Tea Themed Collections - Linens 'n Things

Yesterday we awoke to approximately 12 inches of new fallen snow.  The local children got a snow day from school, and I hunkered down inside my house too.  It was a perfect day for staying inside to work on my blog.  Below are photos of the snow from both the front and back views of my house, as well the street. Detroit got 16.7 inches which is the 3rd highest snowfall total recorded in the city's history.

Yesterday was Groundhog Day, and the little furry creature was said to have seen his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter. Wouldn't it be nice if getting rid of winter were as easy as a wolf eating Punxsutawney Phil?  ;-)

My linen collection is a natural progression from yesterday's apron collection.  Apron Expert, Ellyn Ann Geisel, has also written a book about linens, but as yet I haven't purchased it.

Tea towels make up the largest part of my tea themed linens.  My favorites are the hand embroidered ones.

~ A few are souvenirs from places I've traveled ~

The tea towel on the right below matches the apron I blogged about yesterday.

I have several tea linens from Sandy Clough. 

The two tea towels pictured below are part of a Monday through Sunday set, and were part of my kit when I sold her products.

Confession... the only tea towels I actually use are terrycloth towels such as the ones pictured below.  

~ Linen tea themed tablecloths ~

I bought the linen tablecloth below at an antique show from a lady who traveled from Connecticut. It is 28" x 30" with a crocheted edge, from the 1920's, and is in pristine condition.

The pretty, lacy teapot/teacup tablecloth below came from Walmart.  When I was doing Sandy Clough home parties, one of the hostesses gave it to me.

Repro teacup carriers/totes.  

Below is what they look like on the inside.  There's a separation between the teacup and the saucer to prevent breakage.  In times past ladies would bring their own teacup to a tea party in a handmade fabric tote because the hostess usually didn't own enough to share.  

Some time ago I bought the pattern to make a teacup carrier, but I've never gotten around to doing it yet.

Below are three large 6-cup teapot 'wrap around' cozies. The one on the right is a Thistledown cozy.

 ~ Small dome-like teapot cozy ~

Below is a 'dome' style teapot cozy.  I had it made several years ago, and the fabric is still available at Hobby Lobby.

Lastly is a Victorian porcelain half-doll tea cozy.  It's a beautiful reproduction.

While not really a linen, I'm including my antique 'Carriage Cozy' in today's post since it's made of fabric.  Some say these were used to carry tea by carriage to a picnic or other destination.  Others claim they were used by the downstairs staff to carry the tea to the upstairs residents.  What a clever way to keep a pot of tea hot in transit.

Below is an inside view of the teapot carrier.  The fabric on mine has been replaced.

Tea Cozies

I love anything that's associated with tea, and there's always  fascinating things to discover, for example tea cozies - or is it cosies?  I guess it all depends on which side of the "pond"  you live.  In the United States we  spell these clever little teapot "jackets"  used for keeping  tea piping hot, a cozy, but I've read the British spell it cosy. 

It was  fun reading the history of  tea cozies.  Apparently, the cozy  became popular in Britain after the price of tea became affordable.  Teapots became larger and larger pots meant finding a way to keep the tea hot. 

The story goes, an early 1800's British farmer mistakenly placed his woolen hat on his teapot, and returned to find the tea still warm - making a hat the first predecessor of cozies! 

Afternoon Tea became popular during the Victorian era [thanks to the Duchess of Bedford],  which influenced the invention of many new tea accoutrements.   The history of the tea cozy may have begun as early as 1660,  but it wasn't documented until 1867, and many surviving antique tea cozies today are from the Victorian Era.   It was inevitable that something would be created to keep the tea hot so  female gatherings in aristocratic closets or bedchambers wouldn't be cut short  before all their juicy gossip had tumbled out.   ;-)

Tea cozies were also a means for Victorian ladies to show off  their needlework skills.  Every style of needlework was used - needlepoint, crewel, embroidery, ribbon work, etc..

Tea cozies flourished, and the craze made it's way across the pond to this country.  They were made from wool, cloth, lace, and some were crocheted or knitted.

I don't have a lot of tea cozies because I  use  tea warmers, but  below are the  cozies  I own.

The first cozy was hand-made by a friend.  The second is a Thistledown "wrap around " tea cozy, and the third is a "dome" tea cozy .

In 2002  I  joined a  local tea society.  I met many wonderful ladies and learned a lot.  One of the ladies in the group made reproduction Victorian porcelain half-doll tea cozies and pin cushions.  Before she moved out-of-state,  the president of the tea society took me over to her house to view her beautiful handiwork.  I purchased a half-doll tea cozy and pin cushion.

Front View

Close-up of porcelain half-doll

Back View

She sits on top of one of my Sadler teapots.  Isn't she lovely?  I'm  afraid of getting tea stains on her beautiful dress if I actually use her, so she just sits  looking pretty!

Antique porcelain half-doll cozies, pin cushions, dresser dolls and boudoir lamps first appeared in Germany as early as 1840.  They were in such demand that they were produced by the thousands, not only in Germany, but in America, Japan, and France.  Some had carefully styled hair wigs. 

 

 

Everything is sewn by hand, and I'm happy to have them even if they aren't antiques.

I belong to a tea-themed E-group called Afternoon Tea Across America [ATAA].  Back in 2004 there was a discussion about vintage teapot carriers or "Carriage Cozies."  I was  fascinated by them.  Imagine my delight when I entered a tea room with my girlfriend in 2005 and spotted one!  Below is a photo of the tea room [Sheila's Tea], which is sadly no longer in business.

 

Gift area of the quaint and eclectic tea room

Below is the vintage teapot carrier.  I've read different accounts for its use.   The term "Carriage Cozy" came about because it carried the tea and  teapot by carriage - perhaps to a picnic.   It is said servants also used this cozy to carry the tea and teapot  from the downstairs kitchen to  their employers upstairs.   The cozy made transport easier, protected the porcelain teapot, and most importantly it kept the tea warm. 

My cozy has been recovered inside and out, but the hardware is old.   Antique cozies would have been filled with lamb's wool for insulation, while the exterior would probably have been tapestry.

My girlfriend thought mine was a purse at first glance... and others think it resembles a bowling ball case!  The interior of the cozy is very soft and protects the teapot, but during Victorian times, I envision tea sloshing out of the spout during transport and making a  mess of the lining.  [If tea was, indeed, transported in the pot.]

This type of cozy is still made in Holland today.  Their website, www.tanmar-teacosy.com  refers to them as "tea cosies with steel frames."  If you have any other information to share about the function of these cozies I would love to hear it.