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The days are growing colder here in the Northern Hemisphere and soon the full force of winter will be upon us. Food and beverages grow cold very quickly in this cold weather. This is especially so in the mornings after the temperature has been lowered the night before for bedtime. Tea in a teapot cools in minutes and tepid tea is not my cup of tea.
There are two options I use to keep my pot of tea nice and warm. One is to place the teapot over a direct heat source from a tea light placed in a tea warmer. This works really well for different sizes of teapots and if you are sitting at the table having your tea. I would not recommend a tea warmer if you intend to bring your tea to a different room in a tray. This is where the quilted drawstring tea cozy wins over the tea light. They tend to be more portable and keeps the tea really warm.
There are several different types of tea cozies – quilted, knitted, or crocheted. The traditional cozy is usually dome shaped and is simply placed over the teapot. It has to be removed to get to the teapot. Some years back, I came across this drawstring tea cozy that is not only pretty but absolutely practical. It fits snugly over the teapot and need not be removed for the tea to be poured. I was totally enamored.
The construction is pretty simple and so I decided to make my own. I started with ready-made quilted fabric from the store but the designs were limited. I quickly moved on to using my fabric of choice, a layer of batting, and a plain backing fabric. Later with more experience, I made fully reversible ones so that I now have two different designs for one cozy. It was so much fun and I had so many lovely fabrics to choose from.
For the drawstring, I initially tried sewing a simple channel to thread the ribbon through. I also tried sewing button holes but this proved to be very time consuming. Finally, during one of my trips to the fabric store, I discovered this eyelet lace which allows a ribbon to be threaded through it. Perfect! The lace came only in white but there were choices of a single sided (only the top) ruffles, double sided (top and bottom) ruffles, or no ruffles at all. I have used all three but my favorite is the single sided ruffles. Unfortunately, I have had trouble finding this eyelet lace of late. I may have to resort to something else as I only have sufficient for one more tea cozy.
During my last trip to Japan, I chance upon this pair of tea cups. Talk about a “lucky” find! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them as they were the perfect match to my pair of tea cozies. I had to bring them home. 
Beautiful Tea Cozies …. I am a true tea drinker, love to enjoy my tea with accessories .. Thanks for sharing….
Thanks Shama! Glad to hear you enjoy drinking tea.
Lovely! The pairing of the green and blue cups with the cosy patterns are just wonderful!
Thanks Haruna! I was delighted that the cups matched the cozies so well.
Wow! What a truly lucky find those teacups are! I love the blue one with vases, on the extreme left in the first picture. Also, the dark green one with pink (?) flowers as well as the teapot it is covering. Any chance of seeing the teapot too?
I had no idea you had so many in your collection!! I only have one, the one you gave me, which I love and use almost every afternoon. My boys love afternoon tea, but they are too burly to be dainty and delicate I suppose. They keep spilling the tea and have stained my lovely tea cosy
I tried to get the stain out but it’s still there, though faint. Now I put it on only after pouring out their cups of tea 
I am always on the lookout for fabrics and the blue one with the vases is an Asian design fabric which is pretty hard to come by. I should visit the fabric store in Malaysia or Singapore the next time I visit. The teapot in the dark green cozy is a James Sadler chintz teapot given to me by hubby for my birthday. It is my favorite teapot with a very pretty design and shape. I will share it one of these days.
I actually have quite a few more including some Christmas ones. I have also given away quite a few to close friends as gifts. Made them before my blogging days.
So glad to hear you are enjoying the one I gave you. Occasionally I will soak the cozies in a mild detergent and gently rub the stained area. It may not remove the stain totally but it should be faint after washing.
very cute tea cozies…. I try to make these pattern..
Thanks Rubina!
These are so cute, love that you made them. Great gift for a tea lover! I’ll have to try my hand at one. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks Denise! Yes, these tea cozies make lovely gifts. I used to make quite a few in my pre-blogging days. I also use them almost everyday in the winter as it keeps my tea nice and hot.
Love tea & your tea cosies! Would you share the pattern/measurements? I have a rooster tea cozy that is getting a bit worn as it is amost 30 yrs. old lol! Time for a new one!
I remember my Mom had a huge stuffed tea cozy made out of a burgundy velvety corduroy with a wood base & a zipper to close it – the tea stayed hot all day…if it lasted that long!
My cozies are all made to fit my teapots and are of different sizes. Some are fully reversible and some are one sided. It will be hard for me to draw them out and put the instructions together. Maybe someday when I have the time.
Yes, a cozy does keep the tea hot for quite a long time. I use mine almost everyday in the winter. Works better than a tea light.
These are just what I’ve been looking for. Are there patterns for these??
I enjoy having afternoon tea almost every day. Love your blogs.
Thanks Shirley for visiting and commenting. I am so glad to hear you enjoy both my blogs.
I made these cozies for my own use and they are made to fit each teapot. It did not come from a store bought pattern.
Your tea cozies are fabulous. I’m trying to make my own after being inspired by you. Do you put the eyelet lace on both sides for the reversible ones? Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for the compliments, Shamin! Yes, the eyelet lace is placed on both sides of the reversible tea cozies.
Is there anyway I could obtain a generic pattern so I could try my hand at making a tea cozy? I usually have my 4 little granddaughters and their mom’s over for a tea party every summer, and the tea gets cold quickly when sitting in the shade.
Also, I love your site. I was just very lucky to find it.
Thanks Barb for the kind words. I am glad you found my blog.
At the moment, I have not seen a tea cozy paper pattern out there. I wonder if the fabric, specialty kitchen, or even tea stores may carry them.