Englishwoman, who is still painting and creating.


I became familiar with Hearthsong, the company who put these sets out, more than 20 years ago, when we lived in California. So, when I saw this set at the yard sale, I had to snap it up!!! Even tho' they don't carry anything by Gillian Heal anymore, Hearthsong still has a great line of children's products.

I will be keeping my eye out for more of these cute little dolls, to expand the halfpenny family!!! Either that, or make some myself!!

Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will get started on a designing a wardrobe for Rosamund and Lily!!!!

Tea on a Rainy Tuesday

It is finally raining!!!YAY!!!! Not a torrential downpour, mind you, but rain, nonetheless. Hopefully enough to soggy up the parched grounds around here. Puffs of dust float up with every footstep, and the grass crunches underfoot. Weeds grow quite well, hardy little things- my lavender loves this weather - but that is about it!!!


So, rain, and lower temps call for a hot cup of tea this morning - English Breakfast it is!!!
Instead of showing you my cuppa - I'll "bore" you with some of my yard sale finds from over the weekend- it was a banner day on Saturday!!!

The first one - and one of my favs - is appropriate for Tea on Tuesday - it is a square of handpainted silk. It came a bit wrinkled, so it may be hard to see the picture- it took me a few minutes to realize this was not just an abstract splashing of paint on silk. It is actually a teapot!!!! Once I get around to pressing it - I will have to take another photo, so you can really see it!!

The next fabric is a rather odd one - little headless girls in each corner - with the head in the center of the fabric - not quite sure what to make of this!!!LOL You can click on it for a closer look.

Above is a delicate English teacup, with a hairline crack - probably will become a pin cushion. It is sitting atop a vintage Roseville pottery bowl,still usable, even tho it has a tiny chip on the rim. The littel squash pitcher was just too cute to resist!!!
Below, from a local Goodwill, another English bone china teacup, some vintage Glasbake molds, teal Melamine cups and bowl, a vintage Limoges hand painted bowl, a stamp for my collection, all sitting on a like new lazy susan for the studio!!!

Above - a ton of miscellaneous treasures - a Reed & Barton coffee (tea?) pot, a brass teapot, and a cute FTD morning glory teapot- none can be used for their original purposes due to slight damages, so they will be turned into planters and wind chimes.

Next post, more fabulous finds from the Saturday sales!!

Enjoy your tea, please feel free to join us on any Tea on Tuesday!! We love new participants. Please visit Patty and Kimmie for a list of the others who come to tea each week!!

"New" Stuff

Put together some new inventory for Julieanna's- I should get busy and put some of it in my Etsy shop. At least, in Julieanna's, I know it is selling!!!LOL

I like playing around with orphaned, vintage pieces of china or cutlery- giving them new life, altering them into something else functional, quirky, or cute. 

I was making these business card holders out of vintage silverware, and Julie suggested I make a set- for place card holders. Great idea!!
Another great idea from "anon", Lennie- use them for an easel for a tiny piece of art! I think these would be great to display mini paintings, ATC's, zentangles , maybe even twinchies!

Here they are:

The place card holders kind of look like a piece of odd art just stacked together!

What Is It?

OK, bloggers - what do you think this is?? Put on your Sunday morning thinking caps.....................

If you are not already a follower, become a follower, submit your guess!. It's easy!!!!

Those who correctly guess what it is, will have their names put in a " hat"  for a giveaway. Just a fun little giveaway- not even sure what it will be yet!!!

Behind Closed Doors....................

This post is inspired by a visit a while back, to Robyn's always interesting blog, Art Propelled

I have always been intrigued by old doors- their character, who has gone thru them, what they have "seen".

I have a similar interest in vintage mirrors- I wonder who has looked into the depths of this mirror over the years, whose hand held this one before me, what are the countless images this reflective surface has within itself.

Doors hold the same mystery for me- who has walked before? Sometimes it is just the decay of the portal that catches my eye. Other times it's the simplicity of the entryway, or the vibrancy of a colorful door in an otherwise mundane dwelling the makes me grab my camera. There are times when the whole door just comes home with me, much to the dismay of my husband, who only sees it as a candidate for the burn pile!!!!

Doors have held secrets in, and let stories out, simply by being opened and closed. Treasures are kept behind locked doors, and so are horrors. History and happiness also can be found within the 4 walls that the door stands sentry to.

