Double Cup Tea

One cup artistry, one cup activism.

[doublecupteas]

Stitchbook In Progress

SEPTEMBER 04, 2017

I draw a lot of inspiration from car-ride-conversations with my dad. This one's stuck with me a long time. The idea was "Stripped Teas" a tea brand that showcased all natural teas, but in strip tease form. The pun was amusing, but I began to consider the project more seriously last year. I imagined vividly a tiny burlesque in a cup; figures elaborately dressed in tea leaves would hit the water and transform, the leaves dispersing and floating away to reveal bold illustrations beneath. Since I've begun work there have been many challenges, not least of which the scale. I needed a large enough surface to illustrate on, but small enough to fit in a teacup. My first idea was to embroider teabags.

In between saving up for an embroidery machine and the software I'd need to design my tea-ladies, I was itching to get started. Post graduation I struggled to establish a regular art practice between working full-time and securing a studio space. I needed something to do with my hands, something small to take between work and home - a mini studio, if you will. So I developed the "stitchbook" - a sketchbook for teabag-sized embroideries. I used off-cuts of micro-suede and various sheers to to make a flexible book with pockets for needle, floss, snips, and a 3" hoop. I also included newsprint paper, for making notes and sketches.

The stitchbook turned into my tea tasting notebook as well. It was another small way to mesh my project with my everyday life. I wrote about the teas I'd tried, the good and the bad - building a vocabulary and library of flavors to inform my practice. This small process gave me the confidence to seek out new tea places, to connect with the tea drinking community, to share my notes and to make my own blends. Hell - to make this blog!

I'm an artist, but for as long as I've been making, I've also had my doubts. Am I active enough? creative enough? good enough to call myself that? I still don't know. Even after getting my BFA, especially in those first years after graduating, I felt unworthy of the title. What I do know is that making is a part of me, and however much I fret over being an artist, the proof of my conviction is in my creations. The stitchbook is a personal reminder that making is important to me, and no matter the challenges, I can count on my resourceful nature to find a way to keep feeding that creativity.

So here is my labor of love, the stitchbook, scanned page by page for your viewing pleasure. Thanks to Jabari Weathers for letting me try out his new large-format scanner. I still need some practice lining up the scans, but overall I'm pretty happy with this little experiment. Below you can flip through the first 40 pages by clicking right. I'm about halfway through the book now. It gets a lot of use, so don't mind the frayed edges or the tea stains! I included the front and back of each page so you can see just how impatient an embroiderer I am - with my messy stitches and my half finished pages. For all the instagram worthy stitches I make there's one or two that were abandoned, it's part of the process. I tried not to edit myself here for your benefit.  (stitchbook gallery moved to secondary post)

[doublecupteas]

Sip of the Month: Blood & Fire

photo by Perri Brierley-Bowers, Fantastic! Magazine Issue 5.

SEPTEMBER 01, 2017

Looking for something to fill the dragon shaped void in your soul, now that Game of Thrones season 8 has wrapped up? Nothing warms an icy dragon heart like a steaming glass of Blood & Fire Tea, a fandom blend we conjured up for last winters Issue of Fantastic! Magazine.

This smokey spice kissed blend with bright red berries lives up to House Targaryen's words, though you may be half mad to drink it...

Visually, the tea looks like a smoldering pile of ashes - with bright red berries that look like still glowing embers, or drops of blood, or baby dragon eggs. The base of the tea, lapsang souchong, gives the blend a smokey smell as well. Half the fun of this tea is watching the steam rise off the cup, and feeling like a total badass about to drink pure fire.

The tea needs to steep for 7 long minutes...maybe while you wait you can dream of the 7 kingdoms that are rightfully yours? Seriously though, the goji berries need some extra time. The payoff is an added sweetness to the already smokey rich flavor of the lapsang. For a little bit of bite, and because this is blood and FIRE, we also added chili flakes to the mix. The result is a steady heat, nothing Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen - First of Her Name - the Unburnt - Queen of the Andals and the First Men - Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea - Breaker of Chains - and Mother of Dragons couldn't handle.

It is known, that you can find this tea by visiting Sarah at Juniper, or requesting it online through the convenient chat box. Ask her for the "Blood & Fire" tea (lapsang, goji berries, and chili flakes) and she'll know what to do. You can also find some of our other awesome fandom tea blends at Fantastic! Magazine. 

That's our sip of the month! Hope you had a chill summer, but not too chill. Speaking of, let's raise a warm glass to Viserion, who could probably use some hot tea right about now T_T

You know nothing Jon Snow!!!!!

[doublecupteas]

Tea Reads: Delilah Dirk

AUGUST 12, 2017

To continue with our theme for the summer (which is very broadly books with tea references...or even, books I'd pair with tea) lets add to the shelf the dashing comic book adventures of Delilah Dirk by Tony Cliff.

This one (well, three) I picked not just for the many and delightful tea references, but for the authors representation of his characters. The wit he brings to them combined with their depth of personality, not to mention the consideration given to their cultural backgrounds respectively, make for a compelling pair of protagonists in a convincing -though not historically accurate by the his own admission- early 19th century world.

Though the story is mostly narrated by her companion, Selim, it's Delilah who drives these tales; bringing vitality, defying expectations, so that there seems to be no limit to her daring. While we often see her brooding or raging, this doesn't undermine her boldness. She is written and beautifully illustrated as a determined, independent and shameless adventurer with a knack for getting into trouble, and always managing to get back out.

Her independence is what makes her companionship with Mr. Selim so perfect. She doesn't really need him, as much as she just wants someone she can share her travels with. While she appreciates him, and he is inspired by her, the relationship is allowed to remain one of respectful admiration.

Selim is something of a foil to Miss Dirk. A gentle, thoughtful, and careful man with an appreciation for good tea. Though he may be reluctant, and apologetic, his travels with Miss Dirk are marked by a sense of wonder, and an eagerness to be of use - though his skill set and approach is quite opposite our heroines.

I want to try that tea!!!

I'm in love with the pair of them. And besides that, I'm in love with the use of tea in these stories. Selim, the Turkish tea connoisseur keeps the kettle on and the teacups ever-full throughout their travels. From our first encounter with him, we learn through a tea tasting his ability to see to the heart of things, to look beyond the surface. This wisdom is what allows him to open his mind to Miss Dirks unorthodox ways, despite his superiors insisting "a woman could never..."

Tea is also used to deescalate situations, as a calm reminder that while things may get intense, it's good to slow down and appreciate what's in front of you, be it a steaming cuppa, or a concerned friend. And sometimes, after a long day of plundering, a good cup of tea is just the thing, especially if you're a total tea drinking badass like Delilah Dirk.

