Monday 13 April 2015

Vintage Teacups

 The picture above is of an amazing rockingham teaset, all laid out for tea in the drawing room at speke hall, where we went for a family outing over the easter break........it was a chilly grey day with swirling mists............
 ................there were masses of daffodils growing all the way up the drive......they have three different kinds there.............in the atmospheric tudor hall, which dates back 400 years, the rooms were dim and i was pleased that my teaset photographs showed the pink and white china so brightly........we went there with our dear elder daughter sarah, her hb gareth and children charlie and daisy.........there were crochet chicks to be spotted in some of the rooms and the children were given little clipboards to write them down on, which they loved......
 ...........a window view of  part of the black and white exterior..........and some (fake) battenburg cake which looked surprisingly real and tempting to some of the family.......(we did visit the tea room later for some real tea and cake).............we will be returning there when the weather is sunny to enjoy the gardens and the grounds................
 ...............i have had a rather wonderful week, with treats arriving by post........first i received a parcel from my lovely blog friend madelief........i was so lucky recently to win some of her sweet vintage china teacups, and they arrived safely and perfectly packed.............
...............and then i received some wonderful new fabrics from lecien, to use in my work.......
 .........the floral tea cups and the flower sugar fabrics looked rather pretty together.......
 ...............i am loving the all the bright floral shades so much...........
 ............wondering if i can bring myself to cut into them ever.......
 ............and deciding i might just snip off some small pieces first to make some hexies for a little project (more of this soon)...............there are other lovely lecien fabrics in my parcel which i will be showing in another post....i have a lot of lovely sewing to do :)....
 ...............so, after showing my own treats and giveaways, it is now time to announce the winners of the spring giveaway i held here...........thank you so much to everyone who took part in it, and i am just sorry you couldn't all be winners...............(we will have another giveaway soon, i think).......
 ..............the first winning name was pat hayes of pat's patch........and the two other winners are cristina of my world of wool, and vivienne of green rabbit designs..........congratulations to you all, lovely ladies, and please email me your postal addresses so i can send your birdies flying off to you..........
.............thank you to everyone who visits me here in my little blog space, it is fun to hear from you and to find new blogs, as well as to visit old favourites............i wish you all a very happy week, with plenty of  sunshine and blue skies................back soon xxxxxxxxooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxx

47 comments:

KC'sCourt! said...

Looks like you had a wonderful Easter. I know what you mean about snipping into precious fabrics, its just bringing yourself to take the first snip.
Julie xxxxxxxxx

Sigrun said...

Ah, you where in Liverpool. Beautiful teaset and buttenberg cake! Jam.

I have a teapot with strawberrys, it is so nice.

Sigrun

Things and Thoughts said...

All your images are such a joy to look at! The daffoldis carpet,the beautiful vintage tea cups,those gorgeous fabrics, everything make me smile Helen and give this extra inspiration I need...
Have a wonderful week,
Olympia

Jennifer Hays said...

Congratulations to all of the winners! I loved seeing the Tudor house, Helen. Tudor history is one of my favorite periods to study and read about. It looks like a beautiful grounds with all of those daffodils blooming. Your new fabrics are very pretty. Lecien makes such pretty designs. I only have a small Lecien stash but it's very precious and I use it sparingly and proudly! I hope you're having a good week so far.

Jane said...

What a beautiful tea set and spot Helen. I love afternoon tea in such surrounding...bliss. Well done to your lucky winners and I am so delighted to see Vivienne coming out of the hat, she will be so thrilled. Enjoy this lovely weather xx

Ingrid Orens said...

What lovely china... Don't you think tea (or coffee !) taste so much better when you drink it from pretty porcelain ?

SuperMomNoCape said...

It made me smile to see the fabric beside the vintage tea cups... the colors matched so well! I'm looking forward to seeing your hexie project.

Zwergenwelt said...

