Free teapot fabrics

My favorite shopping is "free" shopping, and that's what I did with these two new teapot print fabrics. Last year, after a couple of years of purchases, I finally earned one of those frequent shopper gift cards at my local quilt shop. I'd been hoarding that $20 card like crazy waiting on the perfect use, and this week I found it: new teapot fabrics!


In the quilting world they call this "building your stash," so I guess I am "building my stash" of tea-themed fabrics. I bought a yard each of the red and the blue, and I love them even more knowing they were free!

The store had just gotten these in, I'm told, and they were located near some of those thirties and forties reproduction prints I love. I'm grateful for selvages which tell me that Susie Osburn of Blank Quilting was the designer. Now, what to make with these pretty pieces is the question. Should I save these for a special project in each color, or should I go ahead and cut a small square for a "one day" quilt containing a piece of every tea print fabric I've collected? Decisions, decisions ...

Judith Glover Teawares

Ever heard of the British artist Judith Glover? I had not until I opened a Christmas present from my parents and found a whimsical Judith Glover teapot and two trios, one of which I thought I'd share here today. This particular design seemed like one my tea friends would appreciate!

I love the pastel colors and the whimsical look of the designs, especially that pretty three-tier tea tray.

Some of the designs are repeated on the teacup and saucer.

These designs are from the "Spice of Life" series, and I especially agree with the sentiment that "a little of what you fancy does you good." If you want to see more of Judith Glover's work, go here.

Teapot storage solutions

This great twiggy teapot, which is the size of a real one, has been sitting on my coffee table ever since my friend Deberah gave it to me for Christmas. I think it's so lovely and natural looking, and I even kept the raffia bow on top since it seems a little more festive that way. The teapot lid is hinged and opens, and I spent quite a few days trying to decide just what would be the perfect use for this piece.

Meanwhile, the coffee table top it was sitting on began to take on ever more accessories. During winter, I find that this table near my couch gets increasingly cluttered with stuff. There's the USB gadget I use for downloading photos, which stays out pretty much all the time, but also seasonal necessities like an extra pair of needlework scissors (since I'm working on more projects during winter), hand cream (since the cold does a number on my skin) and lip balm. (Anybody else a lifelong fan of LipSmackers? Dr. Pepper has been a favorite since junior high.)

I was mulling over a storage solution for all this stuff when it suddenly struck me that I had a lovely solution right at my fingertips, literally. I had a china teapot in that spot on the coffee table before, and it, too, would have been a great hiding spot for my wintertime stash. But I sure am glad I got this twiggy one too -- and I don't have to worry about it breaking!

Chai Cakes and a 42-cent pan

Kohl's is one of my favorite local stores, and even more so since I got $20 in "Kohl's Cash" just for doing some last-minute Christmas shopping there. I'd heard a friend talk about shopping there to earn the free "cash," but I didn't truly understand the concept until I had to make a last-minute sweep for gifts and ended up spending more than $100. That's when I was handed what amounted to a gift certificate for $20 that was good starting the day after Christmas. My treat? The Calphalon Dessert Bar Pan I'd had my eye on for baking neat little squares with rounded edges. It was on sale for $20.39, so when I handed over the "Kohl's Cash" my after-tax total came to a tidy little 42 cents. That's my kind of shopping!

I am happy to report that the pan's inaugural baking trip had a delicious result. I decided to experiment with some ingredients and make chai-flavored cakes. I love the ease of using teabags to flavor baked goods, and here's my latest invention!



Chai Cakes

3/4 cup of butter, melted
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 chai teabags

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 12-cavity Calphalon Dessert Bar Pan with cooking spray. Mix the melted butter and sugar in a bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour and contents of teabags and mix well. Spoon batter evenly into pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan. Yields 12 cakes.

Tea & Books Saturday #2 - "Tea." by Jamie Shalleck

"Tea."
By Jamie Shalleck
The Viking Press, 1972

Today we tea lovers are constantly seeking new books about our favorite beverage, so a book devoted entirely to tea is nothing new to us. This was not the case when this book first appeared, since the author opens with what amounts to a vigorous defense of the book's existence. "The prevailing American disdain for tea is perhaps not an accident of taste but the result of long years of conditioning, the psychological aftermath of a colonial ban on tea," she says. Disdain? Maybe back then, but certainly not today!