So yeah, go read them! The first two Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant (read the first 4 chapters free!) and Delilah Dirk and the Kings Shilling are both beautiful full color graphic novels. The latest addition, Delilah Dirk and the Seeds of Good Fortune is a short black and white mini-adventure. Sadly no tea in this one, but it's a touching tale. You can download it and pay what you like here. Each one is a strong stand-alone story, so you need not read them in the established order (I borrowed the second book from a friend and read that first), but do give them a look, I promise you won't be regret it!

[doublecupteas]

Sip of the Month: Xue Gong Xiang

AUGUST 07, 2017

Very excited to be trying out Dancong Oolong tea for the first time. Shannon’s family has been growing high elevation tea in China for more than 80 years. They have 20 kinds of tea. They’ve been so kind as to send me samples to try (from different altitudes and tea tree ages) so I can taste and compare. I’ll also be trying them out in my new gonfucha set. You can get in touch with Shannon via instagram @Wudongtea or check them out online here.

I tried a few of the samples already with a couple of friends. Our tasting notes varied wildly from cup to cup, it took us a while to figure out that it was my pouring technique (which could really use some work). In the gaiwan, every second counts, every second is another layer of flavor.  

We laid a towel down so that I could pour back and forth between the cups, emptying out the gaiwan completely so that the leaves don't oversteep between pours.

Drinking gonfucha style you use a lot of leaves in a small vessel and steep for very short periods of time, repeating the process several times. It's a very active way to drink tea, but rewarding, as each cup draws new flavor out of the same leaves.

One of the oolongs we tried was Xue Gong Xiang. Thick twisted leaves with a dark blue stem and touches of light green, each about 3 inches long.

The smell of the wet leaf was like soil, an earthy forest floor.

As for our notes we steeped the same leaves 8 times varying the seconds as we went (beween 3 and 6)

1st cup (3 seconds) - honey, floral, a very mild whisper of tea, smooth and buttery

2nd cup (6 seconds) - very faintly green, lilac taste, and ever so slightly tart. Light flower petal flavor.

3rd cup (6 seconds) - floral, toothy, astringent, with a citrus finish.

4th cup (6 seconds) - darker liquor with a honeysuckle smell. Very grassy, and coats the tongue like olive oil.

5th cup (6 seconds) - spicy, honeysuckle again, this was our favorite cup for it's smoothness.

6th cup (6 seconds) - good color, like green tea with nectar. A slight astringency and dry.

7th cup (6 seconds) - dry, white sugar, bright but with less lilac.

8th cup (6 seconds) - at this point the tea was diluted and weak, and was a little like drinking warm lemon water.

Overall we were very impressed with this tea, an light floral oolong with some surprising citrus notes. Can't wait to get everyone together to try the rest of our samples from the Wudong farm!

picture of Shannon's family farm in Wudong Village, Chaozhou, China ----- photo credit: @Wudongtea 

[doublecupteas]

Tea Reads: The Night Circus

JULY 01, 2017

I've been craving fiction of late. Getting back in touch with that itch to read late into the night, when I aught to be sleeping instead. Though I have an insatiable appetite for books, I'm a remarkably slow reader. This is partly due to mild dyslexia, and partly because I savor, taking time to chew each word thoroughly. It took me 10 years to finish the Wheel of Time series: my over-loved copies are ragged on the shelf, their covers completely worn away over time and held together with strategically placed scraps of tape. And so, I was surprised when the The Night Circus came and swept me away. I finished it in just a week (perhaps a record for me?) As you can see, the glossy paper cover with its clever circular circus cut-out remains intact.

I hadn't read a circus tale since Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. His circus is thrilling, and terrible, at once nostalgic and strange. Erin Morgenstern's description of Le Cirque des Revers is much less conflicted. Fully embracing whimsy, she is enchanting, deceptively direct, and quick to draw you in. I think I prefer my circus on the darker side, but I was impressed by her mastery of the senses: the weight of the fabric curtains, the warm and cool, the smokey wood and caramel smell. She even made shades of gray seem lively! One of my favorite descriptive moments was of sound. In the introduction, aptly named "Anticipation" she places the reader in the crowd gathered outside the mysterious circus, waiting for the gates to open "First there is a popping sound. It is barely audible over the wind and conversation. A soft noise like a kettle about to boil for tea" (pg. 10).

References to tea did not stop there. The entire book is peppered with porcelain cups (and even a full tea ceremony at one point), which are more than set dressing to Morgenstern. She uses tea in practical ways: to give her characters something to nervously hold, to offer as a polite gesture, to sip and buy time, or to abandon and grow cold. She also uses it as a device to move the story forward. Many carefully described and delicate tea cups were broken in service of character development. Through a cup, we're introduced to the illusionists powers. And through another cup that same illusionist comes to realize the consequence of power. It is my favorite moment in the book.

As someone with a fondness for tea, I found myself constantly wondering; what kind of tea would they be drinking in this scene? The author is more than capable of describing flavor, as she demonstrates handily in her accounts of the mysterious "midnight dinners" where the minds behind Cirque des Reves gather to taste culinary works of art. Though I scoured the book for tea related details, I only found mention of a particular type of tea once.

The reference was so perfect, I had to smile. I was not surprised then to discover that Erin Morgenstern is in fact a tea lover, as she mentions on her website. When I'm finished knitting my red scarf and joining the Reveurs, I think I'll make a Night Circus inspired tea. I'm imagining one for the circus itself: black tea, with white accents like a starry sky (maybe slivered almonds?). An autumn taste with notes of caramel, smoke, and some strange unplaceable spice. A secret ingredient. Les Cirque Des Reves in a cup.

[doublecupteas]

Sip of the Month: Spring Garden Latte

JULY 01, 2017

I'm clinging to spring, though summer is well underway here in Baltimore. Lately I've been visiting On The Hill (a snug cafe in Bolton Hill) crossing my fingers that the "Spring Garden" latte will still be there waiting for me. It appeared on the special menu a few months ago, when the weather was cool enough for sipping hot tea on the stoop. I'm not usually into latte's (said the girl now enjoying what's probably her sixth cup, iced) but the SG, as it's so lovingly abbreviated on the cup, was an easy choice for sip of the month. It's my sincere wish that it will keep it's place on the cafe menu for months to come.

