Marmalady's 1920's Cloche Girl's Hat

1920's Cloche Girl's Tea Hat

For some of you that have been following my blog for awhile you have seen this hat when I had the vintage clothing series. This hat was styled after the cloche hats so popular in the 1920's. Now I will be selling this pattern on www.marmaladys.com starting the first part of May. It is a little girl's hat and has three sizes in it. It probably would fit a small adult head also. My prototype is made out of a velveteen, but a pretty cotton or even wool could be cute. You can decorate it with a flower, a brooch, or just leave it plain. Wouldn't this 1920's Cloche Girl's Tea Hat look darling on any little girl in your life, then take her to tea for a special afternoon experience.

******

Don't forget to leave a comment for the give away mentioned yesterday.

Today is my 200th blog and I am celebrating.

Friends and Quilts

Friends are the best at knowing what I like. A special friend tucked the above three quilt squares into my birthday gift this year. They are vintage quilt squares. Now my mind is running with possibilities to do with the three squares. Eventhough each square is a different color the center is the same, much like each of us. We may look different on the outside, but inside we each have a heart that loves, cries, and rejoices in the daily small things of life. I think I will frame these three beautiful squares and hang them in my office to enjoy each day.
Another friend gave me a tea cozy made from an old family quilt. It is one of my favorites. It is used almost daily over my morning teapot. Friends are indeed "the best".

Today is the last regular Monday for sharing quilts. Tomorrow is my 200th blog. In celebration of both events I am giving away a copy of the book mentioned several weeks ago, Hidden in Plain View, A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad. Just leave a comment here throughout this week and on Friday, April 3rd, I will announce the winner.

Springtime Teapot

It is time to bring out the springtime teapot. It comes out with the blossoms and birds that are making their appearance. Even though I might tell you, "I don't collect teapots". My cupboards may tell you a different story.

***

Teapots

I collect teapots.

That's just what I do.

Because they make me happy.

They make me think of you.

Some collect valuable things

Like coins or stamps or trains.

Others save the whimsical,

Or practical, or strange.

I collect teapots.

Any color, shape or size.

Especially the odd ones,

Those I truly prize.

Some may scoff and mock

When they see my menagerie.

Lots of work to dust and clean

This whole magical display.

But each one is special,

For its individual reason.

A thoughtful gift from someone loved,

Or just to fit a season.

But most of all I treasure

What it symbolizes,

Brew some tea with a friend

And closeness epitomizes.

I collect teapots.

That's just what I do.

Because they make me happy,

They make me think of you!

~by Mary Ellen Brown, 1994

Vintage Apron

Front of Vintage Apron
Back of Vintage Apron
*****
For 25 years I worked in the world of apparel as a patternmaker. I worked for Jantzen and Nike. The sewn items you see on www.marmaladys.com are my patterns. I have been asked over the years if I have certain fabric patterns for my aprons and tea cozies. Not being able to have individual fabric patterns for each person's desires it finally hit me, why not sell the patterns then you can make it or have someone else make it for you. Why I hadn't thought of that sooner, I don't know. But finally here is the beginning of Marmalady's Patterns. Starting the first of May they should be on my website for sale or contact me by email during April and they may be ready. I will feature a different one of the patterns during the next month.
***
The Vintage Apron pattern is a copy of an apron I found several years ago in an antique shop in Portland. I wear it everytime I am representing Marmalady's at a show. So many people have asked me about it and I finally have made the pattern for you. It is very comfortable, as there is no binding tie around the waist. I love wearing it. On my website the ready made apron is only one size. The pattern will have four sizes in it and will fit everyone from Small (4) to XLarge (20).

Historic Portland

Recently this book arrived in my mail. A beautiful coffee table book of historic Portland from the 1860's to the 1970's. The pictures are all black and white, which definitely portrays the feel of history.
Here is the original Forestry Center built for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition of 1905. Inside was exhibited forest products and photos of Native Americans by Edward S. Curtis, circa 1905. Later this spectacular log building burnt to the ground and was later rebuilt in a different location in Washington Park.

I loved this picture of the swimming pool at Sellwood Park taken 1935. The pool is still there and looks much the same. It is a round pool, which was fascinating to me. In this picture I wondered what is everyone looking at. A fun picture.

