Sunday, April 26, 2009

Anyone for a Cuppa?


Tea that is!! tIthas warmed up here ,in Va and along the entire East Coast of the states, far too early for my taste.!!! 92 degrees is hardly typical April weather! Warm weather always turns my thirst to iced tea. I love all kinds, herbal and plain old Lipton with lots of fresh lemon and ice!! It seems that many are drinking tea. Lots of green tea for the nutritional value and I have decided to design a piece of functional art for tea drinkers. Here is my tea House! I have crafted it from fabric/paper mounted on painted Timtex interfacing.

It stands 7 inches tall from base to roof peak. It is three inches square to accomodate the size of the wrapped tea bags. I think that it will look fabulous sitting on a kitchen counter waiting to be opened for the next cup of tea, hot or cold!!

I incorporated lots of tea text in the first layer of the collage. I found recipes associated with tea in old cookbooks and used envelopes from individually wrapped teas, I also used the hang tags with the wonderful quotes included, to add interest.

I painted the Timtex with acrylic paints and ran a tight zig zag stitch around each panel before attaching one panel to the next with the same stitch.

Cozy happy tea bags just waiting to be enjoyed!! It was almost hard to take this into the gallery to put up for sale but I will make more, especailly if this one sells. I should probably make one or two for my Etsy shop as well!

13 comments:

Beena said...

I really like it!!! A pretty teahouse!!! My mother, the big tea drinker in the family, would just go gaga over this!

I have worked with the Timtex before in a pattern I designed for 3D coffee/tea cups. I did the design so they could be pin cushions, or little boxes, or tacked to a wall with partial saucers, or made with full saucers to sit on a table. Also, I included a pieced variation. (see link)
http://www.bbsquilts.com/catalog.html

But I never thought of painting directly on the Timtex, just fused fabric onto it.

E-mail me, and type up your address, and if you want I'll send you a copy of the pattern to play with. Then you can have matching cups to go with your teahouse! Just make sure to post pics. I'd love to see what you do!

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Pretty dog gone cute! Good idea!

Vicki W said...

It's really nice!

Jacky said...

What a fabulous idea Elizabeth. Your tea caddy is really beautiful and would look lovely on the kitchen bench in readiness for that "Cuppa" tea.

Love the papers you have collaged too with the tea theme.

I love my cuppa peppermint tea and have recently fallen in love with the tea cosies of Loani Prior, Wild and Wooly tea cosies (vistit Grrl&Dogs blogs to see a few of them). Can just imagine one of them on the bench with your tea caddy.

Jacky xox

Anonymous said...

Very beautiful!

Deborah OHare said...

I love this! What a great idea. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

too bad you aren't in Milwaukee art quilters.. our challenge is Tea!! I'm doing the mad hatter, white rabbit and alice at the tea party along with a tea cup with steaming something going up from it.. and the words Tea Party on the bottom.. oh and Alice says.. something like.. all I see on the table is tea ... you know because they offered her wine.. Too much fun!! I love this piece!!!

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea...really cute!

martha brown said...

I love this tea house! I'm a sweet tea fan myself (here in Canada, if you order iced tea, it is always sweet -- it was a shock to travel south and find just cold tea!)

Dot said...

This is gorgeous Elizabeth! Beautiful colors too. You always do such gorgeous work. The most beautiful tea caddy I have every seen!

Dot xx

Judy said...

That is really, REALLY nice! You are so darned creative!

xo

Debrina said...

Oh Elizabeth - you rock! What absolute gorgeousness!

Michelle said...

This is gorgeous - a really great idea!

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