The SG is a mellow mix of green tea, milk, and rose. After ordering, I half expected the color to be green, or petal-pink, but it's more milky banana colored than anything else. It looks nothing like a spring garden, but the taste lives up to the name, reminiscent of nectar and fragrant blooms. When it comes to flavor the rosiness is definitely the star of the show. The milk is a compliment, a smooth medium, rounding out the floral notes and bringing forward the subtle sweetness of the green tea. The whole thing makes for very pleasant sipping, especially on hot days like this. Do go out and try it! Fingers crossed, it will still be there waiting for you.

A+ to the chalk board artist, you totally sold me on this beverage :)

[doublecupteas]

Steeped In Design

APRIL 29, 2017

Part three of our tea & sustainability series - the first of which "Tailor made Tea Bags" covered why we use teabags and their impact on our health and environment, part 2 "Making Tea & Making Change" talked about ways to consume thoughtfully and impact change in the tea industry. This post will go into alternative brewing methods and my efforts to design an infuser.

Tea is already fairly simple to make: leaves + hot water = tea. Overtime we've developed many rituals and habits around preparing tea, each serves it's purpose, whether that's saving time, or observing ceremony - there are many ways to enjoy this ancient beverage. Recently I've become more concerned with the usability and sustainability of tea infusers, as I've begun work designing my own. Rather than go into the pros and cons of each infuser in detail, I've come up with a list of qualities to look for in tea-ware:

Reusable- the device is sustainable, can be used over and over without creating waste or breaking and becoming trash, is made from durable material- and with as little environmental impact as possible.

Functional- the device is easy to use, easy to clean, has room for the tea leaves to expand and steep properly, can be removed from hot water without risk of injury, and can be used to brew single servings or larger batches interchangeably.

Accessible- the device is affordable, and doesn't require superior tea knowledge or extra gadgetry to use, it can fit to any cup, pot, or thermos, and is travel-able.

Safe- the device is made from materials that are food safe, is free of chemicals and pesticides, doesn't harbor harmful bacteria after long use, and doesn't break or become toxic when exposed to high temperatures

Fun- the device brings the user joy, is engaging and exciting to share with others. An aesthetically pleasing compliment to the tea

3 being "well considered"

2 being "somewhat considered"  

1 being "not considered"

0 being "badly considered"

While researching, I've looked at different kinds of infusers and compared them to each other and to the 5 above mentioned qualities that govern my design. Here's what I've found after rating each one on a scale of zero to three:

After tallying them up, the methods ranked thusly: Gaiwan (14/15), Basket (13/15), Metal Tea-ball (12/15), Cloth Teabag, Teapot Infuser, French Press (10/15), Silicone Tea-ball (8/15), K-Cup, Teabag (4/15)

Top Four Methods Breakdown

The next step was to look at each Method and identify what could be improved upon. The Gaiwan came nearest to meeting all the qualities, but lost points for accessibility, since they're usually made of ceramics and are comprised of a loose fitting lid and cup - they are not very travel-able. Additionally, they take some technique to pour, and are small chambered, so you really have to slow down and take your time preparing the tea, enjoying the ceremony of it. I count that as a plus, but most of us don't have time to drink tea gongfucha style - or prefer one large mug of tea to several little cups.

The basket infuser is a step closer. It still has all the roominess of the Gaiwan, but can be added to a larger cup or pot. The thing is, they're usually made of metal, plastic, or wood at the top and specially fitted to a particular teapot, cup or thermos They also have the problem of being rather large to pack away, and difficult to remove from the cup - dripping, or not having enough of a handle to grasp.

The metal teaball is better for transporting and removing, but can get very hot to the touch and is very small - not enough room for the leaves to expand, and only allowing small batches to be made at a time. Cloth bags are more roomy, but don't last as long - since the fabric wears over time and is harder to keep clean. The cloth is collapsible, and easy to transport, and cant be crushed or shattered, it's also much more affordable compared to metal, ceramics, and glassware.  

So what if I was able to make an infuser with the the simple practicality of the gaiwan, the roominess of the basket, the convenience of the tea-ball, and the collapsible power of the cloth teabag?

In my sketching phase, I began to play around with basket shapes- large enough for the leaves, small enough to fit inside a teacup. What shapes use a minimum number of seams, but provide enough structure to maintain their shape?

Designing an infuser with all the qualities I desire is a challenge. Making it with the limited resources I have regarding equipment, woman-power, time, and $$$ is even more of a challenge. But it's one I truly enjoy working through (if you can't tell from all the nerdy graphs and charts above).

My favorite part of the process is doing the research, learning about all the thought and care that goes into something as simple as a cup of tea, and sharing that knowledge with all of you.

So thanks for keeping up with the project! I hope you enjoyed this small glimpse into my creative process, and that you'll continue to reach out with your ideas, questions, and support. And maybe, just maybe, I'll have an infuser for you by the end of the summer (naked ladies and all). Wish me luck!

[doublecupteas]

Sip of the Month: Pu-erh

Photo from Juniper Baltiomre: watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkTvATDkacw

APRIL 28, 2017

Have you visited Sarah at Juniper yet? She's a super friendly MICA alum with an intimate spice shop in Mt Vernon Marketplace, and an intimate knowledge of tea blending. Her selection is carefully curated. The tea trove may seem small, just a few shelves, but you'd be surprised the combination of flavors she blends out of her collection. Sarah keeps her shop small to guarantee the freshness of her herbs, prioritizing quality over quantity, and customizing blends to suite her costumers diverse tastes. She knows every leaf and petal well enough to create a balanced tea & tisane on the spot! There is one tea on her shelf that mustn't be blended, however. That's the Pu-erh: our sip of the month.

Pu-erh tea is very special. It's fermented tea from the Yunnan province of China (and takes it's name from the city there), where ancient wild tea trees are prized. The tea is known for tasting of a particular place, having a rich earthy broth - like drinking the forest floor.

The sample I got from Juniper certainly looked like a forest floor- the dry leaves where long and twisted. A light foggy green color, purpled, silvery, and dusted, reminiscent of ancient roots. It had a faint musty odor.

The wet leaf smelled much stronger! An animal smell - like wet straw, and sour fruit. The leaves became a deep brown with red and plum undertones, thick stems, and choppy edged leaves (like Italian parsley).