Tiny doors to cabinets, roughly hand hewn, or artistically stylized, are keepers of life as well. Now, admit it, how many of you have gone into a friend's house , and sneaked a peek behind a closed door, or bathroom cabinet!!! LOL Will you choose what is behind door number 2 or door number 3 ???

There isn't anyone who has not walked thru a doorway of sorts, whether it is as simple as a rag across a cardboard box shelter, a branch in front of a cave, a massive wooden door made from hand cut timber, a simple porch screen door............................

My favorite door of late, is the door to the barn!! I wish I could locate all the door pictures I have taken over the years.

Do you have any favorite doorway shots? Share please!!!

Again, I Must Refer You To........................

......Robyn Gordon's wonder-full blog- Art Propelled   !!!!
If you are a fan of old fabric, sewing implements, teacups, or Alfi Cella- drop on over and check out the links and pics in her August 14th post!!!

Tea on Tuesday

It has been so hot here, that iced tea is usually the drink of the day, and night!!!!


I have seen enough days of 90 degree temps to last me for a long while! And, we need RAIN!!! I keep hearing reports of several towns nearby getting torrential downpours, and hurricane style winds, while we have nothing in the form of precipitation!


My daughter went to work yesterday, and found the building partially flooded- a leak in the roof, and heavy rains during the night. We had none of it - and we are a mere 10 miles away. The mountains that surround us, do a very good job of redirecting the rain clouds. It is almost like the clouds get stuck on the treetops and never float this way.


We did finally get a brief downpour of about 10 minutes yesterday - instead of cooling us off, it turned the evening into a total sauna!

I have managed to get in early morning rides while it is still cool enough for the horses (and me) but, have not managed to get down to the garden in a few days! After days of  pickling, and freezing, and canning, and working with the crate of peaches the other night, the phrase from Gone With the Wind - "....tomorrow is another day..." is how I look at that garden lately!!!LOL

This has been one of my favorite teas lately - iced green tea, with fresh mint and lemon balm from the garden. My cool little green checked melamine iced tea spoon is from The Farm Chicks. Paired with a dark chocolate biscotti, and set on a vintage hand painted Lefton snack plate- time to sit back in the wicker rocker, on the porch, and rest for a while!!! 

Please join us- and visit the others- see the list of participants at Kim's blog.

Tea on Tuesday - Civil War Style

Since I live in an area where the Civil War was rampant, I thought a little look back in history would be the theme for today!!

Some of this info came from a little booklet, Civil War Plants and Herbs written by Patricia Mitchell , who has written many other booklets  - among them: Victorian Parlors and Tea Parties, Suited to a Tea, and about 45 more from her "Inkling Series"- perfect gifts for an 1800's "foodie" or re-enactor!!!

Civil War tea according to Ms. Hague of that era:- "We had several substitutes for tea......Prominent among these substitutes were raspberry leaves. Many during the blockade planted and cultivated the raspberry vine all around their garden palings, as much for tea as the berries for jams or pies; these leaves were considered the best substitutes for tea. The leaves of the blackberry bush, huckleberry leaves, and the leaves of the holly-tree when dried in the shade, also made a palatable tea. "

Sugar was sometimes hidden underground, to be kept from marauders, and little bugs ended up being added to the flavor of the tea!

Tea and sugar became scarce and extremely pricey, as did coffee. Leaves from willow, sage, blackberry, currant, and vegetables came into use for teas. Syrup and sugar was created from watermelon juice, or honey or sorghum was used in place of "real" sugar.

In 1864, the prices for for tea ran $22 per lb, coffee $12 per lb, and brown sugar was $10 per lb.White sugar was hard to come by and only if you were a very wealthy person.

Since our raspberry and blackberry bushes produced almost no fruit this year, due to the "lovely" drought we are in the midst of, I may have to traipse out there,  collect some leaves, and make some tea!

Since I have not decided on what tea to have today- please enjoy some horse pix instead!
Meet  the newest member of our equine family- CISCO!!! He is a 9 year old, push button, registered, champagne buckskin quarter horse. In short- a real sweetie!!! And, as he demonstrates, real men can wear purple!  LOL

Please join us for Tea on Tuesdays. See the sidebar in Kim's blog for a list of other participants!