Tea Cozies from Russia and England

When I posted late last night I didn't think I had an entry for this weeks Hospital-i-Tea (http://gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/) "Stitches-for-Tea" challenge. I don't know why, but I totally forgot until this morning that I had these two fabric, hand made tea cozies. I think both are unique and kind of cool! Here they are:

When my husband and I led a group to Russia in 1972 we brought home lots of interesting things. This tea cozy is one of them. It is fabric and all hand stitched. She's holding a tea cup in her hand.

Here she is a little closer so you can see more detail.

30 Photos 30 Days - Day 7

A face only a mother could love!

This pretty little tea cozy was knitted for me by a dear, sweet friend. My husband and I have vacationed at the same Florida beach apartment complex during the same weeks of the summer, along with about eight other families who have also had the same family tradition, every year for 30 years. We call each other our "beach family" and we mean it literally after all these years of watching our children grow up and one by one become grandparents. Now our children come too with their families. Sweet Mary and her husband Glyn were the first people we met that first year and they took us and our children under their wings. Mary is from England and Glyn is from Wales. We've cherished their friendship all these years and consider them to be an extra set of grandparents to our children. Mary brought this precious hand knitted tea cozy to me one Christmas holiday season.