A teapot and a tea cosy....oh...and a li'l machine doodling!

Although a cup of tea, served in a fine bone china teacup, with a tea bag dangling from it's pretty side is perfectly acceptable, I do believe there is nothing quite like an ambrosial cup of tea poured from a pretty teapot, in which the tea leaves have been brewing for a little while.

I don't know anyone who, in their own home, hasn't at some stage in their lives enjoyed a cup of teapot, infused tea. Well, I believed this to be the case until I was chatting to a friend recently. Whilst I was waxing lyrical about the joys of a a cup of tea being poured from a teapot, I discovered  my friend didn't have a single teapot gracing her home. Incomprehensible....I know!!! This situation just had to be remedied....and expeditiously. After all one never can tell who  might pop by for a spot of tea, expecting a cuppa which has been poured from a teapot.....the Queen herself....or more importantly li'l ole me and my good husband!

As this week was my dear friend's birthday, me being me, thought gifting her with her very own teapot would be the perfect way to celebrate such an auspicious occasion. Now every gal should have at least one teapot....don't you think??

In search of a teapot I happened upon this pretty one. It is made by Ashdene and holds a capacious 6 cups and it comes complete with a metal infuser. The pretty pattern is called Tranquil. Such a pretty pattern with butterflies fluttering around the teapot and lid.

The art of tea drinking being a very old tradition and all, I thought my friend's teapot could be enhanced by the addition of a one-off, stitched, house tea cosy. Teapots and tea cosies......a match made in heaven. I had sooooo much fun stitching my tuffet a couple of weeks ago, that I thought I would enjoy a little more machine doodling.

I decided to use a little of the grey fabric that was left over from the tuffet. This grey fabric would help the house tea cosy stand up fairly well. After all we can't have a house toppling down, now can we.

After taking measurements and designing the tea cosy, I started to 'build' my house. I gathered some fabrics and began the process of free hand machine stitching......oodles and oodles of machine doodling.

I selected this grey and white chevron fabric for the roof; which is very cool as it resembles tiles on a roof; and a green floral fabric for the garden. As my friend's kitchen is grey, these fabrics will be perfect. Now every house needs pretty curtains at the window, so I chose a sweet, tiny polka dot fabric and stitched them to the windows.

THEN.....the fun began. I doodled and 'scribbled' a climbing vine, a cute as cute puppy dawg looking out the window, a chandelier (I do believe every home is that little bit more grander with the addition of a chandelier...or two), a cute table on which to rest a teapot, a flower garden and added fretwork under the eaves. So far.......very, very cute.

Now for the back. Another pretty polka dot fabric for the curtains and more machine scribbling. A sweet pussy cat looking out the window. She is checking where that pesky dog is. Then, some more machine doodling.....a tree and yet more pretty flowers growing in the garden. In this instance, I didn't draw the tree beforehand......I just went with the flow. 'Tis always the best fun stitching this way.

For the sides of the house, I machine doodled a vase of flowers and a teeny, tiny birdie in a bird cage sitting on the window sills......and more blossoms in the garden. I rather like doodling birdies and bird cages of late. =)

There we go, all stitched and ready to be built assembled.

I attached wadding to the front and back, and then stitched the front and back together, also inserting a chimney. After this step, I stitched the side inserts to the front and back. When the house was stitched I lined the inside to cover the messy interior.

The front.........

The back.......

The sides....

Mission accomplished......a cute, li'l house, tea cosy.

One teapot......one cute, house tea cosy and a vase of flowers freshly picked from my garden, to wish my very dear friend the happiest of birthdays.

A lovely gift for a lovely friend. My friend's friendship during the past year, which at times has been a little difficult, has made the good times better and the hard times easier. My lovely friend has made me laugh a little louder, smile a little wider and live just that little bit better. Indeed, she is a gorgeous lady!

Now.......of course brewing cups of ambrosial tea is not the only purpose for a teapot. I can think of one more.....can you??

Why.......a teapot can be a receptacle for a bunch of lovely roses. =)

One of my lovely teapots. This pretty is the Royal Albert, Lavender & Roses pattern which was gifted to me by husband many, many years ago.

Wishing all you lovelies a wonderful weekend. Until the next time........

Linking up to this week's parties at Stephanie's, Roses of Inspiration
Jann's, Share Your Cup Thursday
Bernideen's, BTTCG

A tisket, a tasket, a pretty sewing basket

Before I begin to 'charm' you with the tale of my pretty li'l sewing basket, let me first say thank you to everyone who conveyed such loving thoughts re my last post. I have felt your warm hugs all the way down here at the bottom of the world......indeed they have warmed my days!

A li'l over a year ago I unearthed this sewing basket at my favourite market with the intention of tarting it up some time in the future. Oh dear.......in the very distant future it seems.......but......I do get to these pretties..........eventually.

I have a penchant for collecting receptacles; baskets, boxes, vintage tins, crystal bowls etc in which to store ribbons, laces and all those bits and bobs that us needle workers hoard  stockpile in the name of all things stitching. I always stash away fragments from whatever I am working on. One just never knows when one will need a snippet of a doiley or a dash of lace in an exact colour when one is fashioning a pretty.

I adore sewing baskets from yesteryear. This basket with it's pastel coloured cane  just shouts ME........so there was never any doubt that this pretty would remain hidden in the corner of the market booth for all time eternal. And.........the lady was more than willing to part with it for a song, so she and me were both delirious with great joy!

The basket is in good condition so with a li'l fixer-uppering; the affixing of some pretty fabrics, a smidgen of trimmings and a li'l free hand machine sketch of a little girl quilting, me thinks my li'l basket will look quite spiffy.

Just a li'l machine sketching bordered with some pretties; with a touch of silk ribbon embroidery highlighting a trailing leaf trim, some ric rac (I lurve ric rac), some loop-de-loop cording and a whiff of pom pom trim.

Of course I had to, had to cover those rusty nails around the top of the basket, so I affixed a li'l ric rac. I just lurve ric rac....ooops......but  you knew that, didn't you!

As the interior was looking a bit ho hum I lined the bottom and sides with some pretty strawberry fabric. Soooo much snazzier than the colourless interior of before. This strawberry print is one of my favourite fabrics.

And....of course, me being me, I simply couldn't resist adding a li'l embellishment to the interior of the lid! See.....those snippets of past makeries do come in handy.

The tarting up of my pretty sewing basket didn't take very long.....not too long at all. Hallelujah! Oh I do love a quick stitching project. In this li'l corner of the world, a quick stitching project doesn't come around too often. A "quick stitching project" is not an oft-used phrase uttered in this li'l ole abode!

So another pretty to house some more of those stitching trappings that seem to escape all too often in my sewing room. I must say I lurve it!!

Now let me see......what other pretty can I stitch and while away an hour or two this weekend. I will get back to you.........shall I. Hoping you all have a wonderful weekend filled with some pretty stitching!