The T-Cozy

Preserving the Last Blooms of Summer

Say goodbye to summer!  Although tomorrow marks the first official day of autumn, one of my recent finds will help to preserve what's left of summer's beautiful blossoms.

This clever contraption is a vintage flower press. They are fairly easy to construct and I'm sure this one was hand crafted by someone. I love the painted flowers on the top.

Inside, there are still a few pressed flowers from its previous owner. I bought this piece with the intention of reselling it, but I may try my hand at pressing some of the flowers from my garden first.

If you'd like to construct a flower press like my vintage one, I found some easy directions at a blog called Crafty Daisies here.

Even if you don't have a flower press, you can achieve the same result with a few heavy books. Here's how: Simply gather the plant material you'd like to press. Almost any flower, herb, or leaf can be pressed to preserve its beauty. Make sure there are no overlapping petals or leaves within the flower; if there is an obstructive stem or leaf, remove it from the plant. Lay out a piece of cardboard, then a sheet of wax or acid free paper. Next arrange your blooms and carefully cover them with another sheet of paper. You can continue this process, one layer on top of the other, until all your flowers are prepared. Finish off the stack with another piece of cardboard and lay several heavy books on top. Allow the flowers to press for two weeks before checking to make sure they are completely dry. Then you can frame them, use them in scrap booking projects, and make bookmarks or greeting cards with them.

Now I'm off to my garden to enjoy this last day of summer and to collect some blooms for pressing.

Susan

Revisiting the Lucky Sew-it-yourself Book

Time for another look at The Lucky Sew-it-yourself Book by Camille Sokol. I promised to share some of its easy sewing projects with you.

The first project is a scarf. This book is from 1964 and, at the tender age of six, I remember wearing little scarves like this.

 

If needed, you can view pages 12 and 13, the spread about about measuring your cloth, in my previous post here.

 

That's lesson #1! Feel free to share it with your kids, grandchildren, or anyone who wants to learn sewing basics. I'll share this book's other sewing projects for a simple pocketbook, apron, and pin cushion in posts to come.

Susan

A T-Cozy Show & Tell

Every now and then I like to present some T-Party Tutorials. I love it when I receive emails from those who have tried a project of two. Here are a few nice folks who have been kind enough to share their terrific tutorial results with me.

 

Christine, one of my favorite local customers, read about cropping photos in my Photography 101 series. In her bird feeder before and after photos, she shows us what a little bit of cropping can do. Don't you think the after photo has much more impact than the original on the left? Great job Christine! To read more about cropping pictures, click here.

 

Like me, Lorraine, of the blog LP Vintage, is a vintage button enthusiast. She was so inspired by my button bouquet tutorial, she decided to create some of her own. What a beautiful bouquet! I just love her button combinations. To view my button bouquet tutorial, click here.

 

My niece, Hilary, is pretty handy. When she saw my no sew throw, she decided to create one for her friend's new baby. She referred back to my tutorial and made the sweetest baby blanket. Isn't it adorable? I love how she combined the animal print fleece on the front with the cloud pattern on the back. Looks mighty cozy! As the weather turns cooler, maybe you'd like to give one of these easy blankets a try. Click here for my no sew throw tutorial.

Thanks to Christine, Lorraine and Hilary for sharing their creations!

It's always fun to try new things. And today, I'll be doing just that. I'm going to a portrait painting class this morning. Though I have a bachelor of fine arts degree, painting is one area I have very little experience in. Wish me luck!

Susan

Learning to Sew, Circa 1964

A favorite spot in my studio is this little sewing corner. I like to sew. Do you?

I picked up most of my sewing skills from my mother who was a fabulous sewer. When she and my dad first came to the U.S. in 1950, she worked as a seamstress for a while. As a toddler in the early 60's, I remember all sorts of ladies coming by our house for fittings. I loved to watch as my mom marked their hems and pinned their alterations. Then she's head down to her sewing area in our basement to work her magic. She also made lovely dresses for my sister and me. What fun it was to go to the Woolworth, sit on the high stools and look through the pattern books. But these days, sewing is becoming a bit of a lost art. Where I live, most of the fabric stores have closed and it's difficult to find notions and patterns anymore.

I'd like to share a charming old book of mine that is a good starting point for kids (or anyone actually) interested in developing some very basic sewing skills. It's called The Lucky Sew-it-yourself Book by Camille Sokol with pictures by her husband Bill Sokol. This darling book from 1964 shows how to make simple items like a scarf, pocketbook, apron, pin cushion or doll pillow.

