Feeling pink

Does pink seem like a spring color? Maybe that is why I am drawn to it lately. Spring is more than a month and half away, especially in Michigan, but we finally had a few afternoons above 32 degrees and I found myself working with pink fabric.

My creation is larger than a placemat, but much smaller than a table runner. It is just what I wanted for the center of my table and will sometimes hold a floral centerpiece or may just be the backdrop for a plate or a ceramic piece. I don't usually work as randomly as this piece. My tendency is to make either all the quilt blocks from the same fabrics, or to make 3 or 4 blocks and arrange them symmetrically. Click on the photo to see a closeup of the fabrics. The brown print has chocolate candies on it while most of the other prints are florals.

The flip side features a deep pinkish-red and silver metallic embroidery. I think it will look better with some of my white milkglass on it, maybe my pedestal cake plate, preferably with a double chocolate cake on the plate!

Blue, not pink

I like pink. Really, I do. But I love blue. Quite a few bloggers participate in Pink Saturdays and I look forward to seeing what they have photographed that is pink. I've been thinking about this all week and realized I only have enough pink for one post. Darn. Hey! I could go stimulate the economy and buy a bunch of pink things! Uh oh....I think Bill heard that. Oh well, I guess I will just show you what I have.

Here we have one pink chintz teapot, cup and saucer, a pair of pink rose candle holders (Avon) and my grandmother's pink glass creamer and sugar that are edged in gold. There is a solid pink tablecloth underneath the white lace one. With yellow walls and blue and white curtains, it looks like a pastel palace, doesn't it?


Here is the same style teapot in blue with matching creamer and sugar bowl and two teacups. Earl Grey, anyone? The silver figurine is called a Bride's Cup. We toasted with that at our wedding. The small cups pivots, allowing you to invert the bride and fill her skirt as well as the cup. Legend has it that the daughter of wealthy German nobleman wanted to marry a lowly goldsmith. Her father refused to hear of it and she pined for her true love. The nobleman thought himself clever and made an offer that he thought he would not have to honor. He said the couple could wed if the goldsmith could design a chalice that two people could drink from at once. This design was his creation. Love, faithfulness and good luck come to those who drink from this cup. So far, so good for us.


If mom and my mother-in-law are reading this, I know I should have ironed the creases out of the tablecloths, but I was in a hurry to take pictures. For the rest of you, those two dear ladies are in Heaven, so sit up straight and be on your best behavior because they can probably see you reading this too. And you over there west of me (you know who you are!) Button up one more button on your shirt while they're here.
Here are the same items on a tablecloth I bought in the Virgin Islands. The men in this house are afraid of it so it is seldom used. It doesn't carry a jinx, they are just afraid they will stain it.


And here we have my current favorites, Polish stoneware. It all began with the bowl that a dear friend sent me. Then that evil TV station, QVC, began featuring Polish stoneware. The producers of QVC put something in my vitamins that made me call and order the pitcher, the basket and a pair of mugs. You may not be big on conspiracy theories, but my vitamins come from Walgreen's, not QVC, so the spell they have on me is huge and much too big for me to fight. There are Walgreen's every half mile or so. Every time I pass one, they send out a subliminal QVC message. Isn't that sad? I fight it off as best I can, but have to appease them once in a while, hence the Polish stoneware purchases.

By the way, do you think Bill buys into that story, or is he just worn down after all these years?

I embroidered the tablecloth when I was still a teenager. It was my first real embroidery project. See what I mean about always liking blue?


Before I go, if anyone thinks I have too much blue, or that I really need some pink so I can participate in Pink Saturdays, or if you just want to stimulate the economy, this set is available at Penney's. On clearance. Go ahead, make my day!