Tea towels and Lovely Things

Good morning! It's another grey, damp day today, the view of the hills from the Attic24 window is still gorgeous but oh I am disappointed with the weather.
Yestderday it rained on and off all day, we spent a delicious few hours up at Lovely C's wonderful farmhouse, C and I sat in the kitchen nattering, drinking coffee and eating flapjack while the Little People ran round outside, went to feed the chickens and collect the eggs, and bounced on the trampoline. Even when it rained they refused to come inside, they were so excited to be let loose in someone else's garden. What a thrill, bless 'em.
Late afternoon after being home and stuck indoors for a few hours we decided to go out regardless of the wet stuff. We pulled raincoats on and went on a little expedition up the road to the small woods at the top of the park. I wanted to gather some small branches for a Project I'm working on :: yes, branches indeed, how mad am I? Now that's gonna be a good show n tell when it's finished, bet you can't wait to see what loveliness I'm gonna be making with wet soggy branches?!
It was fun :: the Little People rose to the challenge and I ended up with an armful of twigs and sticks, some very small weeny, spindly ones (Little Lady's offering) and some big, fat, dog-chewed ones (Little Man's contribution) which had to be discreetly slung back into the undergrowth. But there were some that I think will be just right for The Project. Oh the intrigue!
So anyways, on with today. My bloggy contribution today is a bunch of Lovely Things that I've been meaning to share with you for a while, ie recent purchases. The last couple months, in various locations, I've been indulging in Retail Therapy my friends. J and I have since had words, and I've been asked to Restrain Myself henceforth into the month of August (good job twigs are free then), but it was good fun while it lasted, this little spending spree of mine.

As you will already know from this post, Retail Therapy for me usually includes tea towels, and four new beauties have joined the ranks :: the two on the left (above) are Greengate and came from the Girls Own Store, and the two on the right were in the Cath Kidston sale when I visited the York store last month.

So they've joined the stash, and I now have about 19 tea towels I think. However, last week when I was stroking and photographing them (as you do with tea towels), I had this Eureka moment :: I layed them all out on the floor and decided there and then that they would make the PERFECT quilt. Nothing elaborate as I have never made a quilt before, but I thought simple squares, as beautifully demonstrated here and here, can be very effective. You see, I am not daft. By turning towels into a quilt, I have a sewing project, a lovely quilt to drape over the second sofa downstairs, and furthermore, a valid reason to buy more tea towels when our existing ones have all been chopped up. Three ways a winner.

Gosh, I am rambling this morning aren't I? Need to be a bit quicker with this blogging lark cos today we need to be somewhere at 10am. Yikes. So speeding on :: more new household kit following a trip to Sainsburys :: Sarah Smith dishcloths and some scrumptious new scourers. Ooooo the pleasure!

A tin of pins (CK) and some lovely ribbon....

.... a vintage tin, again from the Girls Own Store, the one that caused much shaking of the head by J who thought £5 was a criminal amount to pay for a rusty old biscuit tin. Hmmmm...

.... a dinky little old stool from an antiques market (can't you just see the shaking of the head getting more vigorous? Men don't understand the words Vintage and Distressed do they?)...

...some pretty paper lanterns to hang in the kitchen....

...and a rosy lampshade for the bedroom, both from Girls Own Store again (how I love that shop for providing the perfect Retail Therapy Experience).

Phewwwww, spent out now. Thanks for coming along with me, hope you enjoyed the therapy. It's been a pleasure sharing it with you.
Same time, same place tomorrow? Its the big Ripple Reveal, so see you then? xxx

Comments

[Kelly Paquet]

I enjoy your blog so much, Lucy! I discovered it only yesterday,and I love it! Your work is So colorful, and I enjoy reading your fun and helpful thoughts. You cheer me right up and make me want to crochet again! I lived in Wales, U.K., for a year and a half, many years ago, and spent some time in England, too,so your blog also brings back lots of good memories of the lovely women I met there. One of them was a particularly good crochet-er, too! T
hank you for sharing and teaching - I am grateful!

[Penny Morrison]

okay, so I am completely behind the times in commenting since I'm just now allowing myself to linger in your past blogs and enjoying it so much!! Tea towel quilt!! You are simply brilliant with your ideas! I thought I was the only person with tea towel love- -but now someone else who appreciates their beauty and fun! And a quilt- -ohhhhh, I must think of making one too!!