Dear Helen,
I see, your Easter time was wonderful. I love beeing in Great Britain in spring; when i was a younger woman, I visited London twice at Easter, it was such a great athmosphere, with daffodils at St.Pauls Cathedral, blue sky and the typically clouds.. so fine.
The new fabrics from Lecien are sooo great, I love them so much, Lecien is one of my favorite after Tilda and Cath Kidston! Best wishes for your sewing projects!
Have a nice week♥, cornelia

Elderberry-Rob said...

lovely tea set and what a lucky win from Madelief! very pretty cups and the fabrics too. Your day out looked like a really beautiful place.

20 North Ora said...

Ooh, those fabrics are gorgeous and so are the tea cups. Beautiful tea setting.

Judy

Unknown said...

Your blog is my favorite in all the world.
Hugs ~ Mary

Anonymous said...

Oh Helen I'm jumping up and down here, thank you so much, I'm beyond thrilled to have been pulled out of the hat! So exciting! :)
I am loving all the pretty china today and it sounds like you had a lovely day out.
Your new fabric is so beautiful too, looking forward to seeing the new projects that you make with it.
Once again Helen thank you, have a lovely week,
V x

Jane said...

Oh wow, the rockingham tea set is so beautiful! I've never worked out why the sugar bowls in old tea sets are so big - I have a Limoges tea set that has a sugar bowl almost as big as the tea pot. Congratulations on your win from Madelief and have a great week. Jane xx

mynestofyarnandbuttons said...

Happy Monday dear Helen! Lovely family outing and what gorgeous tea sets, Makes me want to have a cuppa tea right now. You were a lucky winner and also have some lucky winners from your giveaway, congratulations to them all. Love the fabrics and can't wait to see your creations. Thank you for sharing, xoRobin

Christine B said...

Hello Helen, what a lovely post... the china both at Speke and your china are beautiful. Congratulations to the lucky winners! Have a lovely week! :) x

cristina said...

Wow Helen !!! I have my heart that beats soooooooo strong !!!!! Now I read your blog and what greatest joy !!!! I'm be a wiiiiiiinneeeeeer !!!!! I can not believe it !!!! you have made me soooooooooo happy ...! I am impatient to receive birds or other gift that you give me! I'm happy to be part of your Giveaway! Again, millions of thanks for your generosity and for sharing so many beautiful things !!!!
Have a nice day ...
THAAAAAANKS, HELEN ...

Eight by Six said...

The pink China is adorable, would look lovely with some cute fairy cakes or my Victoria sponge on my blog. So many daffodils, what a lovely welcome too

Brenda Pruitt said...

All so pretty! The teacups and fabrics.
Brenda

GARAGE SALE GAL said...

Very beautiful tea service!!! Love the colors :) Pretty fabrics too!
Congrat's to the winner and Thank you for having the birdie giveaway.
warmly,
deb

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Beautiful tea cups and photos!
They bring such wonderful memories as my grandmother and mother both collected tea cups and saucers. I especially like the ones with painting inside.
About the display...fake cake should be illegal. lol

Carla said...

The prettiest of tea sets! Wow.

Gracie Saylor said...

Cheers for the winners, of your lovely giveaway, Helen; and I am very happy you won the pretty teacups and that you and your family had fun exploring Speke Hall. Thanks for the links to many interesting sites, too! Happy stitching on your gorgeous fabric :) xx

handmade by amalia said...

What a lovely tea-set, Helen! And Battenberg cake as well! It is my favorite, well one of them, and I have the special tin to make it at home.
Amalia
xo

Teje Karjalainen said...

So beautiful Helen! Your NEW Fabrics are adorable and what amazing place for tea! So nice to see the spring flowers. I haven't been out at all because of the busy time and now i see that suddenly there are flowers around. x Teje

Kay said...

I feel exactly the same when I get new fabric! I love looking at them and arranging them so that they look pretty together and I really really have to force myself to actually cut into them. It always seems such a shame. Your pictures are, as ever, very beautiful. How do you get the colours so crisp and bright? I am very envious :-) Kay

Janet said...

