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To celebrate spring, I'm having a clearance sale on the T-Cozy's sister blog, Kitsch Encounter.
I'm clearing out some Bee House inventory, so you'll find reduced prices on these teapots and tea mugs.
The prices on the vintage items shown below have been marked down, too.
Click here to hop on over to Kitsch Encounter. My springtime sale will run through the merry month of May.
Susan
It took an entire week, and today I finally finished my Etsy listings for all of these yummy pottery pieces from last weekend's tag sale. Aren't they pretty?
I made a few matching button bouquets for some of the cute, smaller vases. And a couple of items have even sold already. Yay!
Enjoy your weekend. And may you also happen upon a wonderful tag sale or two!
Susan
Once upon a time, handkerchiefs were considered essential accessories. You'd find them in every woman's handbag, and often times they would be embellished with delicate lace borders.
I guess hankies fell out of favor once paper tissues came on the scene. Too bad we no longer have these little gems tucked into our purses and pockets. But I have noticed that there are some devoted crocheters out there who still practice the lost art of handkerchief edging. Perhaps one of them will find this vintage booklet useful. Discovered at Saturday's tag sale, I just listed it in my Etsy shop.
Published in 1951 by The Spool Cotton Company (the distributors of J&P Coats and Clark's thread), this informative booklet, called Edgings for Handkerchiefs, is chock full of lovely lace patterns.
There is also a section on how to make Hairpin Lace. (Can't say I know what that is, as I've never crocheted a stitch in my life!)
As part of my Etsy listing, I'm including a trio of vintage tatted hankies along with the booklet.
Although most of us don't use hankies anymore, in the hands of a skilled tatter, the intricate lace patterns found in this booklet can still be quite useful today. I can just picture beautifully crocheted edging on guest towels, place mats, table runners, pillow cases, curtains, scarves, napkins and more.
Susan
It has been almost two years since I gave my home studio a little face lift. And I have yet to grow tired of my favorite part --- its painted checkerboard floor.
First, I carefully measured out a checkerboard on a diagonal. It took me quite a while to figure out just the right size squares for the space. Too big and the pattern might be overwhelming; too small and I might feel dizzy! Then Carlos taped off the design and applied two coats of paint.
For the paint colors, I chose a light warm gray and an aqua that is one shade darker than the walls . By keeping the contrast down between the two colors, the pattern is subtle and doesn't overpower the small 13.5 by 10 foot space. We used porch and patio paint that is an epoxy reinforced latex enamel. It has held up very well.
Carlos wanted to fill the floor's seams and nail holes but I chose to leave them as is. I think all of these imperfections give the floor more character.
My studio's checkerboard floor caught the eye of another blogger. Denise, who has a blog called First a Dream, was inspired by my floor and decided to paint her loft's floor just the same way. You can see its twin sister here. Then she painted almost every floor in her house, from faux wood to painted area rugs. Pretty clever!
Back when we painted my floor, little did I know how versatile it would be. Not only has it perked up my studio, I used it for the background of this blog's banner. Plus, I shoot all sorts of items on it for my Etsy shop. It's very photogenic, don't you think?
Susan
I'm so happy it's spring! Aren't you? And lucky me; on this glorious sunny day, I came across a most amazing tag sale. Feast your eyes on all of the yummy stuff I found this morning . . .
This was an absolute dream sale for me. The home owner was a vintage pottery collector who had groupings of beautiful ceramics, organized by color, for sale all over her house. There were well over a hundred vases and planters in beautiful springy colors. I didn't know where to look first!
I love all of the pottery pieces I purchased. I can just imagine little bouquets of pretty flowers in them.
I also found a sweet canister set, a framed cottage needlepoint, a nicely done paint-by-number, a flowery spoon rest, and gobs of antique spools of silk thread.
The home owner apparently was a vintage kitchenware fan, too. She had boxes and boxes of red handled items, so a bought a small lot.
What fun! It's such a treat to find a sale like this. These goodies will make an appearance in my Etsy shop soon. Last week wasn't too productive for me, but I'll have more time in the coming days to work on new Etsy listings because Hannah is heading back to college today. It was great having her home for spring break. And Jacob ended up with the entire week off due to damage in our coastal town from last weekend's storm. It was so enjoyable to have both of them home with me all week.
