Enjoying Fall With Transferware, Victoria Magazines And A Culinary Flop!

 

Hello! It's half way through October already, which is so hard to believe!

It has been a strange normally not normal month so far... you know what I mean...

including a troll attack on Facebook, medication adjustments for my Honey, and generally just reminding ourselves it's day by day....

We have been having... finally... some seasonable rain and cloudy, foggy weather, so photographing has not been best.

But it has been a comfort to have a cup of tea and relax at times with the joy of perusing past Victoria magazines...

A new addition here are some transferware cups and saucers in  of my favorite pattern of Tonquin from the 1960s from Royal Staffordshire, England that was designed when the famous Clarice Cliff was art director. Quite traditional and different from her better known modernistic Bizarre lines, but just gorgeous ironstone transferware.

The pattern was made in several colorways like red, blue, green and brown.

The pottery was included in the Shorter group and A. J. Wilkinson as well as the Newport Pottery and was acquired by Wedgwood in 1965 when the pottery basically disappeared.

And of course, a teapot! Another new-to-us item is this 1950s Johnson Brothers Wakefield ironstone teapot under their Windsor Ware line.

The hand colored on brown transferware design features different cottage garden flowers.. so pretty!

Johnson Brothers is another pottery begun in the late Victorian era in the Stoke-on-Trent area in 1883. The pottery survived both World Wars but, like many area potteries, had difficulties in the 1960s and were acquired by Wedgwood in 1968. In 2003, all production was moved out of the UK... sigh... and the brand, along with many in the WWRD or Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton comglomerate were acquired by Fiskars in 2015.

This cutie is a hot water pot, but mostly used as a teapot, in the Ye Olde Inne design made by Royal Winton Grimwades, England in their hand painted Rubian Ware cottage ware line from the 1930s.

The pottery, most famous for their wonderful chintzware, has survived since 1900 through several family changes and fluctuating fortunes, but is till in operation in the UK, although this line has not been made since the 1950s, and is very collectible.

And then there is.... my flop!

I was intrigued by a recipe for pumpkin scones using self rising flour and English lemonade... 7Up... so tried it... and it flopped! So not even giving you the recipe. A disappointment. Did not like the texture... which was softer than an English scone and more like a European scone. Anyway, not my best experiment!

I found this wonderful October's Party poem by George Cooper in a book a few years ago and want to share it with you as I did enjoy it, and remember reading it as a grade school student. I hope it mirrors your own experience and brings a smile and a sense of peace to you!

 

October Arrives, and September Departs With Tea, Of Course!

 

October quote from Tea Time magazine

from Anne Of Green Gables

As usual, my old Victoria, Tea Time and Country Home magazines and Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady has been a companion at teatime respites...

as the last weeks have been difficult with the smoke, and adjustments in medication for my husband's degenerating Parkinson's Disease. A moving target, at best.

We also had to say farewell... from a masked safe distance, to our daughter and son in law, who were returning to Utah for the winter, to return in early March. They have done extensive work this summer on the property they bought last year in preparation of building a house. Roads are in, septic system installed and electrical hook ups are complete, as well as fencing and gates.

Next year it's well and build.

We had a fall themed tea in the sunroom...

It's an autumn themed tea time today....

I am using my family 1950s Arzberg, Germany unnamed pattern china that my parents brought home from a convention/international meeting in Munich...

I do love the fruit and nuts....recently I found some pieces of the same pattern which I don't need, so will be adding the to my shop Antiques And Teacups as soon as I can...

Joining me on the tea tray is a cut little pewter squirrel candle holder my daughter gave me one year...I just love him...a good companion...

Was not able to bake, so got some nice autumn cookies delivered with our QFC grocery order...

We drink green tea every day, and recently decided to try 2 new Harney & Sons flavors...today's was Blueberry Green tea sachets...

but I found it a bit strong on the blueberry and will be going back to our usual loose Tropical Green from Harney.

It was quite strong smelling...the mail box smelled like the tea even inside a tin in a box! Actually, I thought it smelled like an artificial grape smell, which I don't like, but despite the smell, it does taste like blueberries and vanilla and is quite nice...

and brews a delicate pale straw color as you can see in this photo...So grab a cookie and a cup, and it's so nice to have you for tea! We have remembered to rejoice in our blessings and live one day at a time, trusting in the grace of God! Can't get any better than that!

We are hoping for a more peaceful October, more normal... that is, if there is a normal these days!

Lol!

I did a collage of orange themed items from Antiques And Teacups to start October with.

Wishing you a lovely, colorful autumn week!

September Progresses With Smokey Skies

Autumn blessings to you...and welcome!

The last few days have been difficult, with temperatures in the 80s... which is hot for us here in the Pacific Northwest... with the addition of lots of wildfire smoke from Washington and Oregon which will not clear out without a wind change and some rain. 

But...

I am sharing an autumn tea time in the sunroom,

mixing last elements of summer and autumn things as the season definitely has changed here...we are in the 40s in the morning...

I needed something with a bit of color for a back ground, so added a polychrome transferware charger I have...

The pattern is called Rural England. I love the mill and stream and the flower border...

The plate was made in the 1930s by Midwinter. Midwinter was acquired by Wedgwood in the early 1960s, and did some great mid century modern designs in their Stylecraft line...very groovy, and very different from this earlier design. If you have visited the blog often, you know Wedgwood has gone through several shuffles and is now owned by the Danish firm Fiskars...always interesting keeping up with the potteries...

