I love tea sets.

I bought my first set in Buenos Aires. A very sweet full set that has jaunty handles in that wonderful red/orange 1930’s color. My small collection grew from there, many from the early days of Ebay – before it got crazy competitive and I still had the chance to win, and afford, an auction.

My collection mostly includes colorful teapots and sets from the 1930’s to 1950’s (the polk-dot set in the lower right corner, in the above photo, is actually a copy of a Eva Zeisel design from the  Metropolitan Museum). But when I was thinking of designing a tea set textile, I wanted to have a more neutral palette. Having a weakness for stripes, I looked not at my own collection for inspiration, but at traditional blue and brown striped pots and sets.

And where would a tea set design feel most at home? On a tea towel!

One lump, or two?