Grow Slow

Big things are in the works around here. I have a bunch of pretty patchwork goodness all stitched up. It has been a wet and rainy January. I can handle cold weather, but the fear of soggy hems and mud stains inhibit the taking of proper outdoor pictures of my clothing. At least, I got a few fun pictures of the sloppy, squishy rain.


Lately, it seems we know all too well that Mother Nature is an unstoppable force. There was a tornado that touched down in my town last week. It was surreal. Thankfully, my family and home are safe. You never think that a natural disaster could happen to you. My heart goes out to the people of Haiti and the uphill struggle they have ahead of all of them. I am touched by the amount of people all over the world doing their part to help with the relief. You can donate to the American Red Cross here.

On a lighter note, I really have been sewing up a storm.

Here is a sneak peak of my Faux-Back Mini Collection. The inspiration came from my new fondness for faux patchwork printed fabrics, especially the vintage sort.


In addition to my mini collection, I also have quite a few other creations to share. Here is a sneak peak of some skirts coming to an etsy shop near you.

The highlight of my year so far, is purchasing a domain name for my wee business. As of now, you can get to my etsy shop via www.agreenbanana.com. It is a huge deal and I could not be more excited for what the future holds.


Don't count on a shiny website any time soon, because Miguel and I are pretty green in the web design department (*teehee* -- pun intended). We grow slow around here, but I'm not complaining.

~hugs~

Easy Tea Pot Cozy

I love hot tea. Green tea is my favorite, but I also love chamomile and earl grey. There are many health benefits associated with tea and the most note worthy being a boat load of antioxidants.

Being the cold natured lady that I am, I drink even more hot tea during the cold winter months. Much to my dismay, I have never had a tea pot cozy. I was watching Bed Knobs and Broom Sticks the other day and I loved Angela Lansbury's tea pot coozie. It was adorable, decked out in pom-poms, knitted, and way beyond my skill level. It resembled this lovely number I found on etsy.


Upon further research, I learned that the design is classically English. You can find a tutorial here.

As I sipped my cold tea, I dug through my scraps I found the hood to a sweater I felted for another sewing project. It looked so lonely, so tiny, and warm. That shrunked hood would never fit my head in a million years, but I did have something in the same shape as a head that needed warming.

Now it's tutorial time! The method I used is known as a pin and flip. I first saw this technique on a home decorating show where the decorators made their own slip covers for an unsightly couch.

Easy Tea Pot Cozy

You will need:
Felted wool or fleece**
Pins
Scissors
Sewing machine Or Hand sewing needle and thread,

**I used a hood, but you could cut a couple of oblong half circles of your felted material. To do this, I suggest turning your tea pot on its side and trace it's silhouette for the curves.


Drape the fabric over your tea pot with the right sides together. Pin and pinch the fabric fit with your straight pins with the pins going parallel to the seam.

Don't forget pin around your spout so you can pour your warm snuggled tea.


Slip off the fabric off the tea pot carefully so not to loose any pins. Trim the seam allowance pretty close to your pins. I recommend re-pinning the seam with the heads of the pins perpendicular to the seam. This will make it easier to pull them out as you sew. The thick wool fabric can make pins disappear into its fluff.


I used a tiny zig zag stitch with lots of back stitching at either end to secure the openings, but a whip stitch would work just fine if you are sewing my hand.



Flip the right side out and check the fit. Add another row of stitching if necessary. Trim around the spout to fit.

Ta da!

I made my cozy to fit my bigger tea pot, so it would fit my smaller with no problems.

If you make this project, feel free to email me your pictures so I can brag about your skills.

Hugs~