***

It was fun to see the pictures and realize how much Portland has grown and changed over the years. But at the same time, it was a joy to see buildings I recognized that are still standing, such as the City Hall, the main library, the Skidmore Fountain, the Thompson Elk Fountain, and the Courthouse. There was one bridge that is no longer in Portland, but others that were being built replacing the use of ferries to get back and forth across the river. As my son and I looked at the pictures we thought it would be fun to travel through the city seeing how many more buildings were still standing or how much a particular corner had changed. Historic pictures tell a story of consistency and change. They are a part of each of us and give us pause to remember and reminisces. Thanks for the memories of Historic Photos of Portland.

***
Do you have pictures that depict your history? Old family pictures? Pictures of the places you have lived?

Tea at the Chinese Gardens

Step into the Moon Gate, the entrance to the Portland Chinese Gardens.

Though it is in the center of the city, for awhile you can be transported to another more peaceful place.
The Reflection Teahouse sits behind the reflection pond.
The star magnolia was in bloom.

Sit awhile, sipping tea, and enjoy the peacefulness of a Sunday afternoon.
There were young couples, older couples, families, and friends, both men and women
enjoying the day.

We each ordered different oolong teas served in gaiwans. Along with the tea we enjoyed a daikon salad and peanuts.

The two vegetarian steamed savories. Each part of the tea was delicious and enjoyed by my husband and me. If you ever visit Portland, come with me to the Chinese Gardens for a time of quiet sipping and chatting.

Using Quilts

Photographing my own quilt collection was quite a surprise. I had no idea I had so many different quilt items. The above quilt is called "Around the World". When my husband's grandmother was about 90 years old I realized the quilts we received as wedding gifts were worn out and we wouldn't have one made by this grandmother. I wrote her and asked what her favorite quilt pattern was and if she could make a small quilt for us. She sent me the pattern and asked me to piece it, then she quilted it. We have hung it on the wall throughout the years and now it covers our television when it is not in use.

As a side note the pillow fabric was found under upholstery fabric on my grandfather's platform rocker. I made several pillows for family members from that fabric.
The crazy quilt star was found in an antique shop in Kansas. I have always loved crazy quilts; so the star came home with me to be placed in a frame.

This quilted heart I found at an antique sale in Austin, Texas. There are many things that old worn quilts can be used for, including framing pieces of them. Someday I will be brave enough to cut the worn quilts in my cupboard.

When my mother-in-law moved into a retirement center we divided up her family quilts. I love this quilt and it has the honor of residing at the foot of my bed. It was made by one of my husband's grandmothers.

Sometimes you can find pieced quilt squares that have never been put into a quilt. These two squares were found in an antique shop in Oregon and immediately I knew they would be made into pillows.

A quilt made by my mother-in-law.

My sister and I found this quilt among our mothers belongings when she moved to a nursing home. I love the soft blue in it. We didn't know she had this quilt and believe it belonged to our step-grandmother. It is very light weight and I love using it as a table cloth when we serve tea in the back yard.

************

I treasure each quilt and love sharing them with you. I know there are more tucked away, but they are my treasures for another day.

Next Monday will be my final quilt day and I also will be celebrating my 200th blog entry. Please visit to celebrate with a special give away.

Spring

Daffodils
by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;

A poet could not be but gay,

In such a jocund company!

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

****

Spring has finally arrived!

Happy Spring Days!

Tea with Kitty

Someday

*

Soon I will be free.

Without tightness or propriety.

Sans care and sensibility.

And when I am free.

I will sit in the sun

And drink tea

With cuties and kitties.

Never minding what

Others might see,

Ever laughing at what

They might say.

~Musings with a Cuppa

by Earlene Grey

Recently Read Books

I picked up The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly a couple months ago. I was intrigued by the title. It had the word Tea, which I love, and Rose, which I also love. I wasn't disappointed. The story did include a lot of tea during the late 1800's in London, but there was also an intriguing story line. Their were many twists and turns and I was kept guessing at the outcome. Definitely a book that captured my attention.
I just finished The Winter Rose, which has some of the same characters as The Tea Rose. It also captured my attention and I enjoyed it very much. Jennifer Donnelly's writing skills were very fine tuned to keep me reading to the end. Yes, it wasn't until the very end that I knew the outcome of the story. Both books were very good reads and I can't wait now for what will come next. There is intrigue, mystery, love, and sadness all wrapped up in each one of these books.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Celebrate the day!

