Mending as art, and another birthday

First, vital, today is the birthday of -- New Jersey!! 

We're known as the Garden State. Should be the Sagittarian State. Sags rule. And NJ Sags rule even more.

Onward, now that that's established, to humble local artworking. 

This is the tea tray you've seen many times bearing various afternoon teas. 

I originally found it in the street in western Princeton. It had been left by the recycling truck, sheet iron not being what they collected. 

At that time it was decorated with a stuffy faux colonial painting, not my taste. So I enameled it white, touch it up now and then, and it's the best tray ever. 

Big enough to set everything out, sturdy enough not to bend when it's loaded. The main area is 20"×9+. This is much better designed than your average teatray.

And I've never bothered to make cloths for it, just folding up a handy napkin, which never fits right. So, in anticipation of a long winter when I'll be seeing a lot of it, I'm thinking about sewing a few cloths, maybe patchwork, maybe leftover fabric bits. 

I remembered this idea which I have vaguely thought about for ages, when today's issue of Tatters came, featuring this artist. 

She makes repairs into art -- you'd like her, Mary -- and loves slow process stitching of all kinds, quilting, too. It's not about just producing things so much as putting together old and new fabric and their associations as art.

Like this

I have quite a few donated linen sample squares, and silk samples, cotton, all kinds of scraps which might live well together and be a pleasure to see every day. Just when you're needing a cup of tea is a good time to see this kind of thing.

First I have to finish the underwear I got diverted from with health things, couldn't settle to stitch. But now I can. Today should do it. It's not every lady who has matching tea napkins, those yellow ones, and underwear. You just never know!