Gotta go; it's time to grab a quick dinner and then take Hannah to the train. I'm sure going to miss her!
Susan
So sorry for the delay in announcing the contest winner. I just got back from Manhattan. By the way, the Tim Burton exhibit was amazing. I hoped to share it with you, but the museum didn't allow photography. However, if you'd like, you can click here to view MoMA's Tim Burton exhibition site.
Now back to the contest. Its rules were simple; I asked that entrants either make a cozy or share what "cozy" means to them by way of a photo or story. My family took their contest judging jobs very seriously. One by one, they carefully reviewed entries from six talented women. (I decided not to be a judge to keep things impartial.) The entry with the most votes was . . .
. . . this handmade cozy by Suzy of the blog Georgia Peachez!!!!! She dubbed her creation the "ugly black electronics thing dust cozy" or UBETDC!
Here's what's lurking under Suzy's new cozy. And here's what she had to say about it: "This is one of MrPeachez many pieces of black electronics and this one resides in our bedroom. He has it placed under my antique sewing table. It's a receiver and he likes to fire it up about, oh maybe, once a year. So there it sits all the time, gathering dust. Now it has a nice and pretty cozy." Too funny! Congratulations Suzy!
Here's a peek at the other entries. They are all wonderful.
Suzanne (who is blog-free) emailed me a photo of a Matryoshka tea cozy, her original design she made from wool embroidered with perle cotton. Isn't it beautiful? She included this comment with her entry. "I think a Matryoshka is the perfect theme for a cozy....it's motherly, nesting and protective. I have tea most every afternoon and it always makes me slow down my busy pace. Whether I am cozied up with a book, my knitting or stitching, the process of a slowed down process of tea brewing always renews me spirit. You can't hurry tea."
April, of the blog Midwest Magpies, posted this cozy photo of her bedroom. Love the quilt! Here's what she wrote about one of her favorite rituals. "Sometimes when I wake up really early, I make a hot
buttered bagel and coffee, then get back into my warn cozy bed and read
for another hour or two. Nothing better! I call my bed "nest sweet
nest" and sing "home, home on the nest" to it. And of course my husband
laughs and thinks I'm crazy. I'm just a down home girl, who enjoys down
time."
Ann, whose blog is called Blue Peace Life, wrote a heartfelt post about having tea with the ladies of England. Here's an excerpt: "Cozy to me means watching a good British movie, like "Sense & Sensibility," "Ladies in Lavender," or "Enchanted April"
and sipping some herbal Apple Cinnamon tea --- getting comfortable under my
favorite pink blanket my sister gave me. This is my me time, it is
never to be disturbed by anyone. I don't take phone calls or schedule
anything other than getting comfortable and relaxing. This to me is Cozy Heaven."
Mary, over at the blog called Mom Wald's Place, is an accomplished quilter. She created a beautiful cozy for the coffee press her husband gave her. Here's what she had to say about her entry: "I need a tea cozy, but I was just given some bits of lovely chocolate fabric and the last bits of my favorite coffee bean fabric go wonderfully with them. I was in the mood for crazy quilting, but didn't have a lot of time. A variety of machine stitches done subtly in chocolate thread did the trick nicely."
Sarah, of the blog called A Comfortable Cup of Tea, submitted the sweetest drawing, along with these kind words: "As you can imagine by the title of my blog, I was intrigued when I stumbled upon Susan's blog a couple of years ago entitled The T-Cozy. At the time she had a marvelous little Tea Room which she has since closed, but she continues to write and show and sell things all about tea over at her blog. Right now she is having a "Get Your Cozy On Contest" which runs through March 16th. To enter you can either make a cozy or share what "cozy" means to you. Guess which one I chose?"
Suzy, look out for your contest prize in the mail next week. (I'm even going to switch out the tea to "Precious Eyebrows" because I know how much you like it.) Plus, to show my appreciation, I've decided to send special little prizes to all of the entrants because you are all winners to me! Please email your mailing address to me at info@tpartyantiques.com.
Many thanks to these special ladies who were kind enough to get their cozies on. You're the best!