Wear green and

Find a Candy Store that celebrates.
This Candy Store felt like a celebration just to walk in the door.

****

May the Leprechauns be near you

to spread luck along your way

and may all the Irish angels

smile upon you on St. Pat's Day.

~An Irish saying from CELTIC Teas With Friends

by Elizabeth Knight

Aurora Colony Museum

Saturday I celebrated my half sisters and my March birthdays. We had lunch in a Aurora, Oregon sandwich shop, then spent some time walking through the Aurora Colony Museum. The museum had been running a quilt show, but had changed to a spinning show. I will show the spinning another day. The quilts in these pictures are part of the museums permanent collection. The log cabin baby quilt in the last picture is my favorite pattern, but I loved them all. The Aurora Colony was settled by a religious group coming from
Bethel, Missouri in the 1850's in hopes of finding utopia. They were similar to the Amish and were pacifists. There were several quilts in the permanent collection made by the first settler's to the colony. Each year the museum has a quilt show. One year they had people donate Sunbonnet Sue quilt squares for a quilt to be donated in an auction fundraiser for the museum. Even though I am an amateur quilter, it was fun to have my quilt square included in that quilt. If you ever travel through Aurora, Oregon, please stop by the museum for a step back in to time.

Kissed by a Frog

Have you been kissed by a frog?

Consider this a kiss sent your way.

Come and Play

Come and Play

Little baby, full of glee

Won't you come and play with me?

Strike the stick and kick the ball,

And at the picnic place we'll call.

And you shall come and eat with me,

And you shall come and drink my tea.

When I invite you thus to play.

How is it that you run away?

***

Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland from the

Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes,

published by Fleming H. Revell Company, 1900.

from the book Tea Poetry

Compiled by Pearl Dexter

***

Please come and play with me and my teddy.

The teapot is vintage acquired just recently

to add to my children's tea china.

Godly Play

This is my dear friend, Caryl. We met last week at the Tea Zone for tea. This was the beginning of my month of birthday celebration. What a special way to start celebrating.

Caryl is my friend, but has also been my pastor over the past several years, and now is moving forward with her new position as director of training for the Godly Play Foundation. Caryl loves children, she has five of her very own. When I met Caryl she was raising her five children as a single mom and struggling to find her way. Her husband had committed suicide. She started working at our church and ended up attending then graduating from seminary. She became our pastor.

Godly Play Foundation is an organization that trains people to tell Bible stories in a very gentle manner. From greeting the children, sitting on the floor, and having props to illustrate the story. The children are the focus and carried into the story by participation. Caryl has a real talent for this work and I am so proud of her.
Visit Caryl's blog: http://godlyplayfoundation.blogspot.com

Amish Quilts

The Amish quilt is one I fell in love with in Ohio several years ago. I love the dark colors of an Amish quilt. The Amish quilt is most often dark because the fabrics are sometimes taken from worn out clothes and they wear dark simple colors with nothing wasted. Their quilts are made for functionality and are often a simple design, such as the 9 patch quilt. You will see black quilting stitches are used in many of the quilts.
*******
A book that I have read a couple of times is by Sue Bender, Plain and Simple - A Woman's Journey to the Amish. In this book she writes about living for a few months with the Amish after being drawn to them by their quilts.
A quote from the book that explains very clearly the Amish people - "Making a batch of vegetable soup, it's not right for the carrot to say I taste better than the peas, or the pea to say I taste better than the cabbage. It takes all the vegetables to make a good soup!"Worrying about the outcome robs of the joy of simply doing the work. No one person stands out. A mistake in the midst of a well thought out plan, serves as an opening to let the spirit come in. Thus a "mistake" may be built into the quilt. The "work is enjoyable, important and should be respected." This spirit shines through an Amish woman's quilt.

***

I have been away for a few days and I guess my blog had some problems. Hopefully, it is up and running now.

Springtime is Coming

Here is a touch of Springtime.

A reminder that Springtime is coming.

Rejoice!

Enjoy!

Laugh as the flowers show their beautiful faces.