The amusing image on the book's cover is what initially caught my attention about "Tea." It's actually a fitting symbol of what's inside, since much of the book is devoted to tea and commerce at a time when tea ships were transporting those tea leaves hither and yon. There is a great deal of information on the East India Company and how it exercised its monopoly, and I was sorry to see there was no index to return to and find this specific information easily. The author also focuses repeatedly on two threads which I haven't really seen in other books: 1) early medical arguments about whether tea was actually helpful or harmful and 2) early moral arguments about whether tea drinking was a vice or a virtue. (John Wesley at one time believed he had cured himself of a particular malady by abstaining from tea, although he later resumed tea drinking.) Shalleck quotes often from texts written from the 1500s on, and I was quite intrigued by her choice of sources.

In books on tea history, I often find myself most enjoying the more trivial parts of the book, and that was true here as well. Did you know, for instance, that John Jacob Astor made part of his fortune trading furs for Chinese tea? Or that J. Lyons & Company's "tea for two" campaign was about buying tea for twopence instead of threepence? There are plenty of such tidbits in this book, something to appeal to every tea lover.

The book takes a 'round-the-world trip, literally, to reach its conclusion, but it's one I agree with: "Tea is pleasant, harmless, and relatively inexpensive. So why not revive the connoisseurship of tea? We could all do with a few more civilizing influences." Yes indeed!

The Teavana Perfect Teamaker

This Perfect Teamaker with the Teavana logo was a thoughtful and welcome Christmas gift from my newlywed step-daughter and her husband in Wisconsin. These are the gadgets you simply place on top of your teacup or mug, and with just a slight bit of pressure from sitting on the cup, the tea magically steeps through, filtered by a very fine mesh sieve. Teamaking doesn't get any easier than this! I've worn out two of these already and had to toss them, so I was quite pleased to get a brand spanking new one, especially since I collect teawares with tea company logos on them.

The gift bag tells me this gift came by way of the Atrium Tea Room in Sheboygan Falls. My husband and I made a quick meet-the-family visit to Sheboygan before the wedding last fall, so next time we head up north for a visit I will look forward to visiting this tea room in person.

The gift also included a nice package of Peach Oolong tea, which I've been steeping in the new teamaker ever since I received it. It's a lovely oolong with just a hint of peach, and I like that the flavor doesn't overpower the tea itself. Have any of you used a teamaker like this Teavana one, and if so what did you think of it?

Easy Living indeed

Pop quiz: I bought this issue of the British magazine Easy Living because ...

A) I'm an Elizabeth Hurley fan.
B) I was dying to read that article on The Best Jeans For Every Body Shape.
C) I wanted the free tea towel.

Of course the answer is C, and I must say I love how British magazines often include a "gift with purchase" right in the bag. I've purchased a handful of these magazines over the years and gained a purse, a tote bag, a disposable camera, a datebook and a few other goodies. The tea towel, though, was calling my name when I saw this at Publix the other day. It's the November issue, but then I'm used to seeing British mags hit the newsstands here a month or two after the cover date. I just love this tea towel, which I was pleased to find is as strong and sturdy as any I've ever owned!

The tea towel is even signed, which is nice from a collector's point of view, but I have no idea what this says. Do any of you? Happily, the magazine itself -- which sells for $4.99 -- was quite enjoyable to read. I especially liked one very lovely ad for a company called Clipper Teas which has one of the coolest tea websites I've seen in ages. (You will want to register to win their goodie bag just as I did, but alas, we're not eligible. But check out their tea packaging. I love the graphics!) At any rate, I definitely feel I got my money's worth from Easy Living magazine -- and a great free gift to boot!

In praise of winter whites

Those of you who live up north are probably not going to be very impressed that we *may* get an inch or two of snow tomorrow, but here in Georgia many of us have our fingers crossed. I'm not dreaming of a White Christmas but simply of a White Thursday! This is fitting, really, because in the course of dismantling the Christmas decorations over the weekend -- and putting up a few new ones I found on clearance -- I decided to do a tabletop featuring some teawares in winter white!