I love Speke Hall, although it's been a while since we visited, despite the fact it's only a few miles away. Your lovely pictures make me want to go there again.

Amy at love made my home said...

Such fabulous times you have been having!!! How great is that! So pleased for you. The teacups at Speake and the ones you received are beautiful aren't they! xx

Pat's Patch said...

Dear Helen, I was just thinking about your beautiful tea set and the pretty one you won with all those lovely fabrics and Easter eggs, when I got to end of your post and saw my name - couldn't believe I'd won; I am 'chuffed to bits' thank you so much. And for all your fabulous posts. Love Pat xxx

Annerose said...

Wunderschöne Stoffe liebe Helen, die mag ich auch so gerne streicheln.
Grüße Annerose

claire said...

I don't need to use words - you must know what I think after seeing all those beautiful teacups!!

Frances said...

Helen, this post is truly filled with springtime! Speke Hall looks like a marvelous place to visit, particularly at this time of the year.

Madelief's tea cups and saucers do look so lovely against that assortment of lecien fabrics. I did have a peek at the lecien link and see what a wonderful source the company is Wow.

I know I've said it before, but perhaps this year will be the one when I begin my own hexagon quilting. This technique intrigues me so much!

xo

Thimbleanna said...

Your photos are always so beautiful and cheerful. It looks like you had a wonderful Easter. And then -- the Lecien fabric -- soooo pretty with those teacups. I can't wait to see what you do with it!

Sharon Izzard said...

The fabric and teacups are so beautiful together, maybe there is something you could make with the fabric to use with the teacups!! Sharon x

Lorrie said...

What a stunning Rockingham teaset. The pink is so vibrant.
Congratulations on your teacups from Madelief. They are pretty as can be with your new fabrics. I know what you mean about snipping into those lovely pieces - I like folding and organizing mine.

Gillian said...

Congratukations to the giveaway winners (I missed the giveaway!). I love the vintage china. I have some myself and use it occasionally.

gilly said...

Always so uplifting to visit you here and see your lovely pics and creations. Happy week to you too, and enjoy the sunshine,
xx

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I can always count on happy smiles when I visit you. I just want to walk into your world sometimes! Congrats to your lucky winners. I know they are thrilled! Sweet hugs, Diane

vintage grey said...

Such lovely photos of pretties! I'm loving the new fabrics!! Gorgeous tea cups, too!! Wishing you a beautiful week Helen! xo Heather

Madelief said...

Dear Helen,

Once again I am terribly late replying. So sorry! The teacups I sent you fit into your home and among your colourful fabric perfectly. I am happy to see they arrived all in one piece.

Beautiful photo's of your outing to Speke hall! What a pretty tea set!

Have a lovely weekend ahead.

Madelief x

Winwick Mum said...

I haven't been to Speke Hall for years. I think the last time was on a school trip and I can clearly remember the guide showing us a cat skin patchwork blanket in one of the bedrooms. I thought it was horrible - I didn't like to think of my own cats being turned into a blanket - and hope that they've removed it now! On a happier note, the cups and the fabrics are very pretty and I'm looking forward to seeing your finished hexie result! xx

primrosesattic said...

It looks a beautiful place to have tea. Glad you had a fab day out. Very pretty vintage china and love the colours of the fabrics.
Rosezeeta.

Ella and Nesta said...

All the teacups looks so pretty and the fake cake has made me quite hungry! Missing a proper tea!

Annie Cholewa said...

I wonder, do you know how many quilts you've made over the years Helen? And I think of you as having a very particular colour aesthetic, but perhaps it was not always thus?

Art and Sand said...

your quilt colors...your crochet colors...your garden colors...all amazing!

Robbienae said...

Beautiful tea cups, flowers, and quilting. I adore Lakehouse fabrics! Your work is so inspiring. Thank you.

Unknown said...

lovely tea set and what a lucky win from Madelief! very pretty cups and the fabrics too. Your day out looked like a really beautiful place.
happy wheels
super mario bros
pacman
agario

Unknown said...

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