Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Vintage Tea Towel Tuesday (and a wonky little give-away)


It's o.k. you're not seeing double. There's two of them. If you look closely though, you'll see that they are not identical. For starters the tt on the left is made of cotton, the tt to its right, pure linen.

Imitation, the sincerest form of flattery...

The colours of the linen tea towel are much brighter and fresher than the one made of cotton...the linen tt is the real deal, cotton's trying hard, but not quite pulling it off. It's the poor relation from the wrong side of the tt tracks.

There's something else too. See


Posh tt was made to celebrate the centenary of the Mt. Lyall Mining Company (not the centenary of the Mt. Lyall Disaster, which will be commemorated in October this year - an interesting and poignant read if you've got time)

Queenstown is on the West Coast of Tasmania, 250kms from Hobart. It was developed to service the copper fields of Mt Lyall, but there's alot more going for it which you can read about here, it sounds like a lovely place to visit.


Right, that's it. School's out. I bought these tts from the same op-shop, with twenty two others (I know!) most of them from the U.K. and all in the most beautiful, never dried a dish in their lives condition. It was a good day.

Most of you know I never use my vintage tts. Sacre bleu! That would be akin to selling my children! (although I'd give them away at the mo!) So would you believe it if I told you I attacked these two with a pair of scissors? And my sewing machine? Well (in a moment of madness) I did. Think I'm fibbing? Here's proof

Ta - daaa!
bit cutesy perhaps, but no mind...
(check other ta-daahs at Lakota's)

my first ever frill
(can't believe how easy this was!)

pocket detail - this is a beautiful vintage Italian handkerchief from the 70's

See, I did it!
And I'm giving it away!
if you don't like the apron you can always unpick all the extras and you've got yourself a vintage tea towel.
If you'd like it, just say so in the comments. I'll choose and announce the winner (and I say that tongue-in-cheek - I'm no sewer!) next Tuesday. See you again then.
and I'll chuck in some other vintagey bits I think the winner would like too...


x



  p.s. inspiration from



p.p.s. I received a lovely little note from Janet Lee about my paint-by-number makeover which was very nice, don't you think...

22 comments:

  1. Wow gorgeous apron! looks so special and you will get to see your tea towels everytime you wear it :)

    Bee happy x

    PS well done on the frill, I just adore frills :)

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  2. I LOVE what you've done with the tea towels. I was drawn to the Queenstown ones seeing as Queenstown is our favourite place....although that being the one in NZ & not Tassy! You are so clever to make teatowels wearable....I especially love the doily pocket detail. It looks mighty fine on you with those boots! Xx

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  3. How nice to receive a note - thats awesome. Your tea towels slash fandangle apron are equally as awesome! Can't believe you would want to give it away! But hey, seeing as you are - count me in! I would send a nod across the land to you everytime I popped it on to bake a chocolate cake. x

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  4. OMG, Kylie, it's MAGNIFIQUE. I LOVE IT! For God's sake, I need to know how you did it. Please, please do a quick tutorial. You are a genius, but then you know that already.

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  5. How clever are you!! This is such a cute idea and your handiwork looks lovely. 24 TT's in one go - how do you find them! Seems a bit daft for me to be sending you another one but I'm banking on your not having another like it!

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  6. That is a seriously CUTE apron! I love it!!!

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  7. Ttowels are a not so secret vice. But I use mine. My current addiction started when I wore out a couple of Australian ones last year. My Auntie who lives on the Gold Coast gave them to me as a wedding present back in 1981.

    The towels lasted longer than the marriage.

    but the loss of the first towel made me realize how long they'd lasted. So the hunt began. I'm up to a total of 72. I keep telling the husband they'll be used. Well maybe by my grandchildren.

    But wonderful idea with the apron.

    Could I bribe you? Vintage Canadian one....

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  8. What a great idea and a job well done :)

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  9. How cute to use the handkerchief and doily for detail!

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  10. For a minute there I thought it was from Queenstown in NZ :)
    I adore the apron you have made Kylie, count me in.

    x

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  11. OH cutesy to the max, just adorable, love Posie

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  12. Pretty special handiwork, Kylie! I'm with Dana , the pocket detail is lovely!

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  13. Well done with the sewing - it looks great!

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  14. Fancy finding two the same...well almost the same. Good use of them too especially as it is rare you part with them. xx

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  15. I thought it was a skirt at first! What a fantastic idea - it looks great. I love the details too - they match so well and I love the hanky.

    Nikki x

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  16. Wow Kylie you're on a total crafting roll at the mo! This is very cute (thought you'd made a skirt at first!)
    x

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  17. I collect tt's too! Can I join in from the UK?

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  18. This is sooo cute! well done you with the frills, I've never been brave enough to try them xxx

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  19. bravo, kylie!
    now please add this to your shop and i pre-order.
    i want a vintage lvv in my {still-not-resurrected-but-toilet-being-installed-what????-like-right-at-this-minute-house-filled-with-testosteron) kitchen. (in a corner of the BIG room is a second downstairs toilet - promise - out of cooking's way).
    but really! bravo on the apron.
    what can i say? i want to buy one!
    n♥

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