The first few spreads guide you through the materials you'll need along with sewing hints and instructions for basic skills.

 

Isn't it wonderful? Feel free to share it with your kids, grandchildren, or anyone interested in learning to sew. And be sure to stop back again. I'll share this book's sewing projects with you in future posts.

Susan

Photography 101: Retouching Adventures

Did you know that every photo on my blog has been tweaked? Yep, every single one! I'm never entirely satisfied with a photo until I've done a bit of creative retouching. To do that, I use photo editing software. Most digital cameras come with their own editing program, but I prefer Adobe Photoshop.

Although it's a powerful application that can perform complex retouching, I'm a Photoshop novice so I use it for very basic things like improving color balance, saturation and sharpness. Sometimes I need to clean up spots and imperfections. Often my pictures need a little more contrast and brightness. And I especially like the burn and dodge tool as it reminds me of my college days developing prints in the darkroom. Photoshop lets me do all of these improvements easily.

To enhance my image, I go in and noodle with the saturation, contrast and brightness. Photoshop has a tool called "Curves" which will adjust many of these elements all at once. I play around and have some fun until my photo looks just right to me. Then the very last thing I do when retouching is to apply the "Unsharp Mask" filter which creates the illusion of a more focused image.

I do what I can to enrich a photo's best aspects. My ultimate goal is to capture the feeling of the original subject.

Even if you don't have Photoshop, your photo editing software should allow you to perform most of these basic functions. Just be sure to work on a duplicate of your original shot. There's no need to be afraid to play around with retouching. It really can be fun.

Have you enjoyed my Photography 101 series? I do hope it has inspired you to make your digital photos all they can be.

Susan

Photography 101: Cropping

Back when I took photography in college, we were taught to shoot full frame. Now with digital photography, there is no need to accept the image as it comes out of the camera. Most pictures benefit from a little cropping which can improve their composition and impact.

This shot was taken at a farm stand near where we stay on Martha's Vineyard. I love this picture, but I wanted to keep the tractor and lose the white pick-up truck on the right.

Here's the cropped image. Much improved, don't you think?

To me, cropping is fun. Once I've downloaded my photos to my computer,  I sort through them and select my favorites. Then I crop away. Most often, I crop my photos into squares because it's the shape I find most pleasing. I think the square preference stems back to my love of the Hasselblad camera I once used in college. (By the way -- squares also works best for listings on Esty.)

Here is another photograph from the Vineyard. It was taken last year at the farmers market.

Great flowers, but I how did that person's foot get into the picture? Gotta lose that shoe!

Ah, much better!

Cropping gives me a second chance to better frame the photo's subject. In my photo editing software, I can center an image or cut out distracting parts of the background. A vertical shot can become a horizontal. The cropping possibilities are vast, so take your time and enjoy the options. Just be sure to always crop on a duplicate of your original shot.

These two Martha's Vineyard pictures have helped to get me in a Vinyard state of mind. I've been thinking about the island a lot lately as we'll be leaving for our annual trip there later in the week. I can't wait! So tomorrow will be my last installment in this Photography 101 series. I've saved the best for last; photo retouching.

Susan

Photography 101: Don't Be Flashy

Today, it's time to get back to my week-long photography series for bloggers and other camera enthusiasts.

One of the most important tips I can share with you is about flash photography. And that advice is to never, ever use a flash. OK, maybe "never" is an exaggeration. You may need a flash if you are taking photos outside of fidgety kids in the darkest of night! Let's just say that I prefer not to use a flash because it creates two problems; washed out images and harsh shadows.

Here are some examples I snapped in my studio this morning to illustrate my point. The pictures on the left were shot without a flash; the ones on the right were shot with the flash on.

Can you see what I mean?

If possible, I try to use natural light. When inside, I open the window shades and turn on lots of extra lights. But remember; without a flash to help stop any movement, it's that much more important to use a tripod and timer to keep the camera as still as can be.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about cropping.

Susan

Photography 101: Timing is Everything

When time permits, remember to use your camera's timer. Whether your camera is set up on a tripod or you are composing a hand-held shot, the timer will help eliminate camera movement that can result from manually pressing the shutter button. Most cameras have at least two timer settings; a longer one which is useful for when you need extra time to get into the picture yourself, and a short 2-second one. I use the latter most often when I'm at home photographing still objects or rooms.