I used a more elaborate steeping process than usual. First I boiled water to a very high temperature- and doused the leaves (3 heaping spoonfuls) immediately pouring the water out to rinse off the dust. I then steeped the leaves for just 25 seconds and was surprised at how strong the color was (a thick rusty brown). The smell of the tea-broth was changed as well, almost like cookie dough. Brown sugar, but still musky. Pleasant and rich. When I took a sip it rolled over the tongue like cream. I expected something astringent from the smell, but it was completely toothless - musky at the back of the throat but with a lighter note on top like buttercream. As I drank it, I noticed a cooling effect as well. Overall it was earthy and round - and perfectly balanced. I always thought with tea if it isn't "sweet" it must be "bitter" and if its neither, it must be bland. But this really was balanced, and far from bland, not too rich. Complex, yet uncomplicated.

I steeped it again at just 30 seconds and got more tooth and less cream, but the broth was still thick feeling

At 35 seconds the tea was very mild, but much more grassy, the earthiness really came through

The 4th cup at 40 seconds surprised me even more- the grassy flavors were completely replaced by something like vanilla, a dark sweetness.

The 5th cup at 45 seconds was grassy again, and still distinct

The 6th cup (50 seconds) the color started to fade, and the taste was much weaker- but still pleasant

The 7th cup at 60 seconds tasted just like wet leaves. Who would've thought? The broth was quite thin by now, and I was satisfied with my first cup(s) of Pu'erh, so I left it at that.

Seven distinct cups from just 3 spoonfuls of tea?!? What a blast! Another fun thing about Pu-erh tea is the aging process. The tea I got from Juniper is aged 4-6 years. The oldest Pu-erh in the world is decades old, over 100 years and still going. The tea I have is probably not suited to aging (I should ask Sarah about that) not that I would want to wait around that long to drink it. This is good stuff, and quickly vanishing from my tea cabinet as we speak. I foresee another trip to Juniper in the near future.

SIP OF THE MONTH, TEA, LOOSE LEAF, PU-ERH, JUNIPER BALTIMORE, TASTING NOTES

[doublecupteas]

Making Tea & Making Change

APRIL 02, 2017

This post is part 2 of a series on teabags & sustainability. Part one Tailor Made Tea Bags talked about why we use teabags and how they impact our health and environment. This post will focus more on what we, as avid tea drinkers and thoughtful consumers, can do to impact change in the tea industry - encouraging sustainable practices from earth to cup. Consuming thoughtfully means changing the way we think about tea. Instead of asking: What does this tea taste like? or Am I getting a good deal? we want to set a standard that puts health and environment first: Where did this tea come from? How was it produced? What's in it? and Where will it end up when I'm done?

It's officially spring, the season of new beginnings, and the perfect time to rethink your tea habits. My spring cleaning involves clearing out the pantry- out with the old, in with the new! Spring is an important time for tea drinkers like myself. In early April exciting new teas from last years harvest become available in the USA. If you were thinking of purchasing loose leaf, now is the time! As I mentioned before, loose leaf is the most sustainable way to drink tea. Not only do you skip the extra packaging, you can get much better quality leaf, and much more leaf for your buck. The only trouble is, where to go? Here in the city, I have local tea shops I trust - the owners are available and knowledgeable. It took me some time to find them, try their products, and develop a relationship. Here are a few of the places I go to get tea in Baltimore: Juniper, Wight Tea Co, and OK Natural . I keep a running list of local tea spots here as well.

If you don't live near a city, getting good tea can be tricky. Buying online is an option, but it can be a little like buying shoes, you won't know if they fit till you try them on. Most local grocery stores only carry the bagged variety, and then, only a few brands: Bigelow, Celestial Seasonings, Lipton. Choosing a brand can be tricky, it's hard to tell what you're getting from labeling alone. I suggest doing some research on the brand you use - browse their website, email and ask them questions, get a feel for their mission before you hit the store. If you find yourself in the isle overwhelmed by choices, here are a few tips for buying better tea.

Read the mission. In this example, Tazo's mission doesn't focus on where the tea comes from or how it's produced, or much about the company at all- just the experience of drinking their tea. Choice on the other hand, tells you a lot- how long they've been in business, their core values, and their certifications are very clear. If you follow the links to their websites, you'll find Choice is an environmentally friendly leader in the industry.

Check the Ingredients. Make sure that the flavors mentioned on the front of the box are actually on the ingredient list. Beware of "Natural Flavors" and other additives. Ingredients should be easy to find on the outside of the packaging. They should also be straight forward. Don't buy tea from companies that hide their ingredient list, or refer you to their website for more information on certain ingredients. If you're not sure what something is, don't drink it. Do take the time to write the company if you're confused about their ingredient list. Something like, "what do you mean by natural flavors and why do you use them?" - another good question, where do they source their tea? and what kind of relationship do they have with their growers?

Know your labels. Tea packaging is littered with vague information advertising how fresh! authentic! organic! natural! and healthy! their product is. Don't judge a tea by it's cover. If it's in a bag, it's not likely premium tea at all, but tea dust. You won't know what the leaf is like until you buy it and see the bags (are there still whole leaves inside, or little chipped up bits & powders?). What you can see on the box are standard labels. check to see if the packaging is recyclable, look for the fair trade label and know the difference between "Fair Trade" and "Ethical Trade" so you can make informed decisions about the companies you're supporting with your money.

My teabag go-to's are Choice, and Rishi. Both companies have been working toward sustainable tea, are clear about their mission and process, and quick to respond to questions. They're also available in local grocery stores & cafes. If you can't find a brand you trust near you, consider asking your local grocery store or coffee shop to keep it in stock. Or find it online. Some other tea companies I trust (for buying online) are eco-cha tea - because they're very focused on one tea producing area, Taiwan. And Tealet because they're transparent wholesalers, and only one step away from the growers they work with.

Once you've developed a relationship with your tea connect (whether that's a company, retailer, wholesaler, or grower), you can feel confident that your money is going toward improving the industry, your health, and the environment. Drinking responsibly also means being thoughtful about your personal impact or "footprint". Some things you can do to help here:

Invest in a tea infuser - cut back on the amount of teabags you throw away, there are tons of options for brewing tea without all the strings attached :P (I'll go into them in part three).

Drink your tea - don't make tea and forget about it. We've all done this. That's just a waste of water and good tea. Enjoy your tea, be mindful making it, and don't make more than you need - as tea is best enjoyed fresh, becoming more bitter as it sits.  

Reuse Teabags- remember one tea bag goes a long way. You can use the same teabag up to four times before you need a new one. You can also reuse them at home for all sorts of things.

Dispose Responsibly- Know where your trash ends up, and what you can do to avoid the landfill. Recycle boxes, compost your teabags. If you don't have recycling or compost in your neighborhood, start petitioning for it, let your representatives know about your interest and get the ball rolling.