Sip a cup of tea and anticipate the colors of springtime.

Share My Heart

Yesterday someone rode by my house on their bicycle, stopped, and took a picture of my heart. Normally my heart shows up by Valentine's Day, but this year it was slow. I don't think it wanted to come out because we had a cold winter. Now it is showing it's pretty face and I wanted to share it with you. This heart is in the front of my house for all to see. Little children will stop by and exclaim to companions or parents that a heart is there. There is indeed a visible heart, but inside the house is a hidden heart too. Today I am sharing my heart with you. This heart brings me great delight.

Ironing and meditation

Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing about who that is. It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely the path that is your life.

~Jon Kabat-Zinn

from the book, Simple Abundance

*******

Many of us do not like and avoid cleaning the house. I certainly don't like cleaning the house. Crazy to say, but I like ironing. When I was 17 years old I cleaned house for the doctor and his family that delivered me. I learned to iron his shirts and learned to enjoy ironing. The only time it wasn't fun was when his little daughter would come up behind me and knowing my hands were busy, she would pull down my pants. The above picture are the fruits of my ironing this week. I ironed some fabric to prepare for quilting, a vintage linen table cloth, and vintage pillowcases. I love freshly ironed cotton pillowcases. Oh they feel so nice when I climb into bed at night. Now you are saying, what does that have to do with meditation and spiritual? For me ironing is a time for reflection and meditation. The rhythm of the iron moving back and forth centers my thinking and helps me to focus. With each movement of the iron I see the results of my efforts, but also it clears my mind to think about my life journey. For me it is a time of meditation. What do you do to help in your time of reflection and meditation?

Amish Quilts

The Amish quilt is one I fell in love with in Ohio several years ago. I love the dark colors of an Amish quilt. The Amish quilt is most often dark because the fabrics are sometimes taken from worn out clothes and they wear dark simple colors with nothing wasted. Their quilts are made for functionality and are often a simple design, such as the 9 patch quilt. You will see black quilting stitches are used in many of the quilts.

*******

A book that I have read a couple of times is by Sue Bender, Plain and Simple - A Woman's Journey to the Amish. In this book she writes about living for a few months with the Amish after being drawn to them by their quilts.

A quote from the book that explains very clearly the Amish people - "Making a batch of vegetable soup, it's not right for the carrot to say I taste better than the peas, or the pea to say I taste better than the cabbage. It takes all the vegetables to make a good soup!"

Worrying about the outcome robs of the joy of simply doing the work. No one person stands out.
A mistake in the midst of a well thought out plan, serves as an opening to let the spirit come in. Thus a "mistake" may be built into the quilt. The "work is enjoyable, important and should be respected." This spirit shines through an Amish woman's quilt.

Winter Tea

Illustration by Susan Laird. Visit her website at www.SusanLairdIllustration.com

She has some great animal, fairy, cottages, and tea illustrations.

********

Tea in the Warmth of Winter

Come with me into my fantasy of winter

Where snow falls softly and all is silent.

Where each and every creature has a

Warm place without fear of cold or death.

Come with me into my fantasy where

We will have tea in my parlor and

Savor each quiet moment of peace

And revel in our own little world of Grace.

by Earlene Grey

www.earlenegrey.com

Swedish Quilts

Quilts are found in many different countries. This book features many beautiful quilts made in Sweden during the late 1800-1930's.
The most popular pattern used was the Log Cabin quilt, which is my favorite too.

Quilts tell a story. This quilt was considered a crazy quilt and was made of wool.

Another form of a crazy quilt made of cotton.

*****
During this time period many people in Sweden were extremely poor. The only way to have a blanket or covering to sleep under was to use odds and ends pieces of fabric, plus pieces of old clothes to make quilt. When Asa Wettre, author of Old Swedish Quilts, started collecting quilts, people wouldn't even acknowledge having old quilts in the attic because they just considered them old rags. It wasn't until later that people would reluctantly bring them out and start telling the stories behind the making of the quilt. The book ends with a touching story of an elderly lady in a nursing home that kept asking for her quilt. Finally it was brought to her and she shared the stories of her life through the quilt. There were snippets of her dress as a child, her wedding dress, and even a piece of the pants of a son that died. Each piece in the quilt had a story.