When I'm out shooting, even if I don't have my tripod along I still use my camera's timer whenever possible. I've become an expert at finding places to set my camera down; park benches, stone walls, fire hydrants. Whatever is handy. Almost every photo I took on our honeymoon back in 1988 had both John and me in the picture. I found places to perch the camera with the timer on all over Quebec City! In this picture of us from that trip, my camera was balanced on a railing along the St. Lawrence River's Samuel de Champlain Boardwalk. Good thing it wasn't a windy day!

Tune in next time for my thoughts on flash photography.

Susan

Photography 101: My Trusty Tripod

I rely on my tripod to help me produce sharp, jiggle-free pictures. When I'm at home photographing still objects or rooms settings, I always use a tripod. Then I have no worries about shaking the camera. I've learned that rescuing a photo that is blurry due to camera movement is next to impossible.

If you are out and about, it may not be practical to set up a tripod. That's when you'll need to point and shoot. Be sure to keep the camera as steady as possible. While shooting, you are more likely to move the camera when holding it away from you and framing your picture within the LCD screen. To keep my camera from shaking when I press down on the shutter button, I look through the camera the old fashioned way, through the view finder. Having the camera resting against your face will keep it steadier. Just remember to hold your breath while releasing the shutter.

If you don't have a tripod, it's worth investing in one. Used in conjunction with your camera's timer, a tripod will enable you to join the picture, perfect for when you want to be a part of family group photos.

Although it may seem easier and certainly quicker to grab your camera and start shooting, it really is worth taking the extra time to set it up on a tripod. Just don't forget to use your camera's timer, too. I'll talk more about timers in my next post.

Susan

Photography 101: Have Digital Camera, Will Travel

I love my digital camera. I take it wherever I go. My constant companion is a very basic point-and-shoot Pentax that I got for free by cashing in credit card points. Though it's a bit dinged up, it has served me well for the past six years. It would be nice to have a fancy SLR one someday, but they are a bit pricey. I prefer "free," so I'll wait until I have more points to cash in on my credit card!

What I like most about my camera is how small it is --- about the size of an Altoid tin. My Pentax fits easily in my purse without adding a lot of extra weight. I try to always have it with me in case I pass a great shot begging to be captured.

Once I do start shooting, I take lots and lots of pictures. The beauty of digital photography is that you'll never run out of film. And you shouldn't run out of memory either, as long as you have an extra memory card in your camera. However, your camera shouldn't be confused with a photo album. It's not meant to hold all of the photos you've ever taken. Once I'm at at my computer, I download my photos to my hard drive and delete them from the memory card.

To keep my photos organized, I create a new folder on my desktop for each set of photos so I can easily find them again. I also back up my photos on a portable flash drive in case my hard drive ever crashes. I take that handy flash drive over to my local pharmacy whenever I want paper reprints for family or friends. (Or you can order prints online. But I prefer to sit at the fun photo machine and do them myself. Then I can crop and enhance them as I go.)

Lastly, remember to charge your camera's battery often. I charge mine every evening so I'll never run out of battery power.

Tomorrow, I'll discuss my good friend, the tripod.

Susan

Photography 101

I've always enjoyed photography. I even minored in it in college. Back then, I spent many hours in the darkroom perfecting my black and white printing skills. These images are from my college days.

For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of blogging is how it has allowed me to get back into photography. In this age of digital cameras, some of my former darkroom skills are no longer needed. But the basic principals of cropping photos still come in handy as well as keeping an eye tuned to what makes an interesting picture. Having been a graphic designer for over two decades helps, too!

The last two years of blogging have made me a lot more comfortable taking digital photographs. I've even honed a few new skills and techniques. So I thought it would be fun to share them with you in a series of posts over the next week or so. I am by no means an expert, but I do like to pass along useful information. And if you happen to put these tips into practice, please let me know. For those of you who blog, I'd love to see any before and after photos that have been influenced by this upcoming series. I'll even post a list with links back to your posts so everyone can view your pretty pictures and we can have a little art show.

Susan

Baking Scones the T-Party Way

I just finished baking scones for the Rowayton Library tea I am hosting at 2 p.m. today. I used the T-Party tried and true recipe which always seems to produce scones with a wonderfully delicate, flaky texture. I decided to make wild blueberry scones as they were always a favorite at my former tea room.