Susan
Today is the day I'll announce the winner of my Get Your Cozy On contest. Here's what she will receive . . .
A cozy contest wouldn't be complete without a cozy! The prize consists of one of my handmade tea cozies made from an antique floral textile. It's a perfect fit for this personal size Bee House teapot in a pretty color called "ocean blue." There's also a tin of loose leaf tea and a vintage embroidered tea towel.
I'm in a bit of a rush this morning, so I'll have to post the contest's winner later today. Hannah and I are heading out to catch a train to New York City. We have tickets for the Tim Burton exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art; then we'll meet my niece and nephew for lunch. Should be fun!
Susan
Here's a peek at some of the souvenir tablecloths and handkerchiefs from the linen lot lot I purchased last month. I've never had a stash of these before. They seem to be popular as they have been selling quickly. These whimsical textiles showcase major cities and popular points of interest. Kitschy fun!
Yesterday, a nice lady named Pam came by to pick up a tablecloth she purchased from me. She had recently moved to Connecticut from her home state of California and she particularly wanted that cloth because it had her hometown of Petaluma listed on it. Pam planned to hang this smaller size tablecloth on her wall as a sweet reminder of home. What a fun way to remember a cherished hometown or a favorite family vacation spot.
Don't forget; today is the last day to enter my Get Your Cozy On contest. The winner will be announced on Thursday, March 18. It could be you!
Susan
For those of you who are considering entering my Get Your Cozy On contest, here's a teensy peek at what you could win . . .
I hope you'll enter. You have until the end of the day on Tuesday, March 16 to do so. So hurry up! Get your cozy on!
SusanI'm finally making a small dent in the linen lot I acquired last month. Little by little, these pieces, along with other fun items, are making their way into my Etsy shop.
These goods have wonderful details, textures and patterns, so I try extra hard to photograph them and write descriptions that will be the next best thing to actually holding them in your hand. That's the most frustrating part of not having my brick and mortar store. My loyal customers can't see these vintage treasures in the flesh, a challenge that I'm sure many other fellow Etsians have. Not too mention how exhausting doing the listings can be.
Yesterday, I worked on listings from dawn until dusk; writing descriptions, photographing products, cropping pictures, and basically sitting in front of the computer for hours on end. My brain felt fried! Plus, I could really use a new computer chair, not to mention a new computer.
So today I'll be shifting gears. I'll be going to the library to work on a project for most of the morning. I'm looking forward to a change of scenery and doing some research in real books, not on a computer screen. I'm also looking forward to my daughter arriving home for spring break this evening. Yay! I can't wait to see her.
Now I'm hitting the road for my morning walk. Have a great day,
Susan
The T-Cozy's anniversary has given me the urge to take a look back at my three years of blogging. So here are a few posts from the past that I particularly like. I hope you'll enjoy them, too.
I've listed them chronologically and included the title and first line of each post. If you'd like to read more, simply click on the title to be redirected to the original post.
June 06, 2007: Every Day is a Picnic. I must confess that I have another large collection.
June 19, 2007: Rites of Passage. Last week marked two significant events for our son.
July 29, 2007: It's Not All Glamour. A lot of people, especially those who have always wanted a shop or tea room of their own, ask me what it's like to own one.
June 01, 2008: All Good Things Must Come to an End. Yesterday was the last tea day at our sweet little antiques shop and tea room.
June 24, 2008: My Tribute to T-Party. I'll be taking a little blogging break for the remainder of this week to give my aching back a rest.
January 04, 2009: Setting Foot on the Appalachian Trail. Early last week, my family and I took a short two-day trip to the northwestern corner of Connecticut.
February 01, 2009: My Pie Safe Revisited. While housebound due to Wednesday's snow and ice storm, I went ahead and gave my pie safe a face lift.
February 28, 2009: Elevating the Lowly Lunch Box. This past week, I rescued a black metal dome lunch box from the thrift store.
May 19, 2009: A Very Special Summer Place: Our Cozy Screened Porch. At 6 a.m. today, here's what our screened porch looked like.
September 23, 2009: The Well-Dressed Toaster. I had a guest in my studio this past weekend.
October 27, 2009: Feats of Fondant: A Fish Cake for John. You don't turn fifty every day.
