Seeds

 

Lupine seeds drying in Tasha's barn.

Seed collecting is a time-honored, and time-consuming, process. But rewarding, as are so many old-fashioned pursuits. There is a pleasant beauty one can find in such a task. I have invited Amy Tudor, Tasha's granddaughter-in-law, as I'm sure you all know, to share her process. 

 

Basket tucked under her arm, Amy Tudor collects Sweet Cicely seeds in Tasha Tudor's garden near the lower shed. You can see it is high summer in Vermont, quite literally as the joe-pye weed blooms high over Amy's head, and the many shades of green are almost too bright for one's eyes.

 Amy shows the lupine seeds inside a pod that is ready to be collected. The pods must be collected at just the right time--dry enough, but not too dry, and before they have the time to twist on their own and spray their seeds.

Of course, a straw hat and handmade basket are necessary tools of the trade, as is a quiet stretch of afternoon to escape into the garden without interruption. The seeds are then dried in the sun or the shade of the barn, and sifted through.

They are then hand-packaged by Christina into tiny vellum envelopes reminiscent of Tasha' sparrow post missives, and inserted into our beautifully designed, BRAND NEW, seed packets! They are just darling!

Seeds are AVAILABLE NOW online (though a few are missing pictures, sorry about that!).
Happy Gardening!

Happy Birthday, George Washington!

Oh my goodness! I had this blog post all set to publish yesterday, but please forgive me, as time got the best of me! I am so sorry, but here it is, a day late---Happy Belated Birthday, George Washington!

Today, February 22nd, is George Washington's Birthday, a day that the Tudor family has long-celebrated. The ties of the family to the General are explained by Tasha on page 80 of the Tasha Tudor Cookbook, where she also shares the receipt for her Washington Pie (that is actually a cake, rather like the Boston Cream Pie misnomer!). 

Right now, we have this marvelous image of Tasha's Washington Pie celebration available on our "For Collectors" section of the website! The original watercolor, stunningly framed in museum-quality glass and acid-free materials. This would make a marvelous birthday present for just about anyone in your life! This item was also displayed in the Tasha Tudor Museum's first-ever exhibit, Tea with Tasha.

Have a beautiful Wednesday and George Washington's Birthday (it is also Ash Wednesday!). 

Be well and take joy, 

Natalie

Valentine's Day

Love is my life, life is my love,

Love is my whole felicity,

Love is my sweet, sweet is my love,

I am in love, and love in me.

~Michael Drayton from A Shepherd's Garland
as quoted in Tasha Tudor's All for Love

Happy Valentine's Day from us to you! 

February Fans & Friends

Another "Fans & Friends" post for February! We just have the most creative and wonderful fans. When they tell me of their projects, I just have to ask for photos, and then, of course, I don't want to keep them to myself! 

Here are some projects and fun things we've been hearing about lately, from YOU! 

Rebecca in Pennsylvania decorated some Gingerbread ornaments in true Tasha-style for Christmas: 

 I think they turned out just fabulous! And, of course, I love the red ribbons.

Sweet Joelle from France ordered some of our A is for Annabelle fabric and stayed up the last few nights before Christmas to help St. Nicholas deliver some beautiful doll clothes to her daughter. 

 Sweet dreams are a sure thing under Annabelle sheets and quilts!

 

I just adore this frock and the edging!

 

The sweet bed, all made up in Tasha fabrics.

 

Yet another darling dress. 

Joelle, I think you need to make matching clothes for your dear little girl next!

Patricia in Argentina sent me a lovely photo of her Tasha-inspired baking day...

Patricia, you'd better put a BIG pot of Corgi Cottage Soup on, because I'm coming over for lunch!

 Joyce sent over her absolutely lovely handmade Tasha Tudor doll (such a wonderful job, Joyce!) enjoying a snow lantern:

Snow lanterns are a Scandinavian tradition Tasha has taken into her fold of Christmas magic. The magic is made by packing snowballs, and crafting an igloo with a small space in the back to insert a candle. Aren't they enchanting?

Elizabeth has written an "All for Love" inspired post on some of Tasha's Valentine's Day traditions on the Rare Book Digest.

Amy wanted me to share my own latest personal project. I wrote an article on modest and budget-friendly fashion (though I must warn you it is modern fashions) for Life:Beautiful magazine Winter 2012. If you're interested in ordering a copy, just call me up at the Rookery, as we'll have a few on hand soon! This is a beautiful magazine filled with "Faith for Your Journey" and I think some of you might find it inspiring.

Please continue to send me your photos of your Tasha-inspired projects. We truly just love to see and share them. We've still got a good bit of winter left to work on projects, so I'll expect to see lots of pictures soon :-) 

Be well and take joy! 

