Teapot Cosy

It was my mom's birthday yesterday.  I love birthdays because they are just another reason to craft things for the people you love.  I've been dying to make a teapot cosy that I found a pattern for in a book I took out from the library sometime ago (Quilting in No Time, by Emma Hardy), and since my mom drinks tea, I figured it was the perfect gift.  I love how it turned out!

Even before I drank tea I have always had a thing for teapot cosies.    My mom had a pink and white striped knitted teapot cosy with a pompom on top when I was little.  I wore that as a hat ALL the time as a child (that and a squash ball with a slit cut in it, for a nose.... but that's a different story).

I was very excited about this project because I can say I actually have a fabric stash (which in my opinion is something to be proud of because it means I've sewn a lot of projects).  Except for a couple of the fabrics in the patchwork, all of the fabric I used, I had already had from other projects that I have finished.  I also added rick rack to mine because I just LOVE rick rack.

I'm sure the tea will be very cosy because I have a lot of padding inside!  I used quilting batting and fleece.  The  pattern didn't call for interfacing, but I used it because I didn't think it was very sturdy without it.

Oh and of course I had to try it on my head, because that's what they are made for, apart from keeping tea hot.  For the record, it fit perfectly :)

 How to make it! (I changed several things from the book)

The the cosy pattern you make you will cut: (see diagrams for my my measurements)
-1 from the patch work
-1 from the back fabric
-2 from the lining fabric
-2 from interfacing (optional)
-2-4 from fleece (depending on how much padding you want)
-2-4 from quilt batting (depending on how much padding you want)

*you may not want interfacing if your material is heavier weight, and you may want to omit either the fleece or the batting.  It's up to you!

Once all of the pieces are cut out:
Iron interfacing onto the wrong side of the back piece and the patchwork piece.

Layer (starting from the bottom):
-batting
-fleece
-backing (right side up)
-patchwork (right side down)
-fleece
-batting

Pin it all together and sew around the curve!

Pin the two lining pieces (right sides) together and start sewing from one side stopping, and sewing to the other side.  LEAVE AN OPENING AT THE TOP OF THE CURVE BIG ENOUGH TO PULL THE COSY THROUGH!

Now flip the tea cosy with the patchwork showing.  Place the lining over the cosy, so the right sides are facing.  Sew around the bottom!

Push the cosy through the hole you left in the lining, and sew up the hole.  Now push the lining into the cosy!

Ta da :)

Keep cozy,
~Becca