Pin Cushion, Thread and Scrap Catcher.

 Awhile ago, while looking around on the web I came across something that is a very necessary item for my sewing room.  A Pin Cushion Thread and Scrap Catcher.   I found the directions at the website I list below and finally went about making my own.


Here is mine.

 The fabric consisted of two different fat quarters.  The one with hearts is from Connecting Threads (an on line and catalog shop) and the brown polka dot fabric was from Wal-Mart.    I am pleased with the way it turned out.  I may still do one final step, putting some cord around the top to make it more stable but not at the moment.  I will see if I feel I need it.

Here is the website where I found the directions. 
 http://www.merrimentdesign.com/pincushion-thread-catcher.php

Try it, it isn't too hard and I think it is well worth the effort.  I hope it makes the area around my sewing machine neater looking.

A Tea Set for Valentine's Day

A Valentine's Day Tea Party

Since Valentine's Day is this week I thought I should include something pink and valentine like for the Tea Cup Tuesday event.

Here is a tea set I bought recently featured with a heart wall hanging I made back in 2010 in an "on line craft class".   Click here to see see the post I did about it originally.   

 This tea set is made by Hall (USA).  As you can see it included a copper "cozy" for each item but in the next picture you can see what it looks like without.

And finally here is a picture of a few other things I have that would add to the festive table.

The cross stitch is something I did a number of years ago.  It needs a better frame but I just haven't done anything about it yet.

Happy Valentines Day to you all..............

Hope you enjoyed your visit here and will come back next week.  

Be sure to visit the other tea parties I am joining this week.  They are listed below.  I imagine they will be featuring Valentine's Items as well.

 http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com 

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

                                                          
                                                              Rose Chintz Cottage

  http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/

 http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

A Blue Teaparty

Invitation to a Blue Tea party

I was wandering around my antique shop the other day trying to find something special for this week's Tea Cup Tuesday when I came across this lovely tea cup and saucer by Standard China Company.  I especially liked it because of pretty little blue flowers handpainted on it.
                            From what I can learn while traveling around the internet ...........
 "Standard China" was one of the trademarks used on English china made by a pottery company called Chapmans Longton Ltd. This company was among the famous Staffordshire pottery companies, and based at Albert Works, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. Longton was a center of pottery making from the mid-1700s.

 

I looked further and found this little book that just seems to need to be with it in a little teaparty setting.

And   looking further I found this very vintage postcard.

I imagined the whole setting, on a tray, just waiting for the tea to arrive so the owner could sit down, read the card, no doubt best wishes from a friend, and enjoy reading the little book while sipping the tea.

What do you think?

So join me for a cup of tea today and then visit the other tea parties that are taking place today.
 Here is the list of other tea parties in which I am taking part. 
 

 http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com 

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

                                                          
                                                              Rose Chintz Cottage

  http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/

 http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

 

Folk Magazine Blog Challenge #4

If it is Monday it is time to do the Folk Magazine Blogging Challenge.....



According to their website this week's challenge is

IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST?

This is a bit hard to narrow down to just one thing.  At this time of year , when winter is heavily upon us I could easily say I am looking forward to spring.  However, I don't want my life passing by too quickly so I shouldn't say that.  And I don't really mind winter weather that much.  Good excuse to stay inside and do my quilting or reading or other indoor activities.
We have several trips planned and I look forward to them.  But since I am not really ready for them I can't say that. I can still just savor plans we are making.
I will say I am probably looking forward to the weather being a bit better so we can head out to some flea markets.  They are one of my husband's and my favorite activity together.  We managed to get to an indoor one this past weekend but have to say they are NOT the same thing!  A day out tramping through fields, searching out bargains, and generally enjoying each others company is definitely something to I can look forward to....  (even if means leaving a preposition at the end of sentence!)
Oh look, I didn't leave it at the end since I added the parenthetical statement...  LOL.

This is majorly off the topic but  I have always wondered about the statement that you should not leave a preposition at the end of a sentence.  Sometimes, when you try not to do that it sounds so stilted I think.  So I decided to see what I could find on the web about this  and here is a great little treatise on the subject.
Ending a sentence with a preposition.
Do they even teach this stuff in school anymore? I am sure if you are sending out tweets and text messages you don't worry about it.  But what if you are in ordinary conversation, do you have to rephrase a sentence to make it work properly.  Or just go with it....


So.... what do you think????

A special Rose Anniversary Tea

Roses in January!  This is a wild rose from my garden last summer. Pretty to look at the picture when there is nothing but snow to see in my gardens at the moment.

This week one of the tea parties that I attend each week is celebrating her third anniversary. 

    Rose Chintz Cottage

 So in honor of that event I will be featuring some Rose cups and saucers this week.

I am beginning with my ultimate favorite  Royal Albert's Old Country Roses.  We have the full set and use it often.  Here are a couple of items from the set.

The next one is Old English Roses, also by Royal Albert.  It is older.  A very dear cousin often used this set so in Memory of Helen here is a picture of that cup and saucer.

And finally here are a few of the various Rose cup and saucer sets I have had out in my shop and have featured here from time to time.

 This is from Regency China Company.

Royal Vale

 Royal Albert

This is a stunning Royal Chelsea Cup and Saucer. 

Hope you enjoyed all the Rose cup and saucer sets!  I enjoyed finding them for you.

So join me for a cup of tea today and then visit the other tea parties that are taking place today.

 Here is the list of other tea parties in which I am taking part. 

 

 http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com 

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

                                                          
                                                              Rose Chintz Cottage

                                              http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/

Folk Magazine blogging #3

If it is Monday it is time to do the Folk Magazine Blogging Challenge.....

Sorry,  I won't be doing the challenge  this week so am just putting this up for those that might check.

A Tea Party in January

Welcome to another Tea Cup Tuesday.

Here we are in the middle of January and although we are having a bit of a thaw where I live, and my daffodils are poking up through the ground, I KNOW the cold will return.  So I thought I would bring out some floral tea cups to enjoy now that we don't have any flowers growing outside.

This week I have chosen two cup and saucer sets from my shop that I like very much.  They are even "sort of" similar in that they have numerous different flowers all around.  However one is the typical transfer ware pattern and the other is partially handpainted.

I am showing them on a tray with a pretty little doily underneath.  And including two porcelain flower vases.

The cup and saucer on the left is from Crown Staffordshire and is partially handpainted.  I love this one because it has a pretty little pansy on it, one of my favorite flowers.

For information on Crown Staffordshire china you can check out this eBay guide by clicking here.

I am assuming the painted on letters and numbers indicate the artist who added the paint.

This next one is shown on the right on the tray.

   .  It is fromOld Royal China. The pattern name is Swansea.

  From information I can gather Old Royal China was part of a company called Sampson Smith ltd. 

Click on the name to learn more about it.

This company had several names and one was Old Royal China. and this

 particular china pattern has a mark from c.1930-1941.  

 

 So join me for a cup of tea today and then visit the other tea parties that are taking place today.

 Here is the list of other tea parties in which I am taking part. 

 http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com 

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

                                                          
                                                              Rose Chintz Cottage

                                                 http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/