During the 1920s, Tasha participated in outdoor tea parties beneath an old apple tree in Connecticut. Many decades later, she tried to get a cutting from that tree to plant in her garden in Vermont. Upon inquiry she learned that the tree was gone, and had been gone since the hurricane of 1938. Nevertheless, she remembered the characteristics of the apples the tree bore and in time discovered the cultivar, and soon thereafter obtained a sapling. She planted it below and southwest of her front porch. It stands on the edge of the lawn beside the expanse of daffodils that in early spring turn the flattened winter grass into a sea of fragrant yellow. The tree now produces late summer apples excellent for pies.
October 20, 2020
We recently came across the statement “Classic children's literature teaches audiences of all ages the truth about the world and human nature.” Do you think this is true? Let's take a look at the Octobers of long ago through illustrations from four of Tasha's books; Pumpkin Moonshine (1938), The New England Butt'ry Shelf Cookbook (1968), Tasha Tudor's Five Senses (1978) and Around the Year (1957.)
December 16, 2019
This fall, Tasha Tudor and Family celebrated twenty years in business. We're offering a celebratory sale with 40% all prints. No coupon necessary, discount applied automatically when added to your cart. Our way of saying thank you for being with us for these past twenty years. Continuing reading to see some little known family photos.
December 12, 2017
With the garden tucked in for the year and the long nights of winter for company, we are in the midst of Christmas preparation and enjoyment. In the early days of winter, when one anxiously awaits the first fall of snow, long before Christmas day’s much-anticipated arrival, the excitement of Christmas can be felt in the air.
November 27, 2017
We usually encourage the avoiding of hurry, however every rule has its exception. Today, we release six limited edition offset prints. Since we only printed fifty of each and won't be printing these images again for at least five years, we might encourage a bit of haste to procure your favorites before they sell out.
September 14, 2017
We're happy to announce that you can now download Sparrow Post templates here and use them on any of your favorite papers, magazines or in any way you can imagine (personal use only please). Looking for inspiration and instructions? Check our Sparrow Post DIY / craft article from last December.
September 6, 2017
In April 2017, Seth, Marjorie, Winslow, Ellie, Katie and I gathered to watch the Tasha Tudor movie that had been recently released in Japan. While an elderly Tasha was featured in the film, the surrounding net of care that Seth, Winslow, Marjorie, and I provided to her became a character as well. We still strive to continue Tasha's legacy in homage to her and as the credits rolled, the film makers had cleverly tucked images of us handing down traditional skills to our very small children, Tasha's great-grandchildren.
In honor of Tasha's birthday, we thought it would be a wonderful time to share her favorite birthday cake recipe! You can find this recipe in the highly covetable Tasha Tudor Cookbook (currently out-of-print). In it, Tasha says, "This receipt has been the family birthday cake for as long as I can remember. For many of my daughter Bethany's birthday parties we placed the cake on a wood-shingle raft, surrounded it with flowers, and floated it down our stream. We also had a shingle raft and a candle for each child's sandwich. We positioned the guests downstream, and when the right moment came we would light the candles and send the cake and its flotilla of shingle boats out into the stream. It was dark by then, so you can imagine the surprise of the guests at the sudden appearance of this fairy convoy. Once, the cake took off into a faster current and my son Seth had to wade in to rescue it."
June 21, 2017
In the fullness of summer, on the longest day of the year, Tasha threw a party. Late June was always peak flower season so at this time of year Tasha invariably heard from friends and admirers requesting a visit to her exquisite garden. Always one for mixing efficiency with pleasure, Tasha decided to host an event every year on the summer Solstice where friends, family, and admirers could come marvel at her vibrant garden while also enjoying live music, dancing, food, and more!
Inspired by the Shakers of New England, Tasha and several friends invented a "religion" called Stillwater (which wasn't so much a religion as an excuse to get together, hold tea parties, and dress up in fancy, antique clothes). "Stillwater connotes something very peaceful, you see, life without stress...Life is to be enjoyed, not saddled with. Joy is there for the taking. That's the first commandment of the Stillwater religion." (Tasha Tudor, The Private World of Tasha Tudor). Every Midsummer's Eve Tasha and her family had what they called a "Stillwater Party" that usually included a marionette show, square dance, and a large bowl of cold, refreshing Stillwater Punch. Enjoy Stillwater Punch after a long day of gardening, swimming, or at your own Midsummer's Eve party. You just might make some new Stillwater converts yourself!