Although I don’t ever share that scone recipe (sorry!), I am happy to offer some advice on how to achieve the perfect scone.

The key is to be sure to use very cold butter and very cold Half & Half. And most important --- DON’T OVERWORK THE DOUGH! Remember, a light hand is needed.

Use dried fruit, if possible, as fresh fruit may make your scones soggy. And it's also a good idea to line your baking sheets with easy release non-stick aluminum foil.

These yummy scones will be served with strawberry preserves and authentic clotted cream imported from England. Now I better take some time to review my notes for the little tea talk I'll be giving that will accompany these delectable treats.

Susan

Elevating the Lowly Lunch Box

This past week, I rescued a black metal dome lunch box from the thrift store. I saw its hidden potential, especially since I grew up in the 1960's and 70's when plain lunch boxes like these were often transformed into decoupage masterpieces.

A classic construction worker style with room in the top for a large thermos, my $4.00 find is nice and clean; it barely seems to have been used at all. I decided to try my hand at transforming this lowly lunch box, so I pulled out a very unusual item I've been saving for just such an occasion.

Did you know that back in the 1950's, they manufactured draperies for the home out of paper? Seriously. This lovely flower and leaf pattern is a paper curtain panel, complete with a sewn-in rod pocket! The design is very bark-cloth-esque and it's perfect for decoupage.

So I began cutting, pasting, slapping on some polyurethane, and embellishing my masterpiece with scroll braid trim. Voilà! My secondhand lunch box has gone from boring to beautiful.

That was fun! It's good to get crafty every now and then.

Susan

A T-Party T-torial: Loose Leaf Tea

In my experience as a tea room owner and now a person with a tea-ish website, I've noticed that most people are flummoxed by loose leaf tea. So I've include a page on my site for some of the most frequently asked questions that have come up over the past few years. And the most common question I've gotten is how to brew a proper cup of loose leaf tea. Here's a little T-torial for you . . .

Start by adding one level teaspoon of loose tea per cup into your infuser. My Bee House teapot brews two cups, so I'm scooping two teaspoons of tea into its handy built-in infuser.

Bring fresh, cold water to a full boil. When filling your kettle, remember to never use hot tap water or water that has already been boiled as this will result in a flat tasting tea. (If you'd like, you can warm your teapot with the just boiled water for a minute and then discard that water. Personally, I never bother with this step.)

Pour the boiling water over the leaves. (For herbals and green teas, you should use water that is slightly cooler, just before boiling.) Steep for approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on the type of tea. Herbals can go longer; black teas are best steeped just 3 minutes so they don't get bitter. I use a sweet little three-minute egg timer to time my tea.

Time to pour. Pretty easy, right? So don't be afraid of using loose leaf tea. It will brew a better, more flavorful cup because hot water can circulate around the leaves more than with leaves confined in a tea bag.

Gotta go or my cup of tea will get cold!

Susan

My No Sew Throw

I've been looking for a new blanket to use when I'm at the computer in my studio on chilly mornings. After checking out a few local stores and not finding what I wanted, I decided to make my own. I chose to make a cozy blanket out of fleece because I'm allergic to wool. Fleece, often times made from recycled plastic, is inexpensive and easy to work with. Plus, to make the knotted fringe two layer blanket shown here, no sewing is required.

Here's how to make an easy no sew throw . . .

You will need two yards each of two coordinating pieces of fleece. I chose a print and a solid, but you can also use two solids. Spread out both pieces of fabric on a large flat surface with right sides facing out. Align them with the selvages running in different directions to make the blanket more stable. Smooth fabric out until there are no wrinkles. Pin the layers together and cut the two pieces into a square of the same size. Use sharp scissors and make sure to trim off the selvage edges.

For the fringe edge, cut a 5 by 5 inch square out of each corner through both layers of fleece and discard these corner squares. The size of the fringe is up to you, but after doing a few test pieces, I liked the 5 inch fringe. Cut slits 5 inches long and approximately one inch wide around all four sides.

Begin tying overhand knots close to blanket edge by using one strip from the front and one strip from the back to create the finished edge. Make sure to make two tight, overhand knots for your fringe so that they will hold together in the washer and dryer.

Repeat around all four sides.

