Welcome to 2024
January 2024 has brought with it a calm and purposeful step away from the maddening crowds.
Cold weather set in and I began bundling up in more and more layers to keep warm, drank tea while pots of stock, then soups simmered on the back burners.
Then February, with it's record-breaking heat wave & glorious sunshine and time spent up on the roof deck under the pretence of tidying - here in Toronto!
I've been for real tidying though, too. Decluttering the upstairs in hopes to set up a dedicated studio space to work in finally. It's one of the corners of my days now. There's a slow & steady stream flowing from my home.
Letting Go
For awhile, I rented a garage for my car so I could use my own garage as somewhat of a semi-studio/storage space. Then in April 2023, I lost the garage (the owners moved back) and I was fortunate enough to find outdoor parking during the warm months but in November, I decided to bring my car back in. A lot of things had to go and I carried this feeling into my home for 2024 once that task was finalized during the holidays.
I really enjoy the process of finding things I forgot I had.
The other day, I came across a package of Voile, cotton, originally purchased to make sarongs and furoshiki. Playing with dyes and slow stitching after taking the couture beading course I gifted myself a couple of birthday's ago become a faded memory so finding this provided the push to order the natural dye kit from Maiwa sitting in my shopping cart. I now patiently await its arrival.
Slowing Down
Back to the bolt of Voile. I tore off a strip from the bottom and decided to sew a reusable teabag.
The video below shows the process. It felt good to get my camera out again.
Since filming this, I've designed a light Summer quilt. I found a new sheet set in my closet!
I also made a red pin cushion with some Rose Merry Pop-In's merino felt found in my stash. A few have asked if I'd provide kits so I put some together.
There's just nothing quite like coddling a warm cup of tea and some fuzzy fabric cozily in hand with your needle drawing designs together.
I'm enjoying this year so far. I got the INKbird set up in the roof deck greenhouse so the fig trees and roses should be fine. The indoor Petite Negra is thriving in a sunny South window.
Four Reusable TeaBags in A Kit ($16)
It's been a learning curve getting this set up but I was able to source everything.
I've put quilter's cotton thread in the kit to use in sewing the sides and top hem.
The Reusable TeaBag Kit contains four (4) 3x9" rectangles of Organic White Cotton Sheer Gauze Voile, a sewing needle, four (4) 15" lengths of White Flax - Drawstrings, four (4) Tea Tags, and four (4) 100" lengths of Organic Natural Cotton Thread. Free Shipping.
NOTE: If you have trouble at Check Out, send me an e-mail and we will figure this out together. There's more than one way to do things!
ALSO: See Links below for where to purchase similar supplies if you don't want The Kit and/or have some of what you need already.
- Organic Natural Voile can be found here.
- Large eye sewing needles can be found here. I got mine from Mason Sajou.
- The Linen cord can be found here or at 480 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2B2.
- The Tea Tags were purchased from Spotted ZebraCA on Etsy.
I particularly enjoyed using Cotton Voile for this project because it's organic, so soft and extremely pliable for sewing. It dries fast and has good porosity for brewing loose tea.
I keep my tea bags for dedicated teas. The colours become deeper and richer with each use.