~Natalie

New Year

Hello my dear readers! Christmas has almost come and gone (don't forget the twelve days of Christmas start on Christmas, so I won't be taking down my decorations until Epiphany comes this week), and I can hardly believe I haven't posted here since Thanksgiving. We were kept quite busy...here in the office speaking to our lovely fans & friends, opening many delightful Christmas cards you saw fit to bless us with, making toffee & other Christmas treats, collecting new mercury glass ornaments, and so much more.

Before we settle into the New Year, I had a few things I wanted to share with you!

 {2012 Planner from Japan Available Here}

{2012 Wall Calendar Available Here}

Of course, a new planner and calendar are one of the many joys of a brand-new year before us. I just love the fresh start, don't you?

Speaking of new, we have made a few NEW changes to our aprons. I'm sure you'll agree that in this case, new means improved, thanks to our seamstress, Margarita. The detail work is just darling and sure to make these keepsakes.

 {an embroidered 'TTF' for Tasha Tudor and Family, in the corner}

{a beautiful new tag that says handmade in America with washing instructions on back}

And did you see how pretty that fabric is for spring? It's from our A is for Annabelle collection (heading towards being sold-out). 

But our new, NEW fabric from 1 is One is just as charming! Have you seen it?

  {My three  favorites. What are yours?}

But just because we are looking for new, doesn't mean we must disregard old favorites! Traditions are very much a beautiful part of our lives. Marjorie Tudor's collaboration with the Boston Children's Theatre on The Velveteen Rabbit is one such tradition. It was sold out (even with additional shows) this third year running, and will now be an annual Christmas tradition.

{Hannah Tudor, Jen's daughter and Tasha's great-granddaughter, with BCT The Velveteen Rabbit cast members}

We hope to hear from you this new year! We look forward to a successful, joyful, peaceful 2012, and invite you to join us. 

Be well!

~Natalie

Happy Thanksgiving

Dear Friends,

I was over at Tasha's house the other day with Winslow, who said, "I think the new roof looks rather cheerful." Winslow spent the end of summer and the beginning of fall adding new cedar shingles to his grandmother's house, a job that has taken him through summer's high ferns to autumn's bright foliage...and will continue for much longer as he makes his way around the whole house. He posted a stunning photo of the finished portion of the roof in his latest tea story on the website, too!

Beginning the project in August...still lots of green!

The new, finished portion of the roof is indeed looking rather cheerful against a blue November sky. You can clearly see the difference between the new shingles in the foreground and the old in the background.

There are many other cheerful things to be found in the late-November sunshine...

There is a threshold in Tasha's barn where the darkness meets the whiteness in a moment of intense sunlight. The light was so strong my camera couldn't quite handle the contrast! What an uplifting experience to walk from the dark, chilly side of the barn into the warm, bright side.

On the porch, I found the remnants of candle-dipping...a copper pot full of wax candle ends, to be melted and reused next year, and a box (made by Seth Tudor) filled with wax-tipped dipping sticks. 

In the Pantry, beeswax candles lie in a shaker box lid, ready to be our companions for the quiet, cold nights of writing and reading. 

There are a few beautiful yellow ware molds used for Thanksgiving cranberry sauce in the kitchen.The original recipe for the sauce is in Tasha Tudor's Cookbook. Jen Tudor shared some tips on making your cranberry sauce a special success this year. Here's what she had to say: 

"The Tudor family makes Tasha's cranberry sauce each and every year, sometimes not just for holidays! It's tried and true and tradition. However, I couldn't resist sharing some of these flavorful "additions" that you might add to the basic recipe.

- Use half chopped rhubarb and half cranberries.

- Add 3/4 cup honey instead of 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger and a cinnamon stick

- Add 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary while simmering and 1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar at the end.

- Use orange juice instead of water and add the grated zest of one orange.

Enjoy and from my family to yours, have a peaceful and thankful holiday."

(more of Jennifer's Recipes here on our website)

Thanks for sharing, Jen!

As you head into the holiday (I'm sure many of you are busy in the kitchen already!), remember to take a moment and truly be thankful. What gifts of blessed beauty are within reach of grateful hearts...take hold of them.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Natalie

Weekly Planner New from Japan

These weekly and daily planners for 2012 are chock-full of wonderful Tasha charm! I can't wait to start using mine next year! A new calender and day planner are some of my favorite things about a new year, don't you agree?


Published in Japan, with some Japanese text, but mostly just plenty of room to write your appointments. Several full-page photos of Tasha (some you may not have seen before), and adorable illustrations on most pages reflect the seasons. In January, a kitten chases a ball of yarn! Two colored ribbon bookmarks will keep your place. You may wish to write in the days (Monday, Tuesday, etc.), though the weeks all start on Monday and the dates (1, 2, etc.) are printed for you. Sized 6.5 x 4.75 x .5 for the perfect purse or desk companion size.

We have a very limited number of these, so get yours before they sell out {and before it's 2012}!

Order Here!