First, I topped the table with one of my favorite tablecloths, this cream colored Heritage Lace piece featuring teapots and teacups. (I'll bet some of you have this same cloth, since I used to see it in gift shops a lot a few years back.)



My favorite clearance find this year (from Beyond the Door in Senoia) is this wonderful papier-mâché stocking made from what looks like old book pages and ruffled crepe paper ribbon and rosettes. There's even a little compartment up top where my husband actually suggested I could stash a few teabags!

I also thought this little snow guy had a message that is appropriate far beyond the Christmas season.

Some of the creamiest, dreamiest winter white shades I've found are on a vintage Homer Laughlin teapot ...

... and a Homer Laughlin sugar and creamer that a tea-loving friend gave me for Christmas. So simple and elegant!


I decided my little Christmas tree stand can go neutral for a month and hold teapot ornaments and miniature cream and chrome teapots, and the pedestal stand at back ended up being a great place to hang the handmade glass ornament from my friend Marilyn. I think this new look should serve just fine 'til, oh, Valentine's Day or so!

An instant Royal Albert collection

My mother has an uncanny ability to predict the gifts I want before I even have a chance to ask for them. For instance, not long ago I saw an interesting black teacup in an antique mall and remembered once reading that every well-decorated room should have at least one black object in it. Now I feel perfectly free to disregard decorating rules I don't care for, but I liked that one, so I decided I would look for a really pretty black teacup. Fast forward to Christmas Day at my mom's, and I opened a heavy box containing seven vintage teacup and saucer sets, including these five black ones. I'm so glad she shops for me at yard sales!

I had learned from reading Denise LeCroy's blog, Uniquely Tea, that Royal Albert produced quite a few series of cups and saucers, so I headed to eBay to see if there were perhaps six or eight designs in this series. Turns out, this Provincial Flowers series honored the Provinces of Canada and there are 12 of them! I found a great web page listing all the patterns (which were made from 1975-2001) and the provinces they represent. (ParTea Lady, which province did you live in when you were in Canada?)

All five are just beautiful, and I think my favorite may be this Alberta Rose pattern.

But I also like the Lady's Slipper one.

Of course, I've always liked Purple Violets as well.

And what about Fireweed? I recently learned of the Alaskan wildflower Fireweed, and I never would have associated such a beautiful flower with such a cold place!

Finally, the classic lily design (Prairie Lily) is gorgeous as well, and its colors are striking against the black background. And you know what else I like about these cups and saucers? The handles! They're not just pretty, they're super comfortable to hold. And now when I'm browsing antique malls and estate sales, I can be on the lookout for dessert plates to go with all of these!

A Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday

If it's true that what you're doing New Year's Day you'll be doing all year long, then it looks like I'll be baking cupcakes and learning to use fondant in 2010! My favorite three-year-old, Bella, had a birthday party on Saturday, and when her parents, my step-son Hunter and his wife Naomi, asked if I could make cupcakes I said sure! The party was to have a Yo Gabba Gabba theme (that's a Nickelodeon show, if you're like me and wonder what on earth that is). Naomi sent me a link to some character cupcakes on the Yo Gabba Gabba website, so I headed to Michaels for rolled fondant and started planning!

Have any of you ever worked with rolled fondant? I had not, so I was surprised when I opened the packages of fondant and it wasn't in a roll as I had assumed. Fortunately it wasn't hard to roll out between sheets of parchment paper, and the shapes were pretty simple to cut out. I never got all the character names straight -- Muno, Brobee, Toodee, Foofa and Plex -- although I did remember that Muno is the red one with one eye. They're right creepy little guys if you ask me, but the kids sure seem to like them!

But enough of that, here's a picture of the pretty birthday girl!

And here's her sweet mom with little brother Owen.

Naomi's beautifully crafted treat bags for the kids all featured Yo Gabba Gabba characters, as did ...

... the wall decor in the living room and ...

... even a "Pin the Eye on Muno" game on this door. Clever!

There was quite a spread of savories and sweets for this afternoon party, and I was happy the cupcakes got a place of honor!


