Monday, July 22, 2019

Linens and lace and a bit of tea




Now that the first book in a jewelry-themed cozy mystery series is behind me, I'm in various stages of progress on writing more books. A later (and totally unrelated) cozy series will have a plot line that involves old linens and lace, so I have been doing some research while I work on ideas for that book. Last week, my friend Sandra, who is known locally as "The Lace Lady," was kind enough to allow me to spend a few hours examining some of the many items in her vast collection. Lace even features prominently in her dollhouse, and when I pulled out my iPhone and started snapping photos, I realized there were quite a few tea-related items and got her blessing to share some of the images here.

This "tablecloth" is actually a lace doily with a cross-stitched design in the center. So once I spotted this miniature tea table, I had to remind myself that I was really there to study the lace and linens!

Here, I was interested in the little tapestry-looking piece that serves as a rug, so I can't help the fact that there are also a tea set and tea tray in this photo, where a lace-gowned lady awaits her teatime.

In her sun room/tearoom, my friend has a beautiful way of displaying her demitasse cups with vintage handkerchiefs, many of them lace-edged.

One of her newer pieces is a lace tea cozy, which I believe she said came from the Victorian Papers catalog some years ago.

And because she once worked in a frame shop, Sandra is very talented at framing her own bits of art, including this piece she salvaged from an antique crazy quilt. Can you believe it actually had a teacup with the year 1884 embroidered on it? Wow! And that paper scrap at the bottom is from some stationery I wrote her a note on years ago. I remembered it when I looked at the framed piece, but I have no idea where I got it, though I sure wish this stationery were still being made today.

And I'll close with a few random lace photos just to give you an idea of some of the linens-and-lace beauties that gave me more than enough inspiration for that new novel!


9 comments:

  1. I, too, love old linens and lace, and I enjoyed seeing the pictures of your friend's collection. I have a box of hankies that a sweet friend at church gave me before she died - I really like the idea of displaying them with teacups! And I'll look forward to reading your book(s).

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  2. Beautiful! Love all the detail especially the pups! Looking forward to more cozy mysteries. Have you read The Gown by Jennifer Robson? It is about the women who made Queen Elizabeth wedding dress. The lace theme reminds me of this wonderful story.

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    1. No, but I obviously need to put that one on my list, Frances. Thanks for the recommendation!

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  3. The dollhouse is delightful. I’m so glad Sandra allowed you to share.

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  4. Your photos of the tea things in the dollhouse are wonderful! (I, too, liked seeing the china dog nursing its tiny pups, in the photo with the tea set and tea tray.) I really like vintage linens as well, and I do look forward to your cozy series involving them.

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  5. What a beautiful dollhouse. Everything is so pretty.
    Marion

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  6. Those linens and lace are gorgeous.
    Joan

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  7. I love those dolls. The outfits are so beautiful. The table setting is gorgeous.
    Marilyn

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  8. I do love linens and lace, but those miniature tea things make my heart go pitter patter. I love them all.

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