Teacup Challenge, Lost & Found, New Fabric!!

How's that for a mouthful for my title today! :0) It's one of those 'mish-mash' sort of post days today, so make yourself a cuppa, sit back and see if you can keep up!!

Firstly ... a Teacup Challenge. Last post, I showed you some photos of a few of my pretty china teacups and trio sets, including my imperfect treasure, the hand-painted set with a badly repaired saucer. Well ... while I was chatting to my blogging buddy and fellow arctophile Miss Liz from Teddlywinks Designs, I commented that I had almost as many teacups and trio sets as I do bears in my collection. It turns out, I was speaking a language Miss Liz was familiar with! :0) You see ... it seems that as well as sharing a passion for teddy bears and both of us having design businesses that predominantly feature teddies, we both LOOOOOOOOVE to collect pretty teacups and trio sets! :0) Talk about peas in a pod! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Now, Miss Liz has today shared some pretty pics of a few of her china treasures and we thought there might be a few more of you out there who have a passion for pretty tea things, so we're putting out a bit of a low-key kind of challenge ...

 

Show Us Your Teacups!!!

Tee! Hee! Hee! Miss Liz got the ball rolling earlier today with her post HERE and I thought I'd share a couple more pics of MY pretties.

 

These are a couple of pieces from a full tea set that is a bit special to me. It isn't an expensive 'name-brand' set, in fact, it was made in Romania. (Hmmm ... always knew there was a bit of Romany Gypsy in my bloodline somewhere! Tee! Hee! Hee!) Hey ... perhaps it will tell my fortune in the tealeaves ... "I see a tall dark, handsome stranger ..." Tee! Hee! Hee! Sorry ... I digress!! The thing that makes this tea set special is its story. You see, my Mum is NOT at all a "collector" ... in fact ... she uses the word "hoarder" when addressing my penchant for collecting!! :0) But when she saw this set at a garage sale, she immediately thought I would like it ... so she rescued it for me! Aaaaaaawwww!! What a SWEETIE my Mum is! :0)

  

The set has a lovely shape and is decorated with pretty little blue and purple daisy flowers. It is quite fresh and delicate looking and I love it! :0) Oh ... can you see that I did some baking on the weekend while I was procrastinating about writing pattern instructions??? Another thing Miss Liz and I share ... we both HATE the instruction writing phase of designing! Tee! Hee! Hee! On the up side ... we're enjoying yummy Anzac biccies this week! :0)

So ... now it's YOUR turn to play along. Take some photos of your pretty china teacup collection ... maybe you only have a few, or you're like Miss Liz and I and your collection is ever-growing ... just take and post some pics and let Liz and I know so we can pop over for a peek. Now I KNOW there are a few of you out there who collect pretty teacups ... Kerryanne ... Lilly Linda ... Joy-Belle ... Jenny ... so I can't WAIT to start seeing pretty china teacup photos popping up throughout blogland! :0)

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On to the "Lost And Found" in my title. A few years ago, I designed a pattern that I called "A Month Of Sundays" because it consists of four smaller, quick-to-make projects for busy gals who only had Sunday for their 'play' day ... four projects ... most months have four weeks in them ... a Month of Sundays worth of sewing! :0)

  

A pin cushion, bookmark, needlecase and scissors pouch. Now, that needlecase quickly became one of my favourite sewing accessories. It wasn't too big to fit in my sewing pouch, but big enough to fit a good number of pins and needles in there - plus the colours are so darn cheerful! :0) About a year ago, my needlecase mysteriously disappeared. I tore the house apart looking for it ... couldn't find it. I thought it would turn up when I cleaned my sewing room ... couldn't find it. I cleaned out my sewing basket in the lounge room ... couldn't find it. SIGH! I resigned myself to it being one of life's great mysteries ... right up there with: 

•  "Where do all the odd socks go?"
• "Why do men put dirty clothes on TOP of the laundry basket rather than IN it?"
• "What happens in the Bermuda Triangle?"

Imagine my complete SURPRISE today when I popped into the community hall, of the retirement village where I work four mornings a week, to chat with a lovely lady who was tidying the books and magazines in the shared library and suddenly ... I spotted a splash of green, red, blue and yellow amongst the old magazines ...

  

My prodigal needlecase was found!! And inside ...

 

 

... all my favourite needles and some always-in-demand pins!! HOORAY!! There was much rejoicing and an impromptu performance of my Happy Dance. I still have NO idea how it could have made its way between old magazines at work, where I never take my sewing, but my personal theory is that the faeries were playing a trick on me! :0) How lovely to find an old friend!

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Last but not least, Postman Paul left me a parcel today ... a SOFT parcel, if you see what I mean! :0)

 

Ooh! La! La! (she says in her best French accent, a-la "Allo, Allo"!!) You can see I'm still on my French kick! :0) Last week when I enjoyed a play-date with my bestest-buddy-since-we-were-nine Lynette, I spotted an apron that I fell in love with ... unfortunately, I was not so fond of the price tag!! Lynette pointed out that I could make myself a similar apron, which sent me on an internet hunt for Eiffel Tower fabric. The apron I was eyeing off was black with a red Eiffel Tower pocket on the front ... using this exact fabric! So, since I now have red Eiffel Tower fabric (my kitchen is apple green with red accessories) and I happen to have a pre-made black apron in my sewing room cupboard awaiting embelishment ... I will indeed be making my own apron very soon, but I think I shall be a little more creative. :0) And since the fabric was so darn cute, I got a fat quarter of the black version, too. I have no idea what I'll do with it, but it can't hurt to have it on hand, right?! Tee! Hee! Hee! I bought it on Ebay from "Rasberry Hill Fabrics" and was really impressed with how quickly they got it in the mail and on its way.

So there you go ... that's what's happening in the Meares' Madhouse today. Right now, I'm off to make myself a cup of tea before I have to think about what to cook for dinner. I'll look forward to seeing some teacup pics from you all soon! :0) Til next time ...

 

  

"Tea For Two & Two For Tea

Me For You & You For Me!"

 

 

BEAR HUGS!

 

 

CHEERS!

KRIS