Ditch the K-Cups - Besides plastic and heat not being a great combo, this is just not a good way to drink tea. You can't get multiple steeps, and many of the cups can't even be recycled. If you do use them, make sure you take the time to separate the cups and recycle what you can.

B-Y-O-C - bring your own container to the cafe and avoid buying carryout cups. Most Cafe's are flexible here, check with your barista to see what their BYOC policy is. Most places are happy to save a cup. You can get travel mugs that are standard carryout cup size. Or you can get creative...I've been using this super classy teacup holster. Most places will also give you free refills on water, if you're reusing your teabag, just make sure to leave a nice tip, and keep a good thing going.

Tea is a ritual, and there are many ways to enjoy it. As tea lovers, and thoughtful consumers, it's important to reflect on our buying and drinking habits, and to try to make informed choices about what we put in our bodies and the world. I don't expect these changes to be big, but I hope this post has given you some ideas. Be aware of your impact, and please, drink responsibly (and hopefully look stylish doing it)

This is part two of a series on sustainability & teabags. You can find part one in the Blog archive under "Tailor Made Tea Bags"

[doublecupteas]

Sip of the Month: Fantastic Teas & Where to Find Them

MARCH 23, 2017

When Perri B.B. approached us to design tea blends for The Fantastic Magazine: an awesome Baltimore based inclusive nerd lifestyle mag!!! we couldn't wait to get started. Now that the project is finished, I can't wait to start again! There's so much to love about Fantastic. Lady nerds, I highly recommend giving them a read. You can find all eight of Double Cup Teas fandom inspired blends in the Winter Issue, sandwiched between an insightful look at the strong female characters in "Vikings" and a handy Diverse Media Map (just some of the awesome content you can expect from F!)

I thought I'd give you a taste of one of these Fantastic Fandom Blends as part of our Sip of The Month. I call this one "Swooping Evil Tea" a magical tisane inspired by Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. If you haven't seen the movie yet, meet the Swooping Evil plant:

According to Newt Scamander (and harrypotter.wikia) "The Swooping Evil is a blue-and-green winged magical creature. It looks like a cross between a reptile and an extremely large butterfly. When it is not flying with its spiked wings, the Swooping Evil shrinks into a green spiny cocoon. It can be quite dangerous, as it can feed on people's brains, but also demonstrated being able to deflect at least some spells by flying into their path. It secretes venom that, when properly diluted, can be used to erase bad memories."

The base of Swooping Evil Tea is a vivid green and blue flower with memory enhancing properties known to us muggles and no-majs as Butterfly Pea Flower. It bears a striking resemblance to swooping evil, but can actually be used to resist its memory erasing effects (no, really!). If you think you may have been exposed to swooping evil, you can find this remedy at your local health food store, or online. (There's a tea for everything!)

I've saved the best for last! Not only does Swooping Evil Tea NOT suck your brain, it also magically changes color! Steep the buds to a bright blue, then squeeze a wedge of lime and watch the tea turn purple right before your eyes. As for the flavor the tea is more herbal than flowery. It's light and refreshing...and dare I say, magical? Right up there with pumpkin juice and butterbeer, the drink is sure to catch on with the wizarding world.  

SWOOPING EVIL, FANTASTIC BEASTS, TEA, SIP OF THE MONTH, BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER, THE FANTASTIC MAGAZINE

[doublecupteas]

Tailor Made Tea Bags

MARCH 03, 2017

I'm writing this on an eerily warm day in February. The trees outside my Baltimore apartment are blooming early. Winter is not my favorite season- but it plays an important part in the life cycles of our local flora and fauna. Trees blooming now will be much worse off come spring. There are many reasons to care about climate change- if you drink tea, you probably care about your water quality and plant life. If you breathe air, you should care.

My contribution to climate change is manifold. As a seamstress working in the textile industry I see and handle industrial waste daily. I fill trash bags with chemically treated and synthetic fabrics that will take hundreds of years to break down and leach toxins into the earth & water long after. As an American seamstress, I've been fortunate to be protected by regulations previously established by the EPA (if not always properly enforced). With Scott Pruitt's recent confirmation, I fear more than ever the pealing away of these protections and the severe impact this will have on our health and environment.

On the day of Pruitt's confirmation, I went out with a trash bag lined cart, some gloves, good boots, knee pads, and a sign. It was another unseasonably nice February? day. I spent most of it picking trash out of the grasses and gutters, all the while painfully aware that this small gesture wouldn't come close to offsetting the damage already done by just my industry alone. Passersby complimented me on my consideration, but still passed by all the same. And I don't blame them.

It takes 5 minutes to walk through the park on my way to work each day. Stopping to pick up trash along the way, that same walk takes 3 hours. Working Americans don't have time to stop. Countless cigarette butts, bottles, cans, caps, and even tea bags pointed to this inevitable conclusion: we don't have time to clean up the messes we make. I don't have time to stop every time I see trash on my walks, I can't afford to be late to work, and I can't afford to leave my job. It's not a lazy attitude. It's an economic reality. And economic demands will always trump environmental concerns in our capitalist country (especially under Trump).

This is how precious my time is. During my work day I get two 15 minute breaks. I spend the first minute filling my mug with water (it takes long because the pipes at work are very old). I microwave the water for 2 minutes. Add a tea bag and let it steep (1 minute) and cool (1 minute). I have 10 minutes left now to sip my tea, rest my legs, and use the bathroom. I feel like I don't have a second to waste. You're probably feeling anxious just taking the time to read this blog. I'm not alone.

found this one and six others in the park :/

I mean, this is exactly why we have teabags. People have been drinking tea for nearly 5,000 years, and it wasn't till about a hundred years ago that brewing it loose became too much of a hassle. The teabag didn't come to America until a couple ladies from Milwaukee patented the idea in 1901: A long pouch made of cotton with a fold-over top called a "Tea Holder". It took almost seven years for the idea to catch on, and when it did Merchant Thomas Sullivan took all the credit, though his design wasn't as well thought out. Where Lawson & Molaren's design was carefully plotted out, Sullivan seems to have discovered the teabag "by accident" (suuuuure you did). When he realized how much people liked the time saved by these single-serving silk sachets, he wasted no time capitalizing on the idea. His final design is what you find in most grocery stores today, cheap paper gauze filled with tea dust (the bitter factory leavings & stems ground up) then closed with a staple or glue. The design wasn't about quality, but quantity. Finally! a fast, cheap, and accessible way to drink tea.

