I can say the words tea cozy with a straight face these days because I really need one down in my basement studio, suddenly makes total sense. In case anyone else wants to make one for their shivering tea, here's how I made mine. I hope this makes sense, if not, please let me know.
Gather your materials:
- Your teapot
- 1/2 yard of 2 different fabrics you like (I suggest home dec. weight fabric just because I prefer the weight)
- 1/4 Hi-loft quilt batting OR enough thinner quilt batting to create a couple of layers
- small scraps of 2 pieces of coordinating fabrics for the top loop
- a large piece of scrap newspaper, tissue paper, or something to trace onto
- pencil
- scissors
- pins
- iron/ironing board
- sewing machine
- coordinating sewing thread
- pinking shears (optional)
To Make:
1. Make a pattern for your teapot. Lay the paper on your worktable, and lay the teapot on its side down in the middle of it. You're essentially tracing a half circle around the teapot, including extra for seam allowance as well. I err'd on the large side when making my paper pattern, knowing I could take away if it was too big. Once you've traced around (allowing for a 1/2" seam allowance in the process), move your teapot, then fold the half circle you just drew in half widthwise, and cut it out (this will ensure that its an even "arc" or 1/2 circle, rather than a wonky one, which would be a different project altogether...)
2. Cut your body, fabrics, fabric loops and quilt batting. Trace the paper pattern onto each of your home dec/body fabrics, cutting out 2 of each print. Next, pin your paper pattern onto your quilt batting and cut out 2 pieces (unless you are using thin batting, then cut out 4 pieces/2 for each side of your cozy), but make these about 1/2" smaller than the cut body fabrics. For each of the top loops, cut out 1 piece of fabric 4" x 2".
3. Make the loops. At your ironing board, take the first cut loop piece and fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, press. Unfold, then fold each of the cut edges toward the crease, wrong sides together, press. Lastly, fold the loop in half again (at the original center crease) and press. Repeat with the other loop. Take these loops over the sewing machine and sew the 2 lengthwise edges using coordinating thread and stitching as close to the edge as possible.
4. Baste the loops onto the body fabrics. Fold your loop into an actual loop shape, and pin it the center of the rounded edge of one the right side of its coordinating body pieces. (Raw edges of loop are pointed in same direction as raw edge of body fabric.) Sew a couple of basting stitches close to the edge to hold it into place.
5. Sew the body pieces. Pin the 2 pieces cut from the first fabric print together, right sides together, and sew around the rounded edge, leaving the bottom straight edge open. Repeat with second print. Press all the pieces smooth. (I like to cut the seam allowances with pinking shears before moving on to make a neater seam allowance, but this is optional and you can skip if you want).
Tip- At this point, check the fit of the pieces around the teapot. Too big and droopy? Sew a larger seam allowance around the rounded edge to bring it in a bit. Too small? Drop it and go answer some emails, come back to it later, realizing you may have to make a new pattern and start over.
6. Add in the quilt batting. Turn one of the sewn tea cozy bodies right side out and press (leave the other wrong side out). Fit the body you turned right side out over the other body, making sure they are even and straight. Put your quilt batting layers between these body fabric layers, taking the time to make sure its evenly distributed all around. Pin into place in a couple of spots.
7. Hem the bottom. Fold even hems in towards the quilt batting for each of the body fabrics. Take care to make sure you've completely enclosed the quilt batting around the bottom, pin all the way around. Stitch a hem about 1/4" away from the bottom all the way around.
Tip- If you want to hold the quilt batting in place, take a few stitches around the body of the tea cozy on both sides, using a coordinating thread. The batting I used was so thick and seemed to stay in place just fine, but I may decide to add these before I wash it.
Have fun, let me know if you make one!
