Teapot Fancy Cozy Tutorial

*25TH OCT 2020 EDITED TO ADD: My Teapot Fancy foundation paper piecing pattern will soon be available in my Payhip shop.  Once it's ready, I'll add the link here!  Meanwhile, the cozy template is available for free at Payhip and you can make it with a block of your choice or a favourite cotton fabric.

 This is a very exciting week, I have a pattern published in Fat Quarterly Magazine.  This issue is all about piecing and there is a huge range of piecing patterns from simple to advanced.  My pattern is for a teapot block and I have written two ways to piece it- freezer paper template style and foundation.  It is a great pattern if you are new to piecing as I take you through both methods step by step.  I have designed a simple tea cozy for the finished blocks but you could make it with a different block or just out of patchwork fabrics.  This cozy should be big enough for a 4 cup teapot. 

Finished size 9" tall, 12" wide.  

You will need:

2 blocks/fabric pieces  14" x 10" wide for back and front.  If you use the FQ teapot blocks you will need to add sashing to make your block up to this size

Fabric for lining- 2 pieces each measuring 14" x 10" wide

Batting/Wadding 4 pieces  each measuring 14" x 10" wide

Fabric scrap for hanging loop

Binding strip 1.25" x 26" wide cut across width of fabric

Basting Spray- I use 505

Usual Sewing Supplies

Pattern template (free) here

1. Making the  Cozy Front and Back

 Make your quilt sandwich with 1 piece of batting and your quilt block.  Spray the batting and lay your quilt block on top, repeat for the other block.  Quilt blocks as desired. Find centre point along the top and bottom edge of each block and mark with pins.  Place pattern on the centre pins and using a pencil or erasable marker, draw round pattern piece, flip over the centre and draw round again. You should have a semi-circle type shape.

I added a little had hand sewn detail around the spout for steam after I had drawn round the template to make sure it would fit.  Cut out the semi circle and zig zag round the edge of front and back.

2. Making the Cozy Lining

Repeat the process in step one for the lining.  I kept my quilting simple and wide so there would be lots of space in the batting to trap heat and keep the tea warm!  Use the template, cut out and zig-zag as in step 1.  You should now have a front and back outer and front and back lining pieces, 4 pieces in all.

3. Making the Hanging Loop

From a scrap cut a bias strip 1.25"x4".  Fold in half lengthways so the long edges meet, press.  Open out, bring the long raw edges into the centre and press along the folds so your strip looks like the picture below.

Bring the folded edges together, press again and stitch along the edge.

On one of the outer cozy pieces, find the top centre point, loop the bias strip and place either side of the centre point with the loop facing inwards.  You can adjust the size of the loop to whatever works for you!  Stitch the loop to the top of the cozy stitching within the quarter inch seam allowance.  

4.  Completing the Cozy

Taking the two cozy outer pieces, place right sides together, pin around the edge and sew using a quarter inch seam all around.  Repeat with the lining but sew a scant 3/8"seam.  This will make the lining a little smaller so it fits nicely inside the cozy.  Clip curves on the outer and lining seam.  If you are nervous about cutting into your seam, place a pin just in front of the stitches to stop your scissors snipping your stitches.  Press open the last 2 inches of the seam at the bottom edge of the cozy on the outer and on the lining (see picture below).    Turn outer cozy the right way out and lining so the wrong side is out.

Place the lining inside the cozy outer, wrong sides together.  Pin at the pressed open side seams.  Stitch all around the bottom edge within the quarter inch seam allowance, about eight-inch from the bottom.  

5. Adding the Binding

Follow my Single Binding Tutorial to add binding around the bottom edge and to complete your cozy!

The teapot beside my cozy was my original inspiration for the teapot block!