At Tea, we’re committed to providing the highest quality children’s clothing that can be passed down from kid-to-kid. With each piece of Tea that gets a new life, one less piece of clothing ends up in our landfills. Through the years, we’ve developed a dedicated community of Tea fans who stand by our quality as much as we do. This Earth Day, we’re sharing a story about how one Tea fan used vintage Tea (some as old as 10 years!) to do something special for a friend. Read on to learn more about Marya’s story.
I was first introduced to Tea Collection via catalogs arriving in my mailbox when my daughter was an infant. At the time, I could not afford the clothes, but was instantly drawn to the unique styles, patterns, comfort, and world influence in the designs. I made my first Tea purchase during the 2010 Memorial Day Sale, picking up pieces from the Korea line that today immediately remind me of my eldest daughter’s toddler years.
A couple years later, I discovered a budding online Buy/Sell/Trade Tea community on Facebook and realized I could afford to purchase more of the clothes I had fallen in love with so many years prior. The greatest gift of joining this community, however, has been the long-term friendships I’ve made. To me, Tea not only represents globally-influenced clothing, style and comfort, but also the connections I’ve made with other women from a myriad of backgrounds and geographic locations.
A few years and a pandemic later, one of these friends expressed her frustration over ill-fitting masks. Having sewing knowledge, I offered to attempt to turn her Tea clothing into masks for her and her daughters. I was sent a package full of gorgeous prints that brought back so many memories and proceeded to do the unthinkable: I tossed them all in the dryer in preparation to be cut and sewn into masks.
After some trial-and-error, I was able to successfully create an array of masks using both the woven and knit materials of the Tea clothes I received. Each mask is made with three layers, often using the linings of dresses if they had one. I paid special attention to pattern placement and particularly enjoyed creating masks that retained special features of the dresses they came from—embroidery of the Bali Ubud Ikat dress, the gathering and pleating of others, the plackets on some, the contrasting sleeves and patterns from standout pieces.
Just a few years ago, I would never have envisioned myself chopping up our beloved Tea pieces, but this pandemic has changed the way I see things. I loved having the opportunity to once again appreciate each piece, recalling the fond memories associated with each one, then breathing new life into the fabric. The Tea clothing we’ve all loved is serving double duty—keeping us all safer, and hopefully bringing a smile to the face of a dear friend made thanks to a shared love of Tea.
Want more inspiring stories like this? Be sure to follow us on Instagram @teacollection. Love Tea as much as Marya? Join our Tea Insiders Facebook group here for sneak peeks, exclusive offers, and a shared love of Tea.
