Teacosy giveaway :)

Well, remember how Adele won the teacosy in my giveaway a few weeks back? Well, here it is. I had enough Horrid's (you know who I mean - Knightsbridge, posh etc) teatowel left to make a pair of potmits:

I couldn't resist these teatowels and bought a few. Adele LOVES teatowels, and so it seemed like the perfect material to use.

But when you are 4, like Angus, a teacosy means one thing only! It even comes with shields! ;-)

And the winner is..!

Nine unique comments left, in numeric order. And the winner is...

Which is Adele in Christchurch! Who also wrote a whimsical poem.

Adele, I hope that a nice soft cosy will protect your teapot, should it get knocked over again. Hope not though xoxoxo.



Giveaway time!

I'm feeling generous. Leave a comment and I will randomly select one commenter to receive their choice of teacosy from my current stock!
I love tea cosies and I love to make them. This is not a random thing however. A loong time ago MrC and I realised that we both liked a top up of tea, and making tea in mugs or cups with a teabag was unsettling. So we bought a china teapot and started using it. However, the tea would cool down between first cup and top up. So I bought, second hand on trademe (NZ's own answer to ebay) a fabric teacosy. Very 1992 it was, with little pink and green flowers. I realised that I could make a much nicer one myself, and had a go. I wanted a reversible style so I could two different looks, and my 'pattern' allows for this.  The first one was a Phillip Jacobs poppy print in bright red on one side and a bright fruity print on back on the other. With purple trim. Since then I think I've made around 50? Anyway, the process of creating something special from scratch even in one sitting is too irresistible. :)
Comments on the wonderfulness of tea, afternoon tea, tea cosies or any related topic are welcome.
If you take advantage of my recently changed settings that allows commenting without logging in (as blogger is being such an ass lately), do include a name so I can ID you :)
I will ship anywhere in the world, so no holding back, now, y'hear! :)
PS If you are a coffee drinker, I can sub a coffee cosy instead xo

A random selection of past makes. :)

Taking the plunge, at last...

I know I am meant to be getting on with my velvet frock coat, but I tried last night and even with company, I just couldn't summon my muse. So, instead I made something we have needed for ages. Cold second cups of coffee, no more! I have at last made a coffee plunger cosy for us!

 Isn't she magnifique! I've never made a crazy patch one before. It took AGES. Bits of trim, buttons and several gold and beige fabrics later, here it is. Umm, except I haven't sewn any velcro onto it yet. hence the blue pins.

 

From the other angle. I LOVE the pewter frogging trim on this side. I have acres of it - it was pretty expensive for a stash rehash, but the quality is amazing and it just keeps on giving. Here it is making excellent Regency hairstyling. And here is the black velvet trim with the diamond criss crosses gracing the edges of the famous Laurel gown.

And here she is with her bestie, the tea cosy. I made the teacosy for last year's Christmas fair, and it didn't sell so I commandeered it, as it was just so much nicer than the one fabric one I originally made for us.
The thing is, I don't often make something for my home - I take the things that don't sell, the leftovers. Now as I rarely make something I don't LOVE, this is not a big deal, but it was nice to start a project like this knowing it was going to be for us from the beginning. Especially one with so many nice memories of projects shared with friends :)

I've been making things!

Things have been a bit quiet around here because I've been flat out on two major projects - Coast to Coast and the DCM craft market at work. Here are some of the things I've made:

 More tea cosies! The one on the right was a commission. My favourite so far is the one in the middle, love the parchment and black thing!

 Bag-in-a-bags, from two different angles:

Now this may not seem like a lot for the time taken, but I have sold three teacosies and had to make a set of pot holders to match one, so the more I try and get enough stock, the more I sell. This is not a bad thing, of course, but I confess a part of me wants to stop anyone buying my stuff! How illogical is that! :)

Cosy to a T...

It's just got to be this weather that has me obsessing about Tea cosies. Making them is time consuming but not endless, and they are cosy to make, and hot tea is nice when it is so cold. So how can I resist?

Black and white - it's so very pleasing to the senses!

I love blue and white in this context, it looks like a teacosy made of broken china.

And of course, the homage to Clarice Cliff. There was a CC tea set on the Antiques Roadshow tonight, only two trios but a full teapot, sugar and milk, and they valued it at £2,500!! I wish my tea cosies would sell for that, but it won't be quite so much ;-)

Cosy and comforting things for this cold weather

I don't know what the weather's like in 'furrin parts', but here in Kiwiland it's ferkin' cold. And wet. And windy. All the winter things!
Anyway to warm up our thoughts, I've been thinking about cosy things. Like tea cosies, and plunger cosies.

Here are both views of one I made this weekend that is travelling all the way to the UK as a present for some people who have willow pattern china. It's crazy patched - I'm not usually a blue and white lover but I am LOVIN' this one and am going to make more. Also the whole toile thing, I LOVE it!

Now this set I made for my kitchen. It goes very well with it too. Suits the oranges and reds etc. However now I am in love with toiles I'm not so sure I love this. How can I be so fickle at my age??!!

This is a vegetarian calzone I made for a pie competition at work tomorrow. I've made it look pielike in case someone decides that calzone is not really a pie. Pick, pick, pick. I made a fern for the top as it is my company's emblem. It's very yummy too - aubergine, tomato, red onion, spinach, cheese and olives. YUM. So there you go, comfort food and cosies. Bring on the winter weather, I can hack it now! :)