Monday, June 3, 2024

Block 6 Joy in the Ordinary BOM...

 

It's Winter! Well, in Australia it is, though north in the tropics our winter days are very sunny and warm indeed. The weather is simply perfect at last and that little bit of a nip in the early mornings is the best of all, especially when I stride up to the pool for my morning laps and it's still pitch black outside. It's such a change from the hot humid nights and mornings of late spring, summer and most of autumn. Hubby thinks I'm crazy swimming at this time of year, but it's so good for the immune system, and I think my body is better suited to cold than hot. 

Yesterday was the Eco Fiesta here in Townsville so that's where we headed after lunch. My man wanted to watch the wicking bed demonstration by Hannah Moloney of Gardening Australia, and though I'd planned to have a wander around the various events and stalls, she was so vibrant, funny and informative that I ended up staying for the whole demonstration. It was also great to have those in the audience so interactive with information of our particular tropical climate, as Hannah lives in the very south of our country, Tasmania, where it's cold most of the year.  Afterwards we did have that wander after all and saw lots of interesting things about the garden, bees, and sustainability. The weather was glorious and Hannah commented on how our winter was like her summer. Hope we get to do this again next year! Hubby is now planning wicking beds...

Anyhow, today I'm sharing the next block in this year's free Joy in the Ordinary block of the month project. My theme for June is friendship, and one of things that reminds me of good friends is a cup of tea. My dear friend Rosie and I have morning tea together often, and they are the very best of times with laughter, conversation, more laughter, and always delicious treats to devour with a cuppa or two. Whenever I come home from Rosie's my heart is full of joy, and I hope that's how she feels after a visit here as well. :-)

Blossom and I often have tea parties with the children, using real vintage cups and saucers, and a jolly good amount of home baked treats. As you saw back HERE the girls have their own Cafe in the cubby now, also with real cups and a teapot. 


When I was homeschooling, and the children were very young, I always used precious vintage op-shop acquired tea cups, saucers and plates, because I wanted them to know how special our morning and afternoon teas were and that I trusted them to care for the eclectic mix of vintage china on the table. In all our years of morning and afternoon teas, not a single cup, plate or saucer broke, and to this day my Blossom continues the ritual with her own children. 


I collected tea pots and bone china cups/saucers for decades (along with old doilies) but over the past few years with the regular decluttering I love to do, most have been donated to op-shops or given to Blossom. Today I only have a few for tea, and none of them are vintage, but some are also used around the house or in the garden for holding plants. 

These are my current three tea pots and they each serve a purpose. The green one is for herbal teas only, whilst the white one with gold trim is for special occasions and 'normal' tea. The brightly decorated pot is used when the grandchildren have tea with me...


I purchased this bright and cheery set of cups with a two tier cake display on Marketplace recently, and it's wonderful for when the family are gathered around the table for morning teas. 




Here's one of my op-shop finds that sits on display in the kitchen, a lovely reminder to stop twice a day from my chores and relax with a nice cuppa...


...and this is one of the re-purposed teapots that now serve as planter pots.


I thought you might like to see where I take photos of my completed designs. Due to lots of shaded areas around our home, plus the security screens and block out curtains, it is very difficult to find somewhere with enough light to take photos, so the dining table has that honour...




Use the link below to download the free pattern for Block 6.

DOWNLOAD Block 6 Joy in the Ordinary pattern

Missed any of the previous blocks this year? You'll find them HERE

I'll share more about this month's theme "Friendship" in the next blog post. In the meantime I would love to know if you drink tea, collect vintage china, enjoy tea parties, have been to a High Tea, and what you love to bake when friends come around for a cuppa? 

I enjoyed a few High Teas when we had a lovely little tea shop in town many years ago, but then they closed. Blossom and I would go often on her days off work, and I also went with my friend Rosie a couple of times. I have very special memories from back then. When Blossom became a mum we started our own High Teas with her littlies and the tradition will hopefully be passed on when they grow up. 


I hope you're all doing well, and have some fun, relaxing, and refreshing things planned for this week. I'm working on a new design for the Tilda Club (Australia) at the moment and hope to have it completed by Friday so I can start practicing some dressmaking later in the month. Blossom and Rosie are very competent with home dressmaking and they will be ready to help if I mess up or need tips. I was wise and bought three king size cotton bed sheets for $7 at the op-shop, and plan to 'learn' with them instead of spending money on good fabric and possibly ruining it. I'm all inspired by watching five seasons (so far!) of the Great British Sewing Bee.

God bless and take care, be kind, be thoughtful, and shine the Light of Christ in all you do this week. It's an honour to glorify Him. :-)

Hugs

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16 comments:

Anorina @SameliasMum said...

I love that you use an old tea pot for cuttings. What a great idea! I use old glass jars but they do look a little bit messy, so I may need to look out for cute tea pots instead. Enjoy your cool winter days :)

Lin said...

Lovely pretty china Jennifer. I am not a tea drinker at all but I do have my morning ritual with the espresso pot and special mugs. Another great design, thank you. xx

homesweethome said...

A very nice design, Jennifer!

Remembrances said...

