{Hot Chocolate Tastes Better From an Orange Cup}

• On January 8 of 2013, I came across the following article: Drinking hot chocolate from an orange or creme colored cup makes it taste better...
• So I had to check it out if: Hot Chocolate Tastes Better From an Orange Cup! 
• Out came our vintage Dutch cups & saucers from Potterie de Driehoek and together with our FIRST fragrant daffodils and some DARK CHOCOLATE I made the test, together with husband Pieter. 

• Yes, I did make Hot Chocolate from Dutch processed Droste Cocoa, using Half & Half  (half milk and half cream). No sugar added...
• Indeed, my very first vase with fragrant Sweetness Daffodils. See more about them in links below post.

• Friend Barbara from Switzerland made the brown mug...
• Dark Chocolate is healthy too, so we had to have some!
• The tablecloth has been hand embroidered by my Mother-in-law.
• She made probably hundreds of those on request; she still had a long list when she died at almost 95...

• Sure, some Rose Silverware has to go with this setting as well... that will also add to the taste!
• Silver plate with silver mark: E ST 925 and repoussé roses.
• I placed a crystal bowl on top for the chocolates...

• Alvin Bridal Rose demitasse spoons...
• Okay, go ahead and take some dark chocolate!

• What is your idea about WHAT will make Hot Chocolate Taste Better?

Related link:

{Our 1939 Sweetness Daffodils} previous post by me

{Ehrlicheer & Sweetness Daffodils on my Birthday} previous post by me

{WONDERFULLY FRAGRANT SWEETNESS DAFFODILS} previous post by me

{My Hand Knitted & Hand Embroidered Sweater}

We arrived at that time of year which we call: SWEATER WEATHER. So here I want to show you my Hand Knitted and Hand Embroidered Sweater. I have always LOVED the German, Swiss, Italian style of Hand Knitted and Hand Embroidered Sweaters. But for buying one you need to be a  millionaire. So please view my own humble creation. Below my sweater I will show you two lovely examples from Gorsuch.com, the ones I cannot afford but only dream of.

Photo is taken in May when the Magnolia tree was blooming...

Ajour Knitted sleeves and front, adormed with Hand Embroidery...

Showing you the total sweater...

The sweater also has a total of six cables running alongside the open ajour knitting.

I did add heart shaped buttons...

The back is plain, just in a decorative stitch.

With my guilloché brooch...

Detail of the embroidery in wool.

It was a lot of counting and paying attention...

This was the example I did knit from... following the pattern.

Such a dream from Gorsuch, called Spitze Sweater hand knitted, hand embroidered in wool/silk for only $ 1,818.00

Or this Dornroschen Sweater from Gorsuch for $ 1,498.00 in wool/silk.

Mine is only a very humble creation in comparison!

There are two blog-ladies whom I admire for their knitting of sweaters and such: Anett from Fadenstille  and Marlies from Bergzauber stricken. Both of them no doubt could create such lovely pieces on their needles. 

Of course, there is Mieke from Gebreidesjaals who knits heavenly shawls and stoles in ajour knit with lace patterns. 

Sorry, this is only for the Dutch readers...

Do you knit any sweaters or embroider knitted pieces?

A favorite of many...!

Related articles:
{Guilloché Enamel Brooches, Thimble and Rose Box} | previous post by me

{Mohair blend Peacock-stitch Sweater Knitted by Me} | previous post by me

{AJOUR KNIT JACKET FOR MY NIECE MAARTJE} | previous post by me

{Cotton Ajour Sweater with Lace Effect, knitted by Me} | previous post by me

{30 Years  Ago In My Rose Sweater} | previous post by me

{Angels & Cross Stitch for Christmas}

On November 9, I did already write about Our Living Room ANGELS - CHERUBS that have taken up permanent residence, not only for the Christmas season. All our ANGELS - CHERUBS are the REAL thing, made out of special wood and hand carved in South Tyrol, Italy. So here they are shown once more to you as they sure belong to the Christmas season.

The golden wreath we added for the Christmas season...

Quite an angelic population on our mantle...

From Bad/Münstereifel, Germany I did bring this pure linen cross stitched Christmas bow back home.

The edging of the linen band is done in gold and the hand embroidered cross stitching also used gold for the stars as well as for some contrast stitching.

Hard to capture on photo.

I've just finished a scan from this bow & stars cross stitch pattern, for those of you that are interested in it.

Look for it below and feel free to print it out.

My German friend Marlene, did bring me a second one when she and her husband Egon did visit us after their tour through Mexico.

They are hung each year in the living room from the doorknobs of the oak wall unit.

This is the scan and I put it as a larger size. The width of the linen band is 7 cm or 2.8"

The entire cross stitch pattern is 11 cm long or 4.3" so you can determine the thread count accordingly.

If you love it as much as I did at first sight, okay - here is the pattern for you.

Just a small Christmas gift from me to my loyal readers!

