Everything Stops For Tea

Oh, the factories may be roaring with a boom-a-lacka, zoom-a-lacka, wee,

But there isn't any roar when the clock strikes four, everything stops for tea

Jack Buchanan, 1935

Time to share a few more project photos from last year that I've found still on the camera.  This time, it's kitchen accessories - oven gloves, tea cosies and trimmed towels - last Christmas was definitely the year of the tea cosy for my kids and Mum - we all loooove our tea.

Earlier that year I made these aprons for everyone and blogged about them here

Guests, Like Fish, Begin To Smell After Three Days

For Christmas I had the idea to make everyone a matching set of kitchen accessories - this is the set I made for my eldest son's partner, Ana.

It was the first set I made and there's lots of pics of the finished pieces.

Fabrics:

"paseo de los muertos", De Leon Design Group for Alexander Henry and Belle Epoch by Kaffe Fassett.

Oops, seems I forgot to take pics of Joe and Katie's sets, though I do have a couple of phone photos that I sent to my daughter, Flicky, to show her what I was making at the time.

The Alexander Henry fireman fabric always makes me giggle.

Fabrics:
"ready for action" Alexander Henry; 'Keep it Sassy! Olive Sandwiches for Moda; and 'Labrinyth - Charcoal', Ikebana by Dear Stella
Lotta Jansdotter glimma 'Marby'; Amy Butler Alchemy 'Queen Ann's Butterflies'; and Dear Stella 'Confetti Dot - Peony'

On the phone, I found this pic of trimmed towels,

and I was surprised to discover more on the main camera too.

There's an extra towel in the pile - it's one I made for my Mum to add to her accessory set that I've already shared with you - how come I remembered to share these here and forget about the others I'd made?!!!

I did find this pic of Mum I haven't shared before, it's a great one of her wearing her apron - love this, she's so happy.   

To wrap up with that 1935 song by Jack Buchanan, I found the original version on YouTube and here it is - how very, very British!

Disclaimer: 
This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.

 

Wouldn't It Be Dreadful...?

“Wouldn't it be dreadful to live in a country where they didn't have tea?” 

― Noel Coward

Are you a tea drinker?  I sure am, English Brekkie or maybe Earl Grey brewed for 4 minutes if you please (yes I do use a timer) with a splash of milk, well not even a splash just show it the milk to tease it.  Sugar?  No way; I can tell if you've even used an empty sugar spoon to stir it.  The best cup of tea anyone's ever made for me - well that would be my Dad's, no-one made tea like him, what I'd give to share just one more pot with him.

So what's the point of this post?  I've found a pile of pics of Christmas gifts I made last year and never shared so here's the first: 

A Christmas 2013 parcel ready to send off to England for my Mum - she's a big tea drinker too.

Her parcel included an apron, oven glove, hand towel and tea cosy.

I don't have Flicky around to model for me anymore so the balcony door handle's as good as it gets - you can rely on a good breeze up on the 23rd floor to add movement to your pics, though I remember I was nervous I might lose everything over the glass balcony wall.  It was freezing too - don't let that winter sunshine fool you.

 

Close up shots of the embroidered pocket detail on the reversible apron.

Floral fabric: Autumn Medley Martha Negley for Rowan #MN44 Citrus;

Zig-Zag fabric: Dear Stella Piper Zig-Zag Orange #172;

Pink fabric: P&B Textiles: Bear Essentials 2 #570F;

Insul-Bright batting;

Aurifil 40/2 thread #2277 - Light Red Orange.

And a couple of pics of the tea cosy and oven glove.

I added a strip of matching Martha Negley fabric to a hand towel to complete the set.

Mum, as always, loves them though she's only using the tea cosy - she doesn't want to spoil the other items, they're just for show in her kitchen!!!

I'll be with you in less than three weeks Mum, put the kettle on and make a brew, can't wait to share a pot with you and have a real good natter x

Disclaimer: 
This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.