Any Cup Will Do fabric

On a recent trip to A Scarlet Thread to buy some navy blue cotton thread, I found this cute fabric, among other things.  I always ask if any new tea theme fabric has come in and this is what the sales assistant showed me.  For some reason I thought of the nursery rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle”. 

This is from the Kitchen Collection fabric collection from Michael Miller Fabrics.  It is 100% cotton and it also comes in red (really cute) and green.

There was a sweet toddler size tunic on display in the clearance section and I knew that I wanted to use my new fabric to make one for my granddaughter.

One of the nice features of this tunic (on the left) is the way the straps are attached.  You thread the strap through a button hole on the yoke and tie the end in a knot.  I don’t know if you can see this in the photo, but it looks adorable.

I’m going to use the Any Cup Will Do fabric for the skirt, pink for the yoke and polka dot for the straps.  This tunic pattern should be quite versatile – a sundress for the summer or worn layered over a long sleeve top in cold weather.

Now, let’s see - the red and white would be really cute for an apron, or maybe a tea cozy.  No, no, no!  I really must finish some UFO’s before another trip to the quilt shop.

Good Earth tea winner

Joy is the winner of the Good Earth tea.  Please email your address and I’ll send your package of tea shortly.

 

Tea…will always be the favored beverage of the intellectual.

-  Thomas De Quincy

Calendar Holder

I’ve been buying the Collectible Teapot and Tea Calendar for many years.  It’s my favorite calendar.  The problem is, I don’t like to write in this one.

So, I waited until Books-A-Million reduced their 2012 calendars to half price and picked up this one to hang in my kitchen.

Shortly after that my sewing friends at Sewing Seeds Quilting Bee told me that they were going to make a patchwork calendar holder – perfect.

I chose some fabric from my stash and made this.

Unfortunately, the front pocket was too narrow to hold my Paula Deen calendar, so it was back to Books-A-Million to purchase this smaller one from The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The holder features a clear pocket for a photo and a pen holder sleeve, perfect for my Slick Writer.  The pattern was from the October/November 2008 issue of Country Woman magazine.

Since there is another full length pocket on the back to insert cardboard for stability, I didn’t include a hanging sleeve.  Now I’m looking for a nice metal hanger with clips. 

 

Good Earth Tea giveaway

What took me so long to discover Good Earth Tea?  This company was one of the first herbal tea companies in America in the 1970’s.

They have over 25 different blends of tea, including the Original Sweet & Spicy tea that I sampled.  This blend is now another of my favorites, and compares well with Hot Cinnamon Spice by Harney & Sons. 

Good Earth Tea contains no sugar, artificial colors or preservatives and no MSG or soy.  This Sweet & Spicy tea was a real treat and I think it will be helpful to curb dessert cravings.  The cinnamon and orange taste was great and the other ingredients added subtle nuances of flavor to the blend.

The tea is grown in areas that include China, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and others.  It was nice to read that the teabags are unbleached and the Good Earth factory is 75% solar powered.

I was pleased to see that this tea is sold on Amazon and is also available in many large grocery store chains.  You can check their website for a store location near you. 

Since I received two boxes of Original Sweet and Spicy tea to sample, I’m going to give a box away to one of my readers.  Just let me know that you’d like to enter the giveaway by Saturday, January 21 at 6 pm.

So I must rise at early dawn, as busy as can be,

To get my daily labor done, and pluck the leafy tea.

- Le Yih, 1644  

The Perfect Afternoon Tea Recipe Book winner

Congratulations Diane in Wisconsin - you are the winner.  Please email your address and I’ll get your book in the mail shortly.

As you make your tea, always linger a little over the moment…

enjoy the space and break from routine.

- Sarah Jane Evans & Giles Hilton

Rendezvous China and a Book Giveaway

Today I made a belated Christmas visit to my friend Joyce.  Since I was going out, I decided to make a stop at my local Goodwill store and also pick up some birthday dinner supplies at Kroger.  This is a big birthday month at my house with all three of my children and one of my grandsons having birthdays in January.

One of my finds at Goodwill was this cute plate and mug.  I thought it would be nice for my little granddaughter. 

This pattern is called Rendezvous and is made by Shibata Japan.

This is an adorable child size set and at $1.21 a real bargain.

As usual, I received some new tea books for Christmas.  One of them was The Perfect Afternoon Tea Recipe Book by Antony Wild and Carol Pastor. 

This is a large book with over 160 recipes and foolproof advice and techniques shown in 650 step-by-step photos.

I’m always amazed at how many books and magazines use my china pattern (Wedgwood Edme teapot and sugar bowl) for their photo shoots. 

There is a lot of great info in this book, such as the art of brewing tea and its history.  The sections on essential ingredients in baking, equipment, working with sugarpaste, marzipan and much more are very helpful.

There are chapters on savory treats, teabreads and bakes, tea-time treats, classic cakes, and mini celebrations to name a few.

Since I received two copies of this lovely book, I’ve decided to offer one as a giveaway.

If you’d like to win a copy, please leave me a comment by 6 pm Saturday, January 14 mentioning that you’d like to be entered in the book giveaway.  Since this is such a large, heavy volume, I’ve decided that I’ll only mail it within the US.      

Chaibecca

I’ve recently had the pleasure of sampling a new chai tea mix from Chaibecca.

This Indian style Masala Chai comes in four blends – Creator’s Blend, Rooibos Mountain Chai, Ginger Root Chai and Vanilla Bean Chai.

 The chai is quick and easy to prepare.  Since I love ginger, the Ginger Root Chai was the first blend I made. 

There was a lovely spicy fragrance as the mixture came to the boil.  I  prepared the mix without sugar and added honey after straining the chai into my teacup.

The flavor of the Assam tea mixed with ginger, cardamom, pepper and allspice is really delectable.  The Creator’s Blend was also yummy and I’m certain that the others will be tasty as well.

It’s nice to know that you can quickly prepare a cup of chai from a mix that doesn’t contain any artificial fillers, sweeteners or preservatives. 

As it states on the Chaibecca packaging “it’s TEAriffic”.