Sunday, January 3, 2010

Tea Towel Treasures


It seems amazing that we are already into 2010. Feels like only yesterday that we were celebrating the new millennium in 2000. I'm happy you joined me today. I'm linking this post to Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally, Mosaic Monday hosted by Little Red House, and Three or More Tuesday hosted by The Gypsy's Corner. Thank you to each of these ladies for hosting these fun events each week.



The week between Christmas and New Year's Day, I received a package from a dear friend who lives in France.



The little package on the left saying "Merry Christmas" contained this fabulous red and white tea towel. It's made of the finest linen. Feels so elegant to the touch! And it is woven with bands of red along the edges. So French!


This mosaic shows you the details of this beauty which features the Arc de Triomphe, L' Opera, and Tour d Eiffel. Judy knows The City of Light is my all time favorite city. I have a thing about the Eiffel Tower. She also knows that I adore tea towels as much as I adore pottery. Both are works of art as far as I'm concerned.


The other package on the right and saying " . . . and a Happy New Year" appropriately held this 2010 calendar tea towel. Judy lives in Brittany and is a friend I met through the Quimper Club. This blue tea towel features my favorite motifs found on Quimper pottery. Click on the photo to enlarge and you can see the details of the Breton people and the French coqs.


Here is the month for January, my favorite. It's my birth month!



I have some other tea towels from Brittany. Want to see them?



This is one that features the work of Quimper artist François Le Villec.


This Corentine de Quimper towel features the pieces of a faience tea service. Doesn't it make you want to heat up the water and enjoy a cup of tea? These French tea towels are larger and make great little accent cloths on a small table. A table set for tea perhaps?



Take a look at this lovely pair! The towels are made from natural linen and chain stitched to portray a Breton couple, he on one and she on the other. The embroidery is done in a cherry red, not the pinkish color that shows in the photo. These were an unexpected, but most appreciated gift from Fran, another Quimper friend. Thank you, dear Fran! I absolutely LOVE these!



And look how well they go with the linen Christmas towel Judy sent to me last Christmas. I might add that these towels are large. They measure a generous 20"x 30". Definitely NO dirty hands are going to be allowed to touch these beauties. Rather I'm going to come up with a safe creative use for this pair.



The darling towels above were Christmas gifts. I have a neighbor who shares my affinity for MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check. She gave me the towel on the left with the topiary poinsettia in the CC inspired cache pot. Pretty cute! Thanks, Shannon!




This beautifully wrapped gift arrived this fall. It was a thank you from Laurie @ Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie. You see I'm one of the lucky ones who got to "chat live" with Laurie. You can read about our visit here. Laurie, Thank You Again for these thoughtful gifts. It was such a treat to meet you!



The pink polka dot package contained a sweet personal note from Laurie, a little French dish with an A no less, and a darling tea towel. Wow! I guess Laurie knows a little bit about me. The little dish sits on my desk beside my computer and holds clips, and pens, and stuff.



The tea towel gets to hang about, but I don't let anyone actually use it. LOL It is too wonderful! The detailed work on this is amazing. The teapot is pieced as if it were from a quilt square, is embellished with beautiful embroidery, and appliqued to white cotton. It was made by Cupcakes and Cartwheels. The name is as cute as the towel itself.



This little waffle tea towel was a gift from my sister. She spent 6 weeks in Provence last January to be present for the birth of her grandson. It's special to me because it reminds me of what a special time my sister had while there and how excited our family was to welcome Beau Hubbard into our family.

I've lots more delightful little tea towel art to share, but I'll save it for a future post. I know you want to get back to visiting more posts for Mosaic Monday, Blue Monday, and Three or More Tuesday. Thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment. It will make my day!



Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

37 comments:

  1. All your tea towels look wonderful, Sarah. How lucky of you to have very generous and kind friends. I have met Laurie in person too. Isn't she a darling?...Christine

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  2. Your Tea towels are just gorgeous.. I love the blue one,, the detail on them all is so amazing... have a great week.

    Hugs;
    Alaura

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  3. What a treat to see these!!!!!!!!!!!
    Great collection!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. Ohhhh my!!!!! Tea towels are one my my favorite things..and these are just beautiful. Such a great collection..

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  5. Oh Sarah, those tea towels with the Breton couple stitched on them are just wonderful! They would look good framed. Of course I won one of the Quimper calendar towels, and I love it. You have such a beautiful collection of tea towels. I have tea towels hanging all over my kitchen, but like you, I'd get upset if someone actually USED one of them! I'm so glad you are enjoying the one I sent you. It wasn't much of a gift to send someone who was kind enough to bring me and a friend a wonderful lunch at the airport! That was such a fun meeting - just too short. You'll have to come to Ark. and visit me. laurie

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  6. You are a TeaTowel Collector! How wonderful and they are all so Fine! Enjoyed everyone and all the info about each one. I especially like the one with the Month of January! It's our Birthday month, and I'm going to celebrate all moonth...how about you? See ya at the party!...sue

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  7. What wonderful tea towels. It was wonderful of you to share them with us.