[Trampolines]

Fantastic post. Your post was that great, keep it up.

[tea towels - Karen Phillips]

What a lovely post. I love the images of bright and cheery tea towel piles! Very pretty.

[Keryn]

I have a stool just like that. Bought at an antique/secondhand shop in the 19070's. It desperately needs a paint but it is so handy.

[Jeanette]

Have you started that quiilt-----would love to see it ---it will be fantastic South Australia Australia

[betsy]

I too love to collect tea towels but unfortunately I use them and display them

[Chris]

I agree- your teatowel collection is lovely and would make a beautiful quilt!

[Lisa]

Everything is so lovely. You have just the prettiest things.

So happy I found you from Funkymonkey.

Will be looking over your blog with my cup of tea.

Lisa
Knitty, Vintage and Rosy

[claire]

Well what could this mysterious twig project be?? Im intrigued.
What a fab idea for your tea towels, I must say you have a gorgeous selection, mine are definatly kept out of pics...lol......your fish cake post made me so hungry but as we are moving Sat I'm running down the food so it was a choice between fish fingers or hot dogs, hmm not quite the same effect......Claire x

[claire]

Hi
I found your blog today and I have lost about 4 fabulously enjoyable hours reading it from start to today :)!!!
Beautiful pictures - love everything :) I found myself nodding in agreement all the way thru - thats what I love about blogland - people who get you!!!
Thank You for sharing your life x

[Joanne]

Love the teatowel's, love the idea of the quilt even more. My favourite item has to be the tin of pins, I've gotta a thing for tins.
Oh and just to let you know, we are going to visit West?Bay during the week so I'll throw a pebble for you.

[Debbie]

I love the teatowels too. I can't say I own that many and the ones I have are certainly not pretty. I may take a leaf out of your book Lucy and start my own collection.
P.S. I will be trying your fishcakes next week. I too have a weekly menu and this is one that is definately going to be tried. Please keep your recipes coming as well as your glorious photos. Every morning when I sit down to my desk at work I take a look at your blog with my first cuppa of the day and it certainly brightens my day!

[Anna]

Yup, tea towels are definitely a Good Thing. And I think they can be filed under 'Household Essentials' or similar too..great quilty idea.
See you tomorrow!x

[Fiona]

Ooh your teatowels are gorgeous. I definitely need some new ones! I love the sound of the teatowel patchwork and I'm very intrigued by the twig project.

[Fi]

Hell! It's scarey how much we have in common sometimes! I too have the CK tea towels and the pin tin. And one of my current projects is a patchwork quilt for my daughter. Nothing fancy, just squares, but its all planned, the fabrics photograghed and worked out on the computer. It's just on hold for the moment while I make a wedding garter for a friend. Love your blog Luce, I want to come and live next door, so we can compare projects!

[kathy]

Hi, Love the tea towel collection; gorgeous colours. You just can not beat a bit of Retail Therapy! I too have the lampshade and lanterns (Girls Own Store) and they hang in my studio. Thanks for the recipes; the fishcakes and cheese crumbley thingies will be made whilst we visit "Havana" the caravan next week...so sorry, but more rain then!! Kathy

[kim]

At last a reason for my ever increasing tea towel stash - THANK YOU! Definitely a man thing, Mr Ragged Roses just shakes his head in despair most days too!
Kimx

[Ange]

Think the quilt idea is GENIUS! 3 ways a winner as you say! Plus, the gorgeousness of the tea towel quilt will be out for all to admire!
Wanted to say thanks for posting so regularly during the hols - it's keeping me cheery at work whilst my little man is away at his Nana and Papa's.
Ange
xx

[Gill]

You put my collection of tea-towels to shame! Such bright colours and you're right they'd make the perfect quilt :)
Your regular posting also puts me to shame, I've been extremely neglectful of my blog recently.Have a lovely day.

[Sarah]

the quilt idea is GREAT! can't wait to see it! I love my CK teatowels but having seen your collection I might branch out into different patterns... :-) ver ver intrigued by the twig 'thing' :-)

[simone]

Can't wait to see the twiggy project! I love all the tea towels and the groovy scouring pads. I must admit that I am with J on the rusty old biscuit tin! Looking forward to the ripple reveal tomorrow!