February 15, 2010: Snow Day Creativity. My "Great Wall of Cottages" has a new addition.
As I browsed through close to 600 posts, I noticed that my photos have improved and I think my writing has gotten better, as well. At least I hope it has. Here's to my next 600 posts! And don't forget to enter my Get Your Cozy On contest.
Susan
Three years and 593 posts ago, I sat down at the computer to compose my first T-Cozy entry. My, how time flies --- especially when you're having fun.
Over the past three years, I've met an inspiring array of fellow bloggers and heard from many delightful readers. In addition, blogging has helped me rekindle my love of photography, share my passion for all things vintage, conquer my fear of writing, and learn a lot about myself. And most of all, it has been FUN!
So I've chosen to celebrate this three year milestone with a contest.
I love to offer something special to my readers every now and then. After all, where would this blog be without you? I am so grateful to have the nicest, most supportive blogging friends and readers. Thank you for three great years.
Will you help me get the word out about this contest? Please tell your friends. If you blog, I'd so appreciate it if you would tell your readers about it. Feel free to use my Get Your Cozy On logo on your site, if you wish. Many thanks for your help.
You can Get Your Cozy On until Tuesday, March 16. Please enter!
Susan
Vintage aprons are much too pretty to keep stashed away in a closet. Why not display them in your kitchen instead?
I've come up with an easy way to turn your favorite aprons into wall art. All you need are wooden clothes pins and nails.
By placing the nail into the wall and then through the hole in the clothes pin, you can hang up just about any apron. Feel like wearing the apron that's up? Simply unpin it and replace it with another. Plus, you can change the display whenever you please.
Vintage aprons make a striking display on a kitchen wall. But don't stop there. Here's one I hung up in our powder room.
This half apron became a no-sew café curtain by feeding the rod pocket through the strip of fabric along the apron's waist. All I had to do was open the side seams a bit to create an instant rod pocket. Easy peasy!
And finally, here's the easiest way to display an apron collection. To keep them close at hand, arrange them in a pretty row on a coat rack.
So take out those aprons and display some vintage goodness!
Susan
Pretty fabrics, pretty trims, pretty designs. I love vintage aprons!
These beauties were part of the linen lot I acquired last month. I spent the morning giving them new life. First they had a BIZ bath; then they took a trip through the washer and dryer. And at last came my favorite part --- pressing them.
Ironing these humble aprons was so satisfying. As my iron moved back and forth, I wondered about how many times they have been laundered in the past. I also thought about who else had ironed them. And then I moved on to thinking about who wore them and what were they doing when they did. If they were cooking, what were they making? Where did they live? The questions went on and on in my head.
But as their wrinkles disappeared, I mainly noticed all of the wonderful details and the care that went into making these aprons. From the fabric selection to the choice of simple trim versus rick-rack; they were all beautifully handmade.
Though they've been well-loved and have some wear, these appealing aprons are brimming with good karma and still have a lot of life left. So they'll make an appearance in my Etsy shop by week's end. I hope they will find happy new homes.
Susan
I combined my overalls, a pillow form, and a remaining yard of floral fabric that I found on Martha's Vineyard last summer.
First I sewed up a simple envelope-back cover for the pillow form. Then, I took my scissors to the overalls. I was nervous about cutting them up, but the chance of me ever wearing them again was rather slim. (I'll never be as thin as I was back in college. Plus, overalls on someone over 50 might look a bit foolish.)
I bravely cut the overalls along the front and back seam just below the waist. Then I sewed the two sides together at the bottom. Now it was all ready to slide over the new pillow.
And there you have it --- a whimsical and well dressed pillow! Super-easy to make, I'm pleased with how it turned out. It's silly and fun, don't you think?
Now this wacky creation sits on the wicker chair in my studio where I can enjoy it daily.
When I wrote about my vintage overalls last month, I asked for your suggestions on what to make out of them. Thank you to those who offered your thoughts. And I so appreciate the information I received in my last post about how linens, both vintage and new, are tinted using ordinary crayons. I had no idea that's how it's done! Many thanks to those who shared their knowledge on this topic.
(This post is linked to Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land. Check it out!)
Susan
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