Finding tea in Summerville, S.C.

Sometimes, I find "tea connections" where I least expect them, and it happened again last week. As soon as we got to South Carolina, DH and I headed to Summerville so I could re-visit the amazing quilt store People, Places & Quilts. My dear friend Kathy and I have both adored this store since we discovered it on a memorable girlfriend getaway a few years ago. We spent several days visiting every quilt and fabric shop in Savannah, Charleston, Summerville, Mt. Pleasant and Beaufort, as I recall, but the PPQ shop in Summerville was the largest, most well-stocked quilt store either of us had ever visited at that time, and we both went a little nuts buying patterns and fabric. This time, my great find was the book "A Southern Album" by Kristin C. Steiner and Diane F. Wilson.

A few baskets of this folksy-looking, wire-bound book appeared around the shop, one of them in front of the stitched-up quilt (WHY didn't I snap a photo?), which featured some lovely traditional-style blocks and some nice applique work. Since I learned to applique last year, I find myself very drawn to appliqued quilts. This book itself is very nicely produced, and there is even a matching bookmark that comes with it. I was flipping through noting it included the stories behind the quilt block patterns, such as Cotton Boll, Carolina Lily and Turkey Tracks in Rice Fields. The names alone were quite intriguing!

And then I saw the pattern that told me this book would be the perfect souvenir from Summerville: Sweet Tea Stars. Along with a "sweet" reminiscence about this "divine nectar fit for queens," there are instructions for a pieced and appliqued block and a pattern for tea leaves to applique on the block. If you're a tea-loving quilter from the South, or simply have an appreciation for the South, I think you would greatly enjoy reading this lovely book. You can find out more here by clicking on Patterns and Publications.