Funny thing is- tea has always been cheaper loose. Lawson & Molaren knew it, and so did dear Mr. Sullivan. But consumers still insisted on the bags. Why? They save time! Now you can take your tea anywhere, you don't have to waste time brewing a whole pot, or cleaning up after. However, the speedy delivery of tea to our cups comes with a catch (besides the added cost, and loss of quality in the leaf). If there's anything we can take away from the origins of the teabag (besides recognizing the erasure of women innovators throughout history) it's that not all teabags are created equal. While conducting research for my own tea infuser design, I've come across some major design flaws in commercial teabags. Here are some things to watch out for:

1) Some teabags are not safe to use in hot water. Many teabags are made with synthetic materials (plastics) that give off toxins when heated (just like water bottles). Watch out especially for the silky looking triangle shaped sachets, some of these are made of nylon instead of plant-based fibers.

2) There's more to paper bags than just paper. Although filter-paper teabags are made from plant fibers, they are sometimes blended with synthetic materials, or coated with plastic to make them more durable. Also pay attention to the closures - some companies heat seal their bags, and others use glue.

3) Teabags are not exactly disposable. Though they may be out of sight and out of mind, many tea bags don't go away when you toss them. I drink tea almost everyday (that's 365 tea bags a year) - most of the teabags I've used are taking up room in a landfill now- the truly biodegradable ones will take a year to decompose, but the rest (which are the majority) will outlive my future grandchildren.

Teabags have come a long way since the 1900's and many companies employ smarter designs - (designs hearkening back to the ladies of Milwaukee) with more room for whole leaves, food safe materials, biodegradable staple free bags, and other fun features (Like patented weaves accompanied by diagrams that look like they belong in a sex ed class). These options may be a bit more expensive than your typical teabags - and way more expensive than just switching to loose leaf - but they make better sense. My intention writing this is not to make you throw your teabags into the sea, but to encourage you to take a closer look at your daily consumption. Perhaps, like me, you don't have time to spend 10 minutes making tea. Even so, I hope you'll consider some alternatives - spending a couple dollars more on a sensible teabag - one that wont leach toxins into your cup or your environment, or spend a couple dollars less and go loose. There are tons of options out there, if you're online reading this, you have the tools to do your own research and find the right option for you.

Next time you go out to the cafe, bring your own cup, mug, or thermos instead of using a carryout cup. Another thing you can do is get the most out of each cup- you can steep the same teabag three or four times - just ask your barista for more hot water.

Links:

On vernalization https://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/eb310/entry_9436/

On Lawson & Molaren http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/04/invented-tea-bags/

It's a good thing tea is accessible http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/08/11/431394045/why-letting-women-take-tea-breaks-was-once-considered-dangerous

Sullivan is still getting all the credit (even if you have a patent, ladies)http://tisano.com/tea-bag-invention-story/

Useful chart of how tea companies compare when it comes to toxins in tea http://foodbabe.com/2013/08/21/do-you-know-whats-really-in-your-tea/

Dont put these tea bags in hot water http://ratetea.com/topic/nylon-tea-bags/30/

To glue? or not to glue? http://www.teabagmachine.com/index.php/materials/glatfelter-quality-filter-paper

A brief summery of what to look out for and why http://bodyunburdened.com/the-hidden-dangers-of-bagged-tea/

Where my used tea bags live http://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/solid-waste

A smart consumer asks companies if their teabags are actually compostable...it's complicated. http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20110602/composting-teabags

How long does it take for teabags to biodegrade? http://www.care2.com/greenliving/tea-bags.html

This picture just makes me laugh http://cdn.rishi-tea.com/images/RishiTeaSachetDiagram.jpg

This is part one of two posts on sustainability & teabags. Part two will go more into alternative options, and ways to make changes in the tea industry.

CLIMATE CHANGE, TEA, TEA BAGS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS, SCOTT PRUIT WONT DO IT, WOMEN INVENTORS, CONSUMER CHOICE

[doublecupteas]

Greek Mountain Tea

FEBRUARY 01, 2017

Tea makes my world go round because it comes from all around the world. Every cup is different depending on where it's grown. Plants soak up the stories around them - roots in the ground respond to minerals in the earth, changes in the weather, and the impact of other lifeforms. Because of this sensitivity, a plant like the Camillia Sinensis (tea) can be grown on two mountain tops, treated the exact same way from pluck to packaging, and still end up tasting distinctly different from each other in the cup. That's the Terroir, the taste of a place. This month I have for you the taste of two Greek mountain tops, courtesy of Katie O'Keefe.

Greek "Grandfather" Mountain Tea

Greek "Grandmother" Mountain Tea

Katie and I have shared a lot with each other over the past six years; classes, apartments, stories, and uncountable cups of tea. Naturally, when she came back from her trip to Greece last October - she was eager to share her travels. When she told me the story behind the two Sideritis samples she brought back for me, I asked if she'd be willing to share it here as well. Happily she obliged:

Anna: Thanks for sharing your tea and travels with us, Katie! Before I let you get into the details, I have one question: why do you drink tea?

Katie: I love tea. Drinking tea is a healing experience. It warms you up when you are cold, it can aid your body in expelling unwanted guests, and it can serve as an offering of care. Searching for new teas and flavors is exciting and I love being able to share a pot of what I have found. I drink tea because I like the taste, but I love tea because I enjoy participating in its ceremony. My fondest memories of tea are those where I was enjoying a cup with another.

Anna: Another thing we share. On to this tea you brought back. I understand you picked up two Sideritis plants on your trip. One from your maternal grandmothers mountain, and one from your grandfathers. You mentioned already your grandmothers maiden name is Sideris (very close to the scientific name of greek mountain tea!) and your grandfather was Vasili Athmopoulou. What else can you tell us about them?

Katie: My Yiayia (Grandmother in Greek), who’s name was Popi Sideris, lived through 2 wars. First World War II as a child and followed by years of civil war in Greece. During World War II Karpenisi, the large town near her village, had become Greece’s Capital. It was high in the mountains and difficult to get to. As a result, she saw much war. The love of her life had been hung to death in front of her. She snuck into soldiers tents to steal bread for the starving children of her village. When she was fifteen she went to school to become a seamstress. She used the money she made from her skill to take care of her two sisters. After her sisters were married, a marriage was arranged for her in the United States to my Grandfather, Vasili Athamopoulou, who was twice her age. She was 30 and her family was worried no one would want to marry her. My Grandfather had emigrated to the U.S when he was a teenager. He worked on the railroad, laying down train tracks.  My Grandparents first met in Bermuda, where they got married.  