I chose to tie every other knot in the fringe on one side, and then flip the blanket over and tie the remaining knots so that the blanket is fully reversible.

This no sew throw is simple and fun to do. It's also extra warm because it has two layers. With the soaring prices of heating oil, we all may be adjusting our thermostats a few degrees cooler this winter. This cozy fleece throw will come in handy as we head into the colder weather.

I'm using my new throw blanket right now as I type this. It's keeping me warm and toasty this morning.

Susan

Making a Button Bouquet

It's my day off from T-Party today, and in between the errands and laundry I felt like getting a little crafty. Since I am a bit of a vintage button freak, I'm always looking for reasons to dig through my vast button collection. After rooting around for a while, I decided to make an all white button bouquet. It's really easy and if you'd like to give one a try, here's how . . .

What you'll need: an array of buttons, 22 gauge green florist stem wire (cut to 18 inches long), green floral tape, needle-nose pliers, wire cutters and green polysilk leaves.

How to make the bouquet: sort through your buttons and decide on a color scheme. You'll need both interesting small buttons that you can feature on the top of each blossom and more plain large ones to be used under those. Begin to stack multiple buttons on top of each other to create dimensional flowers. Fold the florist wire in half and thread both wire ends through the button holes, staring with the smallest to the largest button in the stack. Using the pliers, twist the wires tightly together under the last button. Add florist leaves and wrap the wire stems in floral tape, starting at the top and working your way down to the base.

Arrange your flowers in a vase and you're done! Isn't it pretty?

Susan

FAQ: Laundering Vintage Linens

One of my favorite things to collect and to sell at T-Party are vintage linens. Not the precious, fragile, lacy ones; I love the sturdy floral tablecloths and napkins from the 1940s and 50s. These beautifully designed textiles were usually made of heavyweight cotton which has allowed them to withstand the test of time. And since they have been well loved and well used, often times they are stained or have yellowed. I work hard to revive these beauties before I bring them in to sell at T-Party.

Which brings us to the question our shoppers, and also Clarice of Storybook Woods, have asked . . .

How do you get stains out of vintage linens?

I usually don’t let stains deter me from purchasing old floral tablecloths or napkins. If I like the design, I will always try to rescue them. Here’s an assortment, below, that I found earlier this week.

They have the usual food stains along with foxing (discoloration) at the creases. My secret weapon is Biz detergent. First I fill up my laundry sink with very hot water and a healthy dose of Biz.

In go all of the linens together. You don’t have to worry about colors running as the dyes used in most vintage cloths were made to be colorfast. Let them soak for a good long time.

After a while, the water will be less bubbly and will turn yellow which means the detergent is removing the stains. I then drain the sink and refill with more Biz and very hot water for additional soaking. Sometimes I’ll soak for a few hours, sometimes all day; it depends on how stubborn the stains are! Then into the washing machine (with regular laundry detergent), then the dryer and soon they’ll be ready to iron.

Alas, some stains are too stubborn and refuse to come out. But these floral textiles can still be enjoyed, so I’ll use their spot-free areas to make tea cozies, napkins, toaster covers, tea towels and pillows.

Vintage linens are perfect on a porch or for a picnic. So don’t be afraid to use them just because they may get soiled. Fresh stains are so much easier to get out than 50 year old ones! (A spritz of Shout will usually suffice.) While out thrifting, I hope you will find some cheerful vintage linens to use and enjoy this summer.

Susan

Anatomy of a Tea Sandwich

Cucumber sandwiches are the quintessential tea sandwich. Here’s how we make them at T-Party . . .

1. Start with thinly sliced white bread.

2. Slice an unpeeled European (also called English) cucumber into transparent slices using a mandolin.

3. Lay the cucumber slices on paper towels to drain. If necessary, place cucumber slices between layers of paper towels to remove their excess moisture.

4. Spread two slices of bread with a light coating of softened unsalted butter which will help to stick all of the sandwich contents together.

5. Sprinkle the buttered bread with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. On one slice of bread, layer overlapping rows of cucumbers. Cover with the other slice of bread and press together gently with the palm of your hand.

7. Trim the crusts with a sharp knife after assembling the sandwich to create a clean look.

8. Cut the sandwich in half diagonally and then cut in half diagonally again to make 4 triangular sandwiches. Your finished sandwiches should be dainty, two-bite sized.

And there you have it . . . the perfect cucumber tea sandwich!

Susan