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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Vintage Linens, Garden Flowers, and a Tea Set from Nepal




Take vintage linens, old china, a doll's teacup, a gift from Nepal,
fresh flowers from the border, and what do you get? Tea for One!



My daughter Anne is the guest designer today, with a Tea for One setting for Tablescape Thursday (hosted by Susan at Between Naps On The Porch) and Vintage Thingies Thursday (hosted by Suzanne at Coloradolady). Click on their highlighted blog titles to see what everyone else is up to.

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Anne loves tea.

For her birthday, her sister sent her a tea set -- pot, sugar, and creamer -- handmade in Nepal.
It was a perfect gift!


Anne partnered this Eastern-looking set with a handle-less tea cup and saucer
that actually belong to her American Girl doll, Felicity!

Felicity is the Colonial-era doll, no longer featured in the American Girl Catalog since
Mattel took over the company and turned it -- well, we won't go there. Let's just say
American Girl and Pleasant Company are not what they used to be. Bigger is not always better.

But historically, Felicity would have drunk tea out of this type of cup --
no handles, and made in China for the export market.


What is tea without a cookie or two? Chocolate is always good, especially when served on a blue and white dish, Indies Blue, from Johnson Brothers. The napkin is damask, smooth vintage Irish linen, with a woven-in border of blue:


Underneath it all, a bridge cloth, one from the box of vintage family-made linens my mother-in-law sent me two weeks ago. This one is heavy, loosely-woven linen, beautifully hand-embroidered in what looks to me like perle cotton:



A closer look at the Nepal-ese tea set. Sugar and creamer:


The tea pot is a beautiful shape;
love the bent wooden handle, so practical -- no pot holder needed!




The blue looks "rubbed" -- it allows the base color to glow through; lovely.


You must have some pretties on every table. On this one, Anne used the bottom of a covered Asian-inspired blue and white casserole I got years ago at a Bombay and Company outlet store.
She filled it with flowers from the borders at That Old House. We only had to chase down two stowaway ants.



Also visiting, a little good luck Lenox elephant, and a small figurine . . .
we don't know who he is, but he seems to fit in!


Put it all together. . .


It's an Asian-Vintage-Fusion Tea for One!

Have a wonderful Thursday! -- Cass

39 comments:

  1. What a darling tea for one! Love the blue and white. The teapot is so uniqu and fabulous! Love the teapot centerpiece. Anne did a fabulous job!

    Tina

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  2. We have cookies? Why was I not informed there were cookies?

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  3. You have everything looking so pretty and what a lovely bouquet from your garden.

    Carolyn

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  4. That linen is to die for! And the little teacup, what a cutie

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  5. The figurine guy is a copy of one of the members of the terracotta army that was buried in Xian, China for 2,000 years and discovered accidentally in the early '70s.

    There were over 6,400 of these mad by order of a 13 year old emperor.
    See? action figures aren't so new!

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  6. I am drooling over the linens alone! This color combination is my very favorite.
    Brenda

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  7. We have Felicity's tea cup and a large Felicity tea pot from Williamsburg. Both my daughters loved AG before Mattle.

    What a lovely tea set!!!! The whole tea for one is just beautiful. :D Jewel

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  8. What a gorgeous vignette! Your pretty flowers just bring it together beautifully. So very nice..I will take one lump please, and a splash of milk.

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  9. I know what you mean about American Girl now!
    Loved this post.
    I assume Howard belongs to you, funny guy!
    My husband, "Jim" follows my blog too.
    He has quite the following on fb so, don't think we'll hear much from him in blogland.

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  10. What a beautiful table for one! Love all of your vintage treasures and they go so well together on the table. Great post today! I really enjoyed your pictures.

    Have a great VTT!

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  11. This is soooo pretty! I love all of this blue and white!

    Very pretty presentation.

    Becky K.

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  12. You are very lucky to have that set. thank you for having me over!

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  13. Your bouquet of flowers is the perfect touch to the blue and white tea for one! I love the Indies Blue from Johnson Bros! The tea set is adorable, too! What a wonderful way to indulge oneself - with tea and cookies on a beautifully set table!

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  14. That is so sweet...Lovely tea table!
    The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
    I just baked 8 loaves of Irish Soda bread..if Howard lived near, I'd bring a nice , warm, moist loaf over to him.
    I am always looking for people to try my baked goods..
    I could sail one over to you if you were out, LOL!

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  15. What a beautiful blue and white setting. The pink flowers make the whole presentation pop. Very inspiring!

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  16. Hi Cass...