Yiayia's Mountain

Grandfathers mountain and cottage (Kalivi)

Anna: I know you've traveled abroad before (I'm remembering the Ataturk photo series you made on your trip to Turkey while we were studying together at MICA). How long have you been traveling to Greece? What was your last trip like?

Katie: The first time I went to Greece I was around 1 1/2 years old, too young to remember anything. We went so that my Yiayia could meet me. She had moved back to Greece, but to Athens this time. Our whole family would make the trip to visit her every 2-3 years. It had been 13 years since the last time my family and I had traveled back to Greece. I was very excited to be meeting members of my family I had never meet before. after traveling up some VERY winding roads we made it to Karpenisi. We stayed with my mother’s cousin, Mary, who lives there. As we walked around town she pointed out a very tall sharp mountain, which she called Pedistedi Vonia or Dove mountain. She told me that a certain time in the year the village would walk up the mountain and pick mountain tea.

Mom (Helen) and her cousin Mary in front of the mountains of Karpenisi

Anna: Did you get to pick tea from the mountain tops?

Katie: Unfortunately I was not there during tea picking season. But I found a small herb shop that sold some. Funny enough the owner of the shop had grown up on Long Island. She moved back to Greece to help her family through during these difficult financial times. My mother’s Cousin Nikos and his wife Eftehia(happiness) came to visit us during our stay with Mary. They took us around the country side - to all the sites and the best places to get food and Tsipouro(Greek moonshine). It began to rain, hard. So Nikos and Eftehia invited us over to their place for a nice warming cup of mountain tea.  

My greek family: round the table it's Nikos, my mom (Helen), Eftehia, and me (Katie)

She brought a pot up to boil with enough water to make 5 cups of tea. When the water was rolling with bubbles she took a bunch of the leaves, a comfortable loose handful, and placed it in the pot tapping down the leaves. She told me she would leave them to boil for 1 minute. She served the tea with local honey, that is about twice as thick as the thickest honey you could find in the U.S.. Then we made the trip over mountains to the tiny village of Agridi. We stayed in a larger village close by named Kalavryta, which was were I found the second batch of tea. It was in another herb shop. The tea I bought here looked as though it was freshly picked. It was not dried like the one from Karpenisi.

A better view of my grandfathers mountains

Katie and I got together to make both teas for a side by side tasting. The gallery below shows how we made each tea step by step. 

1. water is brought to a full boil

2. Katie devides the sprigs by eye. The entire plant is used - leaf, stem, and bud

3. gently push the dried plant into the water

4. strain the tea after 1 minute

5. 1 pot serves 6 people

6. to brew smaller batches break up the plant into a teapot and steep 5-7 minutes

Greek (Grandmother) Mountain Tea:

Appearance: small yellowish-green buds stacked closely together with little yellow flowers tucked inside. leaves are thin, fuzzy and silvered.

Wet Leaf: bright crisp herbal smell

Tea Liquor: honey colored, lightly green

Flavor: light smooth honeyed taste. Mild grassy tones - like sage without the bitterness. Slight minty quality. Katie compares it to a very light jasmine tea.

Greek (Grandfather) Mountain Tea

Appearance: large pointy spearhead shaped buds, a livelier green, and set further apart on a thick hairy stem. Leaves are much larger and still consistently green

Wet Leaf: pungent earthy spiced smell

Tea Liquor: vivid coloring like thick honey tinged with olive oil

Flavor: Richer, darker minty quality. Somewhat hard to place. It's similar to the grandmother tea but with a black pepper-ish bite at the end.

[doublecupteas]

Sip of the Month: French Blue Lavender

FEBRUARY 01, 2017

Barack Obama having tea with the 14th Dalai Lama (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

As I watched President Obama say goodbye to the White House last month, I reflected back on his accomplishments and the things that made him truly great. Mr. Obama made many admirable choices during his 8 years in office, not least among them being his choice of tea over coffee - which caused quite a scandal early on in his campaign (Team McCain Slams Obama for Drinking Organic Honest Tea) and later when he entered the White House, defying years of Presidential tradition by drinking out of a tiny porcelain cup:

"In the end, Viser comes up empty-handed on the coffee's source but does uncover something far more shocking - Obama isn't a coffee drinker. That's right, any time you see the President holding what looks like a cup of coffee, he's really drinking tea. As the nation mourns this startling discovery, one can't help but wonder what else the White House is keeping from the American people." (Obama Drinks Tea While White House Refuses To Reveal Coffee Source)

Our first African American President faced adversity on many fronts, drinking tea was the least of the obstacles he had to overcome in office. So I thought I would dedicate our sip of the month to him, our favorite tea drinking President: Barack Obama.

Sources say Mr. Obama's go-to tea is Black Forest Berry (from Honest Tea) but I thought I'd do him one last favor and offer some context to an off-hand remark he made when a Missouri barista recommended the lavender tea (according the the Boston Globe).

Wet leaf of French Blue Lavender I ordered at the Bun Shop in Baltimore.

"I'm not confident enough to order that"

At first glance you may be thinking, perhaps Mr. Obama is playing on the fear that drinking a flowery "feminine" tea could come off as a sign of weakness (especially to Americans subscribing to patriarchal ideals of masculinity). Or perhaps he had concerns on a grander scale, as such weakness might send the wrong signal to other world leaders, and put our country in peril. But having myself ordered Lavender tea at my local coffee shop - I believe the president was afraid of something entirely different.

Exhibit A:

Hands down my favorite tea review on Steepster

This tea is so potent even the POTUS can't drink it with confidence. My own experience with French Blue Lavender has not been any kinder. While the little purple buds are attractive, the tea has a nasty habit of reaching up into ones sinuses and never letting go. Enough said.

Thank you President Obama for your service to our country: for shielding us from toxic masculinity, and toxic tea. We miss you already.

[doublecupteas]

Sip of the Month: Bella Coola

JANUARY 01, 2017

At least one good thing came out of 2016- I met Not Just Tea at the Sugarloaf Craft festival back in April. They had samples of their Fruit Sangria tea blend which is to die for. I had the foresight to pick up a couple other blends, enough to hold me over while I anxiously await their return to Maryland.

As I'm getting down to the last precious cup of Bella Coola, I thought I'd do a tasting for you. As you can see the blend is full of texture - lots of dry fruit here (oranges, apples, pineapple, peach) with South African Rooibos as the base. I strongly suspect that the flower petals here are hibiscus (though it's not listed on their label or website)

As it steeps the recommended 5-7 minutes (I do 5 because I can smell the potency of this a mile away - it's tangy but sweet) The tea liquor is a vibrant magenta color (hence the hibiscus). Rooibos tends to have a lot of sediment- you can see it sinking along with the concentrated color of the hibiscus. They sit on the bottom, so you have to be careful when you pour to go back and forth between the cups or else the first cup will be super weak, and the last incredibly pungent. When Not Just Teas prepares their samples, they actually boil a large batch of tea and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then squeeze all the juices out and serve, to avoid any problems with cup consistency. 

