Proud Mother

I thought I’d share this photograph with you as it’s the first thing I’ve ever, ever, ever sewn.  Well, if you don’t count any of the atrocities that I made at school – which I don’t.  Strangely, my mother still wears the butcher’s apron with the squint pocket but the blouse (I call it a blouse in the loosest sense) ...the blouse has long gone.  Hopefully, it was ceremoniously burnt given that it was the ‘80’s and I’d chosen an off the shoulder/slash neck affair and, after spending HOURS in John Lewis’s fabric department, chose tiger print fabric!!!  What on earth possessed me?!

My latest creation is practical, functional and, I think, beautiful (if you don’t look too closely at the hand stitching, that is!).  OK, OK, it’s a tea cosy but I’m a proud mother showing off her newest child, so bear with me. 

It came about because I recently bought an Emma Bridgewater teapot with some of the money that my very much missed Granddad left to me.  After looking at art and artisan furniture to buy as a keepsake, I realised that none of that would remind me of a working class, miner who lived in a council house, brought up six kids and viewed the arts with more than a little suspicion and trepidation.  So, walking past our local gift shop one Saturday, I spotted an Emma Bridgewater teapot and knew instantly that was the thing.  The kettle was ALWAYS on at Granny and Granddad’s house and he drank tea all day long - the stronger, the better. 

I decided that my very fine teapot should have an equally fine tea cosy.  Clutching a pattern from the internet I went off to IKEA, where Toots and I spent a gloriously quiet Friday morning in the fabric department (I normally only go on the weekend  - I had no idea it could be so relaxed!).    I got completely carried away with myself because I’ve even bought some fabric to make Tootsie a skirt!  (But I'll leave that for another post).

And can I say, my tea cosy keeps my lovely teapot perfectly warm – and when I use them, I always think of Granddad and smile.