Lovely Handmade Tea Towels and Cherry Jam

I went on a little get away last weekend to visit one of my besties in Des Moines, Iowa.  Michelle and I have been friends for 14 years.  We were neighbors when I lived in Des Moines in the early 2000's.  Our girls are the same age and played together often.  I also got in a nice dinner and drinks with my Jr. High (middle school) pals from the early 1970's.  We fell right back in like no time had gone by.  They had the same laugh and mannerisms.  I notice mannerisms so often when I'm with people I haven't seen in a long time.  The way they move their mouth when they talk.  The hand gestures and the sound of their voice.  It makes me so warm and fussy inside! 

I can't imagine what life would be like without my gal pals.  It's not that I have tons of them, but the ones I do have are cherished beyond belief.  They accept you for who you are and don't try to change you.  They are there in times of joy and great sorrow.  Good friends are crucial for my well being.  I'm a hard woman, ask anybody that knows me.  Loud and opinionated with balls of steel!  But, if you and I end up pals.....I'm loyal, loving and very fortunate, indeed, to have you in my life.  It takes great effort to be a friend.  If you put forth that effort, so will I.

I actually know of a few girls that don't have girlfriends!  I can't comprehend that.  They have acquaintances, but not a single "girlfriend" to share laughter and tears with.  I give every soon to be bride one bit of advise.....don't give up your girlfriends when you marry.  If you don't have any, get some.  You're going to need them.

Well, I digress.  Sorry about that.  On with the tea towels!

Aren't these lovely?  I just had to add some real cherries.  The crystal dish is actually for olives, but I love the skinny single look.  Des Moines has a lovely East Side that is getting better every time I visit.  More shops, bars and vintagey little stores with all kinds of goodies inside.  I had to have these tea towels from a little shop called Porch Light. Very vintage looking, but new and sturdy.  The tea towels that is!

I love the rick rack and crochet edge.  You could so do this easily yourself, but I had to have them.  As much as I would like to give them as a gift, I'm keeping them for myself.  I'm not going to worry about getting them dirty, or if the edging comes off after washing them several times.

Four towels in a beautiful "envelope" for $24.00.  The fabric is by Moda....need I say more?  I just LOVE so many of Moda's line of cotton.  If you look close, you can see a little fork attached to the hang tag.  Each towel has a ribbon sewn in the corner to hang it from a hook.  I myself, drape them on the oven handle.

The fabric used for the envelope is my fav, but they all are lovely.

Nice and thick.  One could easily use them for something other than drying your hands.  Make slip covers for your couch pillows.  Sew up a cozy for your mixer, toaster or tea pot.  Toss them on the back of your sofa where your head rests.

Kate Shaw owns Porch Light in Des Moines, Iowa at 526 East Grand Ave.  She has a great eye for all things vintage.  Her slogan is, old time is divine.  Love that!  

Here are some more designs to choose from.  

I love the texture of these.

I'm a sucker for a nice hankie!

Gorgeous little plastic totes!

Darling little books.

How cute are these bibs?

Kate was lovely.  Greeting you warmly as you came in.  Leaving you be to browse and take in all the vintage goodness!  I like that.  She has tons of yummy, retro goodies.  I have three or four shops in Des Moines that are always on my list of "must see" when I visit.  Porch Light is one of them, so if you find yourself in Des Moines, be sure to pop in and see all that Kate has to offer.

Speaking of cherries...made some jam from the cherry tree in our back yard.  I think I cooked it too long as it needs to "slack out" on the counter when I want to slather it on toast.  The plate is not actually a paper plate.  I love these and picked them up on a trip to Texas last spring.  Nice and thick, but look like a real paper plate with little bees on them.  I also have a stack of plain ones.  Amazon.com has them.  They are called "What is it" reusable paper plate.

 Really cute with cherries and polka dots!

Love these colors!

Little ants....funny!

Ok, that's it!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Best,

Sheila

Yarn tip:

To keep track of washing requirements on hand knit socks, put in a row or two of color coded yarn in the toes.  

Red=hand wash, dry flat

Yellow=machine wash, dry flat

Green=machine wash and dry
Food tip:
When you make deviled eggs, after you pour out the hot water, shake your pan back and forth so the eggs crack against the side, then let the cold water run over them.  By doing this, the cold water gets under the shell.  When you peel them, presto, the shell comes right off!