This teacup is where my end of summer comes in...the Hydrangea patterned Summer Glory Chintz by Shelley...you knew I get a Shelley in here somewhere...

This Summer Glory teacup is from the 1950s, and is the ivory colorway...which I have never thought a good name for the color, but...

the interior is pale yellow. I would call it a pale peach or apricot, but that's just my opinion. The pattern number is 13648, and it is in the Ripon shape. 

And we need at teapot, so here is a 1950s Sadler pale yellow and gold large teapot....

This one has rather fancy gold flowers with heavy gold outlining. Cool! Lots of tea for everyone!

And for the tea...Republic of Tea's Cuppa Cake Tea Caramel Vanilla...a flavored black tea that is a lovely dessert tea...

I have other teacups for you...this is a teacup trio with an autumn leaves design called Windswept...

The bone china pattern is 1950s as well, with pink and grey green swirling leaves. The set is by Tuscan made by Plant. Later marks from the late 1960s-1970s use the name Plant Tuscan. The company has had it's share of changes, as all English potteries have. It was amalgamated into Wedgwood in 1972, and then permanently closed in 2006. I think Fiscars has all the patterns, etc, but whether the name will ever be resurrected is doubtful.

For a trea for tea, I have some Maple leaf shaped chocolate cream biscuits. During the couple of weeks prior to becoming ill with the smoke, we had friends send us these biscuits from Richmond, BC...a favorite... knowing we coud not get together cross border in Victori, BC as we have in past years. 

So sweet!

They are delicious! 

Also in Victoria, BC a few years ago I found this little cookbook by a Victoria author called Sarah's Tea Time by Sarah Amos.  Sarah is a Brit now living in Victoria. Besides lots of recipes it includes her lovely tea time drawings. Charming!

I am hoping the smoke will soon disperse... we are at unhealthy air... 93 out of 100 and are really hibernating with air purifiers on in the living room and bedroom, and medications on a strict schedule and basically hibernating.

My heart breaks for friends in California and Oregon who have been forced to evacuate. 

Please stay healthy and stay safe!

Official First Day Of Autumn, Imari Sunroom Tea, Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Today is officially the first day of autumn, although it has been autumn here for the last week or so... morning fog, cooler nights, some rain and leaves in wonderful colors beginning to litter the ground as we walk daily.

It was also the release of the Downton Abbey movie, but haven't seen it you. I do a collage of Imari china in honor of the movie from my Antiques And Teacups shop. And the colors are so perfect for fall!

You might remember my computer woes... I had gotten it back after a week at a tech's after a Windows update caused it to crash just before we were due to leave on our annual break. And it still was not working... no access to photos, camera or files, and generally still a mess.

So a week ago I called someone else...and they came TO me... we had to take the hard drive to the previous, not good with my tendonitis and my husband's Parkinson's Disease...spent time to see what the problem was, took the hard drive, had it overnight and brought it back the next day.

They had to remove everything the last guy had done, reinstall and update everything.

BUT, everything now is working again! I have to learn the new Windows 10, but it works!!!!

But have not had time to a post for today, so this is old and new!

I had forgotten about this 1970s Arthur Wood, England fruit pattern teapot, so brought it out for tea...

The large 40 ounce teapot has different fruits on each side... apples on one side and a pear and grapes on the other.,,, very autumn!

The pattern is signed, but I can't quite make out the designer... George something...

Arthur Wood started in 1904 from a branch of the prolific Wood pottery family in the Stoke-on-Trent area.

They went into administration in 2003, and were sold to Rayware Ltd., producing kitchenware and household goods.

They have continued to use the Arthur Wood (and Price Kensington as well) but many are no longer made in the UK but are made in China or Indonesia.

The number on this pattern dates it to the late 1970s.

I am looking at fall magazines I have from past years... this is a UK Country Life from 1998 that features autumn gardens.

I found some Pumpkin Scones...my first dive into the plethora of pumpkin treats this time of year...except, of course for the pumpkin spice teas I have been enjoying...

And my autumn teacup is a Victorian era Sutherland Imari teacup trio in an unusual colorway.

The term Imari was taken from the colors of the Imari region of Japan and adopted by English potters early in the Victorian era.

This is unusual because the lime green is dominant with the sepia or reddish brown transfreware with deep cobalt blue and lots of gold.

I love Imari, and Violet, Dowager Duchess of Grantham had several different sets of it through the Downton Abbey series...I'll be looking out for it in the movie, which I have heard has lots of tea scenes.
Imari was popular until the 1940s in one form or another, but was not considered "modern" enough following World War II.

These autumn cookies I made recently are an old recipe I got when we were first married 42+ years ago from a can of Libby's Pumpkin Puree...although I now use an organic brand from our local organic market....They are a perfect fall treat! here is the recipe which I stumbled across online...just the same as my can label!

Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Glaze (recipe follows)

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.  Makes 36.

BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

FOR GLAZE:
COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.

How cool is that!?!  And we just finished off our half of a batch I made...froze the other half. How long they will stay frozen, is another question...lovely with a cup of tea, Chai or not!

I'll leave you with this photo I took this week outside our organic farm market, Sunny Farms. So much joyful color!

Have a lovely week and enjoy autumn in it's glory!