First Cup, Make it a Double

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!