    - The Tablescaper

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  8. Wow these are very nice.

    Sharing how we Welcome 2010. Have a great week!

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  9. Those tea towels are beautiful Sarah. Each with it's own special story, as a special gift, from a special someone! They must all think you are pretty special!
    Happy Blue Monday! Sherri : )

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  10. What a wonderful collection! I love tea towels, too, but only have a few. Yours are really beautiful!

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  11. You have some beautiful teatowels there. Do you have one from Holland? Just a question. LOL
    Nice post.

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  12. Tea towels are cute and pretty. Happy blue Monday.

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  13. The tea towels are beautiful!

    I love how you show them in mosaics.

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  14. What a delightful collections of Tea Towels! Looking at them reminds me how I loved to embroider and give these as gifts when I was younger. I'd not thought about this for years and wonder if I'd enjoy doing that again. Happy Mosaic Monday!
    Hugs and blessings,

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  15. Sarah, I love your tea towels, and don't blame you for letting them be for display only. Who would want those beauties runied? I am learning so much about you from your blog. What an interesting person!

    Have a great Monday~

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  16. Such a smashing collection of tea towels, I love the Breton ones of course but the McKenzie Childs are something very special.
    Happy Monday from Normandy
    Maggie

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  17. I enjoyed seeing part of your tea towel collection, Sarah, and I look forward to seeing the rest. I especially like the blue with yellow one. Happy New Year and Happy Blue Monday.

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  18. Oh my gosh, your tea towels are amazing! What a wonderful collection you've got going! :-)

    Anne

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  19. Quimper is such a charming folk art - interesting to see the images from the earthenware adapted to other forms, as well.

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  20. You never know what things interest people to collect. You really have a nice assortment and collection of tea towels. I loved seeing all of them.

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  21. those are really lovely collections! thanks for sharing :)


    u may view mine here

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  22. Hi Sarah! What a wonderful collection of tea towels you have!! Happy Blue Monday to you and enjoy your birthday this month!!

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  23. Wonderful friends and gifts. I love your towel collections. Very nice!

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  24. Thanks for stopping by! What great bloggy friends you have.

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  25. What pretty treasures you got as gifts! I really like the tea towels with the teapots on them.
    Have a great week!

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  26. You can never go wrong giving tea towel, can you!

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  27. Sarah, what wonderful towels and special gifts! Enjoyed seeing these very much. They are charming!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  28. What lovely thoughtful friends you have!! The french teatowels are gourgous. If you like teatowels you should get on the German Ebay. There you can find incredible Art Deco and Art Nouveau teatowels in damast weaving with the most incredible white on white designs. I have some at home and you find hundreds of different design.
    I wish you good collecting and lots of enjoyment with your collection.

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  29. Good Morning and Happy New Year Sarah!

    You certainly have some generous friends who love to give gorgeous gifts! If I had to pick my favorite, I don't think I could. I understand why they are to be looked at and not used!

    It is my dream to someday go to France and see the Eiffel Tower. Don't ask me why--but, it has always been for as long as I can remember. Something about Paris draws me there--and I have only seen it thru the eyes of other's pictures! Weird, I KNOW!!

    I am trying to get caught up on my blog reading this morning. You always have so many interesting things to share--you are blessed beyond measure and have the gift of teaching. I have learned so much just by reading your posts.

    Have a great week!

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  30. Good morning dear Sarah,
    What beautiful tea towels and how very sweet friends you have. Not sure which one is my fave...they are all just so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. By the way...love all your mosaics too. Wishing you a very happy and blessed New Year.

    Hugs and Kisses,
    ♥Ana

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  31. I do love your tea towels. How special to have them from France as well. Happy Blue Monday~

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  32. Oh, I have tea towel envy! Love the red Eiffel Tower towel! ave a happy week!

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  33. Sarah, I love each and every one. You have so many beauties.

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  34. Oh you received some beautiful presents. I love your tea towels. They are wonderful and so unique.
    Thank you for playing along with 'Three Or More' and have a wonderful day.
    Tam

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  35. Thank you for visiting my blog today and leaving me a comment.

    I also love McKenzie Childs.

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  36. Oh how beautiful! They are certainly works of art! What a kind and generous friend. :) Thanks for sharing at MM. :)

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Thank you to each of you who take the time to leave a comment. I read and appreciate each and every one and will respond to any questions. Your notes are the only way I know who has stopped in for a visit.