Bella had requested strawberry icing, and I happily complied. And since I was making these cupcakes primarily for little kids, I must confess I opted not to bake from scratch and instead got assistance from my good friends Betty (Crocker) and Duncan (Hines). Since Betty and Duncan prepare their cupcakes in batches of 24, I had quite a few left after making 30 Yo Gabba Gabba ones, so I simply spread the remainders with icing and embellished with leftover Christmas cookie ingredients: coconut, white chocolate chips and pink sprinkles. That took just a few minutes to do and looks so festive, I think I may make mini-cupcakes for a tea party and vary the toppings in this same way.

And I thought I'd close with a photo of the birthday girl with one of the gifts she received, a pretty new bicycle with her name on it!

Tea & Books Saturday #1 - "Twinings: 250 Years of Tea and Coffee"

Having a weekly "tea goal" last year was so productive that this year, I've decided to turn my attention to tackling yet another goal: reading all those old tea books I've been collecting! While I've enjoyed going through a lot of these books as soon as I got them, there are many of them I've merely looked through, and it's time to further my tea education with some good old-fashioned reading of these tea histories, vintage tea cookbooks and other volumes. So I hope some of you will join me this year as I offer a brief review of what I've been reading each week. While I will no doubt come across new releases about tea throughout the year, I'm reserving these Saturday posts for reviews of older titles that may be new to you. I hope you'll join me!

Twinings: Two Hundred and Fifty Years of Tea and Coffee
By Stephen H. Twining, M.B.E.
Published in 1956 by R. Twining & Co. Ltd.

Upon visiting the Twinings shop at 216 The Strand in London several years ago, I was very much struck by the fact I was doing business with and at a firm that had been around for nearly 300 years! In fact, the company would go on to celebrate that amazing 300th birthday in 2006. I started seeking more information on Twinings and found this wonderful book on eBay, written (and to my surprise, signed) by Stephen Twining, and packed full of delightful information about the tea trade in general as well as the Twining family in particular.

Like other such businesses of the day, this one started by Thomas Twining in 1706 was at first known as "Tom's Coffee-house." The book details the life of the early coffeehouses and how important they were as public meeting places. Did you know the phrase T.I.P. ("to insure promptness") originated at a coffeehouse? Boxes were nailed to the walls, and patrons who required speedy service would put money in them. But while coffee is an important part of the history, it is most enlightening to read how the company founded and grew its tea trade, and how that trade evolved over the years.

The most fun thing I learned from this book concerned none other than President George Washington, who in 1796 was visited by Thomas Twining (this Thomas was a son of Richard Twining I, not the original founder). Twining tells of calling on "General Washington" and being greeted by Mrs. Washington: "She sat down on the sofa, and invited me to sit by her. I spoke of the pleasant days I had passed at Washington ... While engaged in this conversation, but with my thoughts turned to the expected arrival of the General, the door opened, and Mrs. Washington and myself rising, she said, 'The President,' and introduced me to him. Never did I feel more interest than at this moment, when I saw the tall, upright, venerable figure of this great man advancing towards me to take me by the hand. There was a seriousness in his manner which seemed to contribute to the impressive dignity of his person ... There are persons in whose appearance one looks in vain for the qualities they are known to possess, but the appearance of General Washington harmonized in a singular manner with the dignity and modesty of his public life." (Made me proud, that did!) Twining goes on to confess his one regret of the meeting: Washington invited Twining to take tea with him that evening, but because of another engagement Twining declined.

The author's hobbies included genealogy, and that shows in the book, with lots of family names and lists that will probably best be enjoyed by Twining family members. I found my eyes glazing over a bit there, but I did enjoy reading about the various royal warrants (sort of like a high-class Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval) the Twinings received. In the first year of Queen Victoria's reign, a royal warrant was granted to Richard Twining II as "Purveyor of Tea in Ordinary to Her Majesty." In other royal news, I learned that Twinings was called on in 1924 to make a miniature tea chest and coffee tin for Queen Mary's Doll's House. The book also includes "selected lists of customers" as well as illustrations of documents and newspaper clippings from the early days at Twinings. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book to every tea lover, but those with a special interest in tea and history would most likely find this an enjoyable read.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! The vintage postcard above was scanned at a high resolution, so feel free to copy it to your desktop for future craf-tea uses if you like.

And if you'll visit tomorrow, I'll tell you about my new "Saturday tea project" for 2010!