As for the flavor, it’s rather punchy to start: tart, with a lot of sourness coming from the apple. The citrus flavors are more subdued and the whole thing fades to a delightful sugar coated fruit flavor. I’m not super into fruity or sweet teas, but this has a nice cooling effect. Sip it slowly, the tea gets more concentrated as you go, and the tartness builds on itself – drink it too fast and you’ll completely miss the subtle sweet notes at the end. This is one that changes a lot depending on what pieces you get in each cup- mine seems to have a lot more apple in it than anything else. I'd recommend this tea as a juice substitute, it's caffeine and sugar free, and is pretty close to a tropical punch, would be lovely iced, and fun for a kids tea party.

[doublecupteas]

Wanting to Punch AutoPunch

DECEMBER 30, 2016

Some will remember an earlier teamail where I got stupidly excited, having finally acquired a copy of the SINGER embroidery software AutoPunch. For those who missed it, I'm designing reusable tea sachets showcasing bold ladies & teas. Machine embroidery seemed the best option- at MICA we used software to transform sketches to stitches with great success. So I tried it at home...

(Warning, this exciting tale of sewing sabotage is not for all readers, especially if you're just here for the tea)

Behold. The SINGER Futura XL400 (stickers not included). Before even fiddling with the embroidery functions the package boasts of, I ran into a major design flaw in the machine itself. Whenever thread gets caught in the mechanics below deck, the entire bobbin case comes loose and bounces around under the needle. In most machines the bobbin case stays in place, the needle breaks, and you replace it for 10 cents. SINGER made the needle work for them: fashioning a bobbin case out of malleable plastic so that the needle can scratch and stab it every. time. there's. a hiccup. Then they charge $14 to replace the bobbin case when it breaks. Which will be very often, what with the thread catching on every snag in the plastic. Pro tip: to make your bobbin case last a little longer you can smooth out some of these sharp edges with a nail file.

My biggest problem with the machine is the software. The SINGER Futura XL400 (in all it's intentionally vague packaging) comes with embroidery software included: what they actually mean is, a library of cute flowers & letters that you can resize. They really put the basic in "basic editing of all designs". Luckily, SINGER offers a variety of add-ons... for a price. So I drop $200 on AutoPunch: a tool that lets you take any image and translate it into stitches. Well, not any. That's what PhotoStitch is for. And well, if for some reason AutoPunch chokes on your picture you'll also need to buy Advanced Editing to fix it. Text is also not included unless you buy their pre-made designs, or you can dump more money into this barely functioning software to get HyperFont! :D

So I try out my first design, a simple black and white .jpg - drop it into AutoPunch, and ...scrambled eggs happen. Ok, that's fair, it was a scan after all. I clean it up, turn up the contrast, bring it back and ...nope. Try again! Maybe it's my drawing? I test out the lovely logo sketch master Illustrator Evyn Fong sent over. REJECTED. So I take the file into illustrator, put hours in making bolder lines, solid shapes, black on white, there's no way AutoPunch can get confused now. And...

AutoPunch, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? While this could be called an improvement to the scrambled egg the program made of my first designs, it simply wont do. First off, how are you getting green from a black and white image?

Back to the drawing board in illustrator, I dump a few more hours and trouble shoot every possible problem I can think of. BOLDER lines, no gaps, high rez, low rez, color blocks, anything to make AutoPunch understand. To my great relief, we had a breakthrough.

Still not sure why this worked exactly, but I've prepared digital files to take between programs before - so I have some guesses. From what I can tell, increasing the resolution to the highest possible degree is your best bet. It's in the color reduction phase that the program struggles. If you can provide more pixels AutoPunch will make more accurate distinctions between color blocks and you'll get more detail.

All in all, this machine is great for people who don't mind paying for pre-made designs. Not so great for artists and professionals who want to make their own. You'll end up spending $1,000 on half-baked software, and while the DIY community for this machine is awesome, Singer's solution to tech support is to send you a new copy of their already broken program. My copy of AutoPunch didn't even come with an instruction manual. For $1,000 you can get a much better value. In fact, there are many free programs I've seen perform better than AutoPunch.

As for the machines performance- the needle ruined one piece of fabric, punched two new holes in my bobbin case, but finally managed to stitch the 3"x3" design operating at it's lowest speed setting (which took an hour). With the design FINALLY stitched, and my rant complete, I think I'll settle down to a nice cup of tea, thank you.

[doublecupteas]

First Cup, Make it a Double

DECEMBER 04, 2016

I can't remember my first cup of tea, only that I hated it. Tea was my mother's drink, my grandmother's, my great aunt's, my nana's, but not mine. More appealing were the fizzy syrupy sodas, milk swirled with chocolate, juice out of a box. I had a young uncomplicated palate. Thankfully tastes change, it's the growing that sticks with us.

Now, the first cup of tea that changed my mind wasn't anything special- regular black tea in a stapled bag, to be sure. But it was made for me. I'd come home terribly upset over something not worth remembering now, and my mum put on the kettle. She sat with me and listened until it whistled her away, returning with offers of honey and lemon. She brought out two cups, pouring mine first before finally settling down herself. Together we warmed our hands watching the steam rise from mismatched mugs. I couldn't tell you what it tasted like, bitter or sweet, but I felt better.

I remember the gesture, and daily repeat that magic ritual, passed down from daughter to daughter: boil the water, add the leaves, steep, stir, sip, repeat. The love passed along in teacups is the same sort of love found in the stitches of quilts. It's the warm everyday kind, and it grows on you. This is what I mean when I say, I love tea.

Today, and many cups of tea later, I'm spreading the love - starting with this blog. Consider this a window into the project: Double Cup Teas, using needlework and tea leaves to transform "feminine" activities into feminist activism. There's a lot of care in a cup of tea- from the cultivating, to the brewing, to the sharing. Engaging in the ritual is one small way to take care of yourself, your community, and your environment every day. To that end, I'll be posting once a month with updates, news, reviews, teas, tips, stitches, and bitches <3 so you can make the most out of every cup.

In the meantime, you can follow the project on Steepster, Instagram, and Pinterest or sign up for the Teamail - write to me about the first cup of tea that changed your mind. Can't wait to hear from you!