CRAFT PROJECT: Blooming Tea Cozy

sewing a tea cozy 
I wanted to attempt a small sewing project to try out a sewing machine that I had been given. I learned a few basic things from this project: machine applique, french knots, and machine quilting. It was a pretty simple thing to make and only took an evening after I really got started.

Here are the basic instruction to the tea cozy that I made. I chose fabrics that would work in my kitchen. The instructions and the pattern/templates are located here:
http://www.maryengelbreit.com/WorkShop/Crafts/TeaCozy.htm


Blooming Tea Cozy
Courtesy of Mary Engelbreit's Decorating Ideas

Have a tea party at a moment's notice with this flower-laden cozy gracing your table. Tiny floral buttons add to the summery design.

Finished size: 9 3/4 x 12 inches


What You'll Need:
Tracing paper and pencil
Scissors
1/2 yard blue-and-white checked fabric
Paperbacked fusible webbing
1/4 yard white-on-white print fabric for flowers
3 x 10-inch piece of green fabric for leaves
3 x 6-inch piece of green print fabric for flower centers
2 x 10-inch piece of yellow fabric for flower centers
Matching threads
Two 12 x 15-inch pieces of batting
Red embroidery floss; needle
1 yard of 1/2-inch-wide red flat trim
1/2 yard lining fabric
Seven 3/4-inch red flower buttons

Here's How:
1. Enlarge and trace the tea cozy pattern onto tracing paper. Use the pattern to trace two shapes on the blue-and-white checked fabric. On the front piece, trace the flower placement. Cut out the cozy front leaving approximately 1 1/2 inches all around to allow for quilting.

2. Trace full-size flower and leaf patterns onto paperbacked fusible webbing. Iron to reverse side of the coordinating fabrics, according to the manufacturer's directions. Cut out the fabric shapes. Using the placement diagram as a guide, fuse the flowers onto the tea cozy front according to the manufacturer's instructions. Machine-applique edges using matching threads.

3. Place the cozy front on top of a batting piece, and machine-quilt around the flowers and leaves. Use red embroidery floss to add French knots for detail. Sew on flower buttons where indicated. Cut out the quilted cozy front and plain back leaving a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Baste remaining batting piece to cozy back at edges. Trim batting around cozy shape.

4. Baste the red trim around the curved edge of the tea cozy front, aligning the straight edge of the trim with the marked edge of the tea cozy. Cut a 1 1/2 x 1-inch piece of bias checked fabric for loop. Fold the piece lengthwise with right sides together. Stitch along the long edge using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Turn. Stitch the loop to the center of the cozy's top. Stitch the cozy front to the back with right sides facing. Clip seam. Turn.

5. Cut two lining pieces using the cozy pattern. Stitch rounded edge with right sides facing. Slip the lining fabric into cozy, matching side seams. Baste around bottom edge. Bind raw edges with a finished 1/4-inch bias binding using checked fabric or purchased binding. To make binding, cut a strip of checked fabric on the bias approximately 1x26 inches. Fold in half lengthwise with wrong sides facing. With raw edges together, sew binding to bottom edge of cozy.