I was introduced to High Tea when I was around 11 or 12 years old. We were stationed in Lima, Peru at the time and the father of a schoolmate of mine worked in the British Embassy. As a result, we were treated to High Tea at the Embassy a few times. Where I live here in the U.S. there is a small tea shop in historic downtown and when friends come to visit, I take them there to experience "real" tea. I do drink tea and have several antique tea sets that were handed down to me by my Grandmother, whose family emigrated here from Sweden at the turn of the century. Mostly though, tea is a lost art here I am afraid.

Karin
Phi. 4:13

Joanne said...

Hi Jennifer,
Mondays roll around so fast ! This weeks episode, tomorrow night, of the Great British Sewing Bee transformation challenge will be to transform an embroidered table cloth into a piece of clothing :) ! This will be fun to watch :) How they cut them up will be interesting. I record it then will be watching wenesday.
Tea has so many special traditions and memories. I have a collection of cups and saucers. The cups are displayed in a large glass vase with a larger plate to cover the top to prevent dust from collecting within.
Mugs, cups, collections, they all bring back a cherished memory. It's hard to thin them out. Then I thing of the visual impaired, blind. It must be the feel and shape of the thing that's important.
I leared an important lesson from a friend. It's good to have herbs and spices in different shaped containters to make them easier to tell them apart . Sometimes one doesn't always smell the container before adding the ingredient to the dish. I know ! Cinnamon and garlic ! Now that was a recipe blunder indeed ! Thanks to her for this tip ! Cinnamon in one and garic in another shaped container !
So I should really thin out the collections...make room for new :)
It's great to have friends drop by for tea !
hugs, take care,
Joanne

Susan said...

I am a tea drinker as I can't have coffee due to the acid in it. I have a couple of tea pots. I donated most of what I had to a charity sale. I have used other things for plants, but never thought about using tea pots. Now I will be on the look out for them. Thanks for that idea and also the pattern.

Jenny said...

I love the occasion of High Tea, although I dont go very often, it always makes me feel very special.

Anna said...

I love your blog. I know you are a spiritual person, but I am curious, do you go to church or just study on your on?

Kim @ Purring Cottage said...

I am an avid tea drinker and, like you, when we were homeschooling we often had tea and read-aloud time in the afternoons. While I love and have china tea cups, I rarely use them now, prefering a larger mug (like one from The Rabbit Room - a Christian artists' collective). Usually I have Black Currant tea with my morning Bible and prayer time and in the evenings I enjoy some herbal teas. I hope to grow and create a lot more of my own blends this year. I really like the Literary Teas from Simpson and Vail. They're fun and tasty. I enjoy introducing new friends to them.

Allie said...

Oh I ADORE this block!!!!!!!!!!! I love all things tea, and have several (decaf) teas in my cupboard. I don't use a teapot, although I have some, yours are darling! And I love the tea tin! Tea is my evening drink, especially decaf, it helps me relax.
So glad you got to go to that festival, it sounds fun and informative! Love you!!!!!!!!!!

Mrs. White said...

I love tea time at home. Children and grandchildren can learn wonderful manners at the tea table. They take more time to be careful (with delicate dishes) and to visit kindly with others as they enjoy a treat. God bless you!

Miriam said...

Ciao Jennifer, unfortunately I never went to a tea party or a high tea. I live in the south of Italy: it's easier to have coffee and find everything for coffee. But yes, I like tea, particularly green tea, but also white tea, herbal, roobois and fruit tea. I like teapots and cups. I would like old china, but it's difficult to find second hand or the op shop or charity shop where I live.
Thank you for the pattern .
Have a nice week,
Miriam

Sue H said...

Hi Jenny. I started collecting china in my teens. My grandparents ran a guest house which was filled with beautiful china and hundreds of novelty salt & pepper sets. It was my job during holiday visits to dust them all for a reward of sixpence. When they passed & the house sold, my mum & I kept a substantial amount of beautiful cup & saucer sets & cake plates etc, although we unfortunately didnt have the space to keep one of the 3 complete Meakin dinner sets for twenty which were used daily. Blue for breakfast, creamy yello0w for lunch & pink for dinner. I kept collecting most of my adult life, mostly salt & peppers, reaching some 80 or so. And I have often treated myself to afternoon tea using those cups & saucers. I'm sure the tea tastes better when drunk from those. Unfortunately I had to downsize recently due to ill health & had to donate a lot of my collection except for the most special which hold not just tea or salt & pepper but also precious memories. Thank you Jenny for sharing snippets of your life & your whimsical patterns with us. You are a very special & generous lady.

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy your posts and love your encouraging words about glorifying God. I live in the United States and only recently learned the pleasure of a cuppa. My 86 year old neighbor introduced me to hot tea and now we have our own tea parties as often as we can! We take turns “hosting” and sharing wonderful baked goods! She has been a precious blessing in my life!
Looking forward to your next post!
Janie

Mary-Louise Parker said...

Thanks Jennifer we have sod our camper van! I love tea! And pretty tea pots. Vintage stuff! Plants and cuttings!! Reading. XXMary-Lou

Anonymous said...

Auntie Jennifer, I love your teapot collection. I still have a lot of my Grandma's beautiful china packed away. You have inspired me to find a way to display it so I can actually enjoy using it. My little loves each have their own little teacup and saucer for tea time that they love to use. Their favourite is strawberry tea!
Thanks for sharing beauty! Love Em x