Monday, January 19, 2009

Hotel Silver

When I was seventeen, my sis Billie and I went on a train to visit another sister in Minnesota. Because we were poor as dirt, Mama packed a lunch for our trip up. While there, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes so on the trip back by myself--Billie having had to return earlier for school--I was a little more flush financially cuz I'd had a job while there.

So-o-o I treated myself to the dining car. I don't remember that we even looked in on the way up--we were just a couple of children in a totally new environment--but on the way back, different thing altogether. I was a woman of the world, though hampered by two things--cash and diet--so I ordered tea and toast. That's when I fell in love with railroad/hotel teapots.

Later, in my first real job, I'd lunch at a downtown hotel in Grand Prairie, Texas, and there too tea was served in a nickel silver hotel teapot. Love those teapots!



I found this one at an antique store in Lewisville a number of years ago. Somehow tea tastes better from it.

The outside I keep polished with the hot water/baking soda/tin foil method, but I was having a devil of a time keeping the inside clean, tea being the stainmaker it is. Then I found on the 'net a method which works great: fill the teapot with plain white vinegar and let it sit for 8 hours. (I had to do that a couple of times at first.)

All it needs now is a cozy. Ta da!



As a serious tea drinker, I want easy access to refills. I found the pattern for this cozy online--though I've searched, I'm unable to find the original link. I used decorator fabric for the outer layer, which gives it more bulk than I originally intended, but it works.

Isn't the internet wonderful for answering questions? Not everything works, but this cleaning method sure did. And the tea cozy. Now I'm off to finish breakfast; I've got a pot of tea getting cold!

4 comments:

LITTLESASSY said...

I don't drink tea that often - just a few times a week -- and when I do, it's a nuke-the water-dunk-the-bag arrangement. But I love your cozy and I love your teapot! It makes me think I should dust my teapot off (that Alice gave me as a thank you for working on her wedding) and make a cozy so I can drink more green tea. It looks like a pamper-me sort of thing. Lovely!

Mary Keenan said...

Oh sweetie, we so need to get together for tea! Check out this link - I scored the whole set in the pic in an amazing junk store find after many too-expensive examples, but my mother got just the teapot as a wedding gift and all my at-home cups of tea were served out of it. So hotel teapottyish, yes?

http://www.picquotware.com/

Jean said...

One of my most cherished treasures is a tea set my brother gave to me from his trip to London. I mistakingly thought they ate crumpets with tea as I asked for a tea and crumpet set. The lady at the shop must of thought my brother a bit silly asking about it. The set is a beautiful creamy white with a fox hunt scene and gold gilded edges. Most prominently displayed on my shelves by the big picture window.

TexNan said...

Love your set, Maire! Boy, I wish I could go to your junk shops; I think if I could travel the world I'd visit junk/charity/thrift shops wherever I went. Wish I could share a pot of tea with you as well.

Daisy with your skills you could make a darling cozy. I like holes for the handle and spout. Never said I wasn't lazy.

Jean, get that pot off the shelf and make a cuppa, whydoncha? (How about a potta?)