hot coffee for everyone: a tutorial

 

So, I'm getting some things made for Christmas, and for the Christmas market I've signed up to do in our little town. I couldn't resist joining in with a 'proper' Christmas market- outdoors in the snow and dark, with candles, carol singers, lanterns and hot chocolate. At least, that's how I'm imagining it so I don't freak out about how cold it's going to be. Last week I promised I'd share some gift ideas each Thursday, so here's this week's one: a coffee-cosy/cozy/warmer thingy. I've included a tutorial in case you'd like to make some too. We are big coffee drinkers, and always use a French Press with one of these covers to keep the coffee warmer for longer. Let me know you notice any mistakes/strange things with this little tutorial.

You'll need:
piece of fabric measuring 5.5" X 14.5" for the outer layer
piece of fabric measuring 5.5" X 14.5" for the lining layer
piece of quilt batting or Insul-Bright or thick wool or similar for the inner layer, measuring 5.5" X 14.5"
2 buttons (i used mis-matched vintage ones, about 2 cms diameter each)
2 pieces thin elastic (i used 4mm wide), cut into 3.5" lengths
sewing machine and thread

Finished measurements:
Laid flat, the French Press Cosy measures about 5" X 13.5". It fits our standard, 8-cup (I think), glass Bodum coffee plunger that measures about 8" from base to lid.

Method:
1. Cut the three layers of fabric to the above measurements. I think quilt batting or Insul-Bright would be best for the middle layer of the cosy, but I can't seem to find either in my little town so I used an old, clean towel! In the past, I've also used thick wool fabric/blanket pieces. Feel free to get imaginative with the outer and lining layers- I like to use patchworked fabric for the outer piece- here I've used bits of Japanese linen, denim and wool from my scrap basket.

2. Make a sandwich with the layers like this: place the batting down first on a flat surface, then lay the lining piece on top, right side up, then place the outer piece on top of that, right side down.

3. Pin around all the edges, leaving a gap of about 4" in the centre of one of the short ends of the rectangle, as shown above. Sew around where you have pinned, being careful to catch all the layers as you go. Reinforce stitching if you need to, then clip the corners. Turn piece inside out, and press with a warm iron.

4. Fold over and press together the raw edges where you have left the gap. Fold the pieces of elastic into loops, and insert the ends into the gap, near the edges of where you have sewn. (like below.) Pin them in place.

5. Sew across the edge, securing the elastic loops as you do so. I'd sew this seam a few times, just to be sure the elastic is well and truly stuck in there.

6. I like to do a bit of machine quilting on the finished piece, to secure the three layers together.
Then sew the buttons on to the other end (I use doubled-over thread to make sure they're really strong) to correspond with the elastic loops. You might need to try it on your French Press first, to see where they should be. And there, all finished!

(I can never stop at one. It's quite fun to match them to your friends' kitchens/crockery...)