    Ohhh my...your Anne did a fabulous job with this "Tea for One" tablescape!!! She is a very talented lady...just like her mama!

    Well...I just love Anne's new tea set from Nepal...I love the shape and that beautiful blue distressed color!!! The American Girl teacup and saucer go perfectly with the tea set...really lovely!!! Then to top it off...those gorgeous fresh flowers from That Old House...I love the blue & white casserole/vase!!! Ohhh...so pretty! Oh yes...not to mention that lovely embroidered linen cloth! It's gorgeous and the white really showcases all that lovely blue!!! Great job, Anne!!!

    Well my friend, you must be a very proud mama!!! Maybe Anne should start her own decorating blog!!! wink!

    Have a wonderfully sweet day, my friend!
    Chari

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  17. A very Zen table.
    I have a friend flying to LA to go to the American doll place with her daughter $$$$$$?????? I just don't get it.

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  18. what lovely photos!..i love that darling teapot and the embroidered cloth is gorgeous!

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  19. How gorgeous is this?! It sure would be a pleasure to have tea in a setting like that! Your Anne did a beautiful job!

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  20. This a lovely way to enjoy tea! And I am coveting the table linen! Such exquisite work!
    All the best,
    Eileen

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  21. Beautiful tea set!! Anne is realy going to impress people when she tells them where it arrived from!

    I want that tablecloth!! Oh, is it pretty!! I would leave it on the table all the time with that cute centerpiece of flowers (well, at least until they croaked!) The Johnson Bros. plate is gorgeous!

    Great tablescape, Anne. Great commentary, Cass!!

    xoxo
    Jane

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  22. It is all so very, very beautiful that I am speechless!

    Thank you for sharing.

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  23. What a beautiful tablescape! I love all of the blue. Everything is so pretty. Thank you for sharing.

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  24. This is lovely -- your daughter is following in your footsteps!

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  25. Oh Cass...thanks for stopping my and seeing my French Linens...CAUSE I'd know who to come and see their beautiful table...love the way you put this together!

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  26. I love blue and whtie anything and you know I love that Indies china. Great tea for one.

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  27. How pretty and fresh this all is! I adore the pot and cups...and the terra cotta warrior! The figures are huge and are located no too far from where we were in China when we went to adopt our Gracie. : )
    Your flower bouquet is just perfect...I woulod love to stop by and have some cookies and tea with you!
    Love,
    Sue

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  28. what a lovely tablesetting.. so pretty blue.. lovely blooms too!

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  29. Ann did a great job! I love the history of the teacup too. Blue and white is my fav! :)

    ~Liz

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  30. I am in love with Annie's tea set! The napkin, and the lovely linen table cloth! The centerpiece. This just sings to me! I know I heard the kettle! Just love it Cass! Now, you could have covered the ants in chocolate! lol If you do let me know how they taste, for I do not think I would try them. lol

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  31. Your so lucky to have all the lovely linens, I want to know how you know so much about the fibers and weave? you tell so much about your linens. I spin and weave, just curious if someone there does or you?

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  32. What a beautiful, beautiful tea. The tea set is beautiful..as is that wonderful embroidered cloth.Ooo, I love that cloth. Everything..lovely.
    Happy VTT..and have a great weekend.

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  33. Photos are all so nice and I love the flowers:) Thanks for sharing.
    Joyce

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  34. It is a lovely table for one. Those flowers are gorgeous!

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  35. Love the blues and white--so cheerful with those colors. Nice touch with the wooden handle!

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  36. This is beautiful! Anne must take after her mother. Love the vintage bridge cloth. And the coloration on that tea pot is gorgeous. But I WANT that beautiful tea cup. laurie

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  37. I just knew someone knew a lot about fiber, fabric pattens! You, tell more than I do and I am a weaver/ spinner! I just finished knitting a collar scarf, My own pattern. I hoping to get a dress made, before my surgery in Sept. I want to take a pic with my spinning wheel and have it blown up. I love Scarlet O'hara, but decided my children might love to have one of me instead! Now I going to have to take a lot of prints from the parlor, as I making a library in there this week. I am making toile curtains, and I tore out some window, we had no time to put back as we been out of state for 3 weeks on and off for funerals and errands. Off to Hobby Lobby for thread, and hope to look at Ross while hubby in Lowes. Oh, how the redo on the house going? I curious about if you are going to use a rolling island! lol

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  38. How lovely, Anna's sister sent her a teapot. The tablescape is terrific, I love the blue and white in the linens and china. Very sweet.

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