~~*~~

Obviously many visitors loved this... 11,044 views.

Related links:

{6 Antique & Vintage Italian Angels, Cherubs Putti} previous post by me
{Our Living Room ANGELS - CHERUBS} previous post by me
{Our Living Room} previous post by me
{5 Angels - Putti from Italy & Germany} previous post by me

{6 Antique Christofle Knife Rests Griffes Antiques - Antique Claws}

Again I did find you 6 antique Christofle knife rests in the Griffes Antiques - Antique Claws pattern as listed in the late 19th century Christofle Catalog. Catalog page will follow below photos. This rare set was available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics. A very elegant way for protecting your fine table linens from getting soiled. These French Christofle knife rests will for sure be an asset to a fine table setting for that special event. The hall mark bears the antique C C for the late 19th century Charles Christofle.

This is the Christofle Griffes Antiques knife rest.

Table Setting is Cream Color on Cream Color by Wedgwood. ← Just click on the hyperlinks!

We are lucky for having gardenias blooming right now. A nice bonus after such a long hot and dry summer.

Flatware is Gero Zilmeta Menuet 528.

Hand embroidered tablecloth in cross stitch roses is done by me, for my trousseau on heavy rayon damask from 3Suisse France.

View from all 6 Christofle knife rests.

Better view from the sides...

Closeup of an individual Christofle knife rest in the Griffes Antiques pattern.

This is a page from a late 1800s Christofle catalog and to the right, second from top you see the Griffes Antiques knife rest.

The late 1800s C C Charles Christofle hall marks.

Exact same hall marks on my Christofle sugar sifter spoon from 1862. It was a lot easier to capture a photo off this flat handle.

Sorry sold out...

My favorite Christofle (Memoir) book by David Rosenberg.

Indeed, Christofle is still a symbol of luxury and elegance. Since its founding in the mid-19th century. Today as in the past, it has been gracing the tables of emperors, princes, or maharajas, in palaces, on board the Trans-Siberian Railway, Orient Express, or transatlantic ocean liners, or in contemporary restaurants, Christofle continues to make an impression. This great book is available at Amazon.

Related articles

• {11 French Antique 1863 Christofle 4 Boules Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {2nd half of 19th Century Antique Christofle Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {6 Antique French Christofle Coquille Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {12 Vintage 1930s French Christofle Coquille Regence Knife Rests} | previous post by me
• {1862 Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon'} | previous post by me

{My French Linen Angels + INFO for Toile de Jouy Fabrics}

Love to share these darling Linen Angel pillows that hang from a twine on a door knob. They come from France and are hand embroidered. You can order them at L'Ârret Déco France. If you are searching for the authentic French Toile de Jouy fabric, look at L'Arrêt Déco. This is the exact fabric that is used for most of my French Country Style Sachets, Totes and Bags on Mariette's Back to Basics Boutique.

Their website works fine, however they are not set up for deducting the VAT (Value Added Tax) which is not supposed to be charged for countries outside of the European Union! So be aware of that, you always can write them a note for having this amount adjusted for you. Which of the two do you like best?

This is the linen color cross stitch embroidery on pure white linen.
There is a linen twine for hanging and also a heart shaped mother of pearl button.

This one is unbleached pure linen with white embroidery.
Hanging from our bifold closet doors they look really pretty!
Which one is your favorite?

{My Embroidered Roses in 19th Century Danish Pattern}

Just before we came to the USA I had to finish this 19th century Danish counted cross stitch embroidery with roses in 47 colors, on black cotton. It was very hard to see... but I'm often called a pit bull so once I start something I won't let go of it. Easy said for doing this in The Netherlands, where sunshine is sparingly; especially in April. It was meant to be a pillow but after straining my eyes and working so hard there was no way I would use this as a pillow, so we had it framed by our favorite Irok Gallery. ← click it. Scroll down to see the pattern and me working on it and the finished hand made wall hanging framed. All for the LOVE of roses...

It really had 47 colors of DMC mouliné embroidery floss; quite a challenge as it had to be counted on the black cotton and with limited light as the sun is very sparingly in April, in The Netherlands. This was again, like my knitted rose sweater, from the Dutch Ariadne magazine for handwork.
Learn from Mariette
Anyone interested in this antique pattern, I can provide it to you for a small fee.

Danish Pattern by Permin - Copenhagen, Danmark

Here I am, April 1983, still in The Netherlands working on it. Mauzie my Dachshund is in the chair next to me. The sweater I'm wearing is also handknit by me. You further can see the filet lace crocheted curtains that are now hanging in our veranda here in Georgia/USA.

Finished hand made work; framed and haning on the wall in our living room.

Detail of my counted cross stitch hand made work.

Here it hangs on the wall behind my leather chair for reading. On the left you see our indoor shutters folded open.

This you recognize from my earlier blog about: {BOOKS In Our Living Room} ← (click it).