I Love Teapots and Tea Cosies

Rather than get out my old tea cosies (most of them are stored in a box in the cupboard), I decided to knit a new one.

Some nubbly yarn scraps and some fluffy yarn left overs.

I used a cosy as a guide as well as a tea pot. There is always a bit of trial and error getting the fit right. I undid the first attempt after about 4 rows because it was obviously too big.

I combined the fluffy and nubbly yarn every 4th row. I ran out of nubbly yarn at the top so I had to make the top part all fluffy. I made holes around the top for the ribbon but the fluffiness made it impossible to see where they were so the ribbon just got threaded through best as possible using a big needle.

It is stocking stitch for the first 6 rows with smaller needles then the rest is stocking stitch with needles 1 whole size larger. I used 7mm and 8mm needles. The top is shaped by knitting 2 tog all the way across. After knitting 2 sides I put them on one 7mm needle.

I did knit 2 purl 2 ribbing across both sides so the top is done in one piece. I did about 8 rows with the holes around the 4th row.

I added some beads.

I love the way the bottom curls up a bit.

This one fits 3 or 4 of my medium tea pots.

Happy Crafting and Quilting,

Val

Two more small finishes

I have been steadily working on my tea cosy for a couple of weeks and finished it off yesterday. I love the colours but I think it needs a band of colour then cream for the rest like an Old Country Roses plate. I think the next one will be dark pink, light pink and yellow with maybe a green lining and base border. I love this tweed knitting pattern.

After seeing Donna's star tutorial I just had to make one with the Japanese floral that I had. It sits nicely on the big lazy susan in the centre of our banquet table.

Not much to do right now. It is early. I have to put lemon icing on the quinoa and carrot cake and prepare the pumpkin ice cream mix. I have frozen up several bananas too, to make a nice icy dessert. The pumpkin ice cream is made with coconut milk. There have to be some dairy free options.
I think this Christmas theme is the 'Free From Christmas'. We have to have some dairy free, wheat and gluten free, mango free, peanut free, sugar free, meat free options :D

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Merry Christmas!
Val

Little Christmas Bits 15

Worked on a tea cosy today. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I wanted the icing to be in felt and sit on top like a hat. I had to make the cherries match up when I put the two sides together and then I had to hand stitch the icing down because I couldn't get it far enough on the sleeve arm to reach. I also forgot to put the stars on before I put the pudding together so they had to be hand sewn too.
I am pleased with how it turned out. I used the cherries and star idea from an applique pudding block in a magazine.
The tea cosy is half the circumference around the spout and handle then add 2 inches. The height is the curved distance from the table to the centre of the lid then add 3 inches. A 1/4 inch seam is allowed and I bound the bottom.

Happy Quilting and Crafting,
Val

Another Tea Cosy

When I can't think of what to make, a tea cosy or a tote bag are such wonderful props for a bit of fun sewing.
I like to collect greeting cards on my trips around. I display them in my glass top coffee table and cabinets that I walk past all the time. I have quite a few and every time I swap them around I find another favourite.
This one I got at the gift shop in St Martin's in the Field in London 2010.

I enlarged it a bit and made myself a tea cosy.

I love breakfast out in the sun and the path outside my winter parlour is a perfect spot.

Stumpy thought it wasn't quite warm enough for him yet so he stuck to his sunny chair on the inside.

I was pleased to get some mail. A lovely book on making landscapes that I won on A Quilting Reader's Garden blog. Thanks Angie.

I wasn't celebrating 4th July but it just happened that mum and I had a wonderful high tea at Tea and Niceties on Tamborine Mountain on Thursday. We joined the lovely ladies on the Brisbane Australian Sewing Guild tour. Mum and I knew a lot of the regular tourists from the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide tours. The tea was $45 each but a real treat. Those little scones are to die for!
I took this picture with my phone and found it linked automatically with my Google+ albums. It was ready for me to just upload to this blog post. So easy.

If you like cute applique (and who dosen't?) check out Fat Cat Patterns. I have started collecting the doggy faces. I may not get time to make them yet but I just love them.

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Happy Quilting,
Val

A Finish for FNWF

Twice I have backspaced my intro because it just sounded too corny. I feel really happy. I love all the sewing projects I have on the go. I love how joining in with the various blog sew-ins and sew-alongs motivates me to finish things. I love getting inspiration from other people's blogs. It is just nice to feel so positive about everything.

For FNWF I started the Paris block from the "Adventure" free BOM. I changed the thread colours a bit to suit me more. No matter how good I feel there is no way I can take on another quilt so I have decided to make things with each of these stitchery blocks blocks through the year.

If you have been reading my blog for a while I don't think you will be surprised to see what I have turned this block into. 

Strangely I do not have any tea souvenires from Paris so I have used some of the fabric I bought in Paris to make a tea cosy. The Eiffel Tower charm is from a pair of earrings I bought at Melbourne markets last year because I thought they would make good zipper pulls. It seemed perfect to top off my Paris tea cosy.

There is a list of lovely people joining in this Friday Night with Friends on this post at Gone Stitch'n.

Thanks to Cheryll for hosting the sew-in.

Happy Quilting,

Val

ps

I can't believe it has rained non stop so far today. Hope everyone is keeping dry.

Day 6 and a Tea Cosy

The day got away from yesterday so he are the 6 blocks done.

I spent most of today finishing off my tea cosy. Here are a couple of quick iPad photos. I had fun doing the teacup and teapot quilting pattern. I had only just found it on Pinterest this morning.

It keeps the tea lovely and hot :)

Happy Quilting,

Val

 

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