PATRIOTIC 4TH OF JULY TABLESETTING

 Today I thought it would be fun

to do a patriotic table setting

for the 4th of July which is

when we celebrate Independence 

Day in the USA:

This vintage English Ellgreave teapot

has very soft colors:

This teapot was a 1976 Sadler

Bi-Centennial commemorative.

We were able to attend those

activities in Yorktown, Virginia.

My transferware teapot, cream

 and sugar and

a few other pieces are USA Homer

and Laughlin historic George

Washington pieces.

I found the damask burgundy red fabric

a while back.  It was vintage, never

used and enough to easily make a

tablecloth.

It is very hot where we live and

might just be where you live too.

Happy Independence Day!

A Template for your

Afternoon Tea Menu:

WALNUT COCONUT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

 

Do you find it hard to turn the oven on

when it is very hot outside?  I sure do

understand but even so, I decided to

bake a cake yesterday.  I have made

this cake many times over the years.

The recipe was originally from an

old 1970's Southern Living Magazine.

After dinner last night

my husband

and I each

had a piece.

Click here for the recipe!

Happy first official day

of summer!
 

"LINENS ARE MY ONE WEAKNESS"

 "Linens are my one weakness".

 I mentioned this saying recently

on my blog. That is what Dorcus Lane

said on the BBC series "Larkrise to

Candleford". Of  course it was funny because she said it about many things.

I find that it is hard to come across

old linens embroidered roses on them.

  The French call embroidery Richelieu. 

 I did purchase this vintage embroidered

 cutwork topper from across the globe. 

 In fact, it came from South Africa from

 a woman who shopped the flea markets in Paris, France.

This is the center of the topper above.

I never knew there were so many types of

old vintage and antique linens.  There are

crochet, appliqued, embroidered, needlework such as Point de Venice, 

Bobbin Lace, Filet Lace, Reticella, Alencon lace, Tuscan, Quaker, and 

so many more.  I am trying to learn.

 

 I will warn you that many things are misidentified on Ebay and Etsy.

 

Can you tell if something is hand made or made by a machine?  Sometimes 

I can but

not always.

And adding a bouquet

from the garden:

HOLLYHOCK TABLE SETTING

 After doing a little "Tea In The 

Garden: with a Hollyhock theme,

I decided to do the same in the

dining area.

I used some purple transferware plates

and other pieces that were purple.

We continue to have lovely

weather and also some rain

coming our way.

I love this little topper with Hollyhocks

on it added to the center of my French

lace Alencon tablecloth.  As Dorcas

Lane might have said in 'Lark Rise to Candleford',

 "Linens are my only weakness".

HOLLYHOCKS for "Tea In The Garden"

 Do you feel how quickly time is flying

by these days?  I can hardly believe

the Hollyhocks are blooming already.

We have had a really beautiful month

of May and loved the fact that rain

came along.  The hollyhocks are now

blooming so I set up a little tea in

the garden to celebrate.  Please note

the table topper I found late last

summer which is a hollyhock embroidery

piece.

A while back I bid on some lovely

remnants of old velvet and I am

now just getting around to using

some.  My tea cozy is a rich purple

and black and definitely so much

more like the way velvet used to be

back in the day.

As I cut some stems for my bouquet, the bees were not wanting to fly away from 

the sprays I picked.  

Here is a close up of the

topper embroidery.

These Hollyhocks are

all peach colored:

People ask me how I keep the yellow

fungus off the Hollyhocks.  I definitely

get it but just keep cutting off the bottom

leaves where the most appears.

I am very attracted to old linens....

are you?  Do you like English

transferware?