How to Keep your Teapot Snug - Part 2

This post follows on from Part 1 which covered the outer design part of the tea cosy.
With the decorative sewing finished it’s time for the construction sewing to begin.

I started by sewing the notch at the top of each side together by pinning the right sides together and sewing along the edge.

Next I pinned the two sides of the cosy together, again with right sides facing, and sewed from the bottom of one side all the way round to the bottom of the opposite side.

I also popped in a loop of decorative ribbon with the hoop facing down and the edges sticking out of the top at the centre point (where the seams for the sewn-up notches meet). This was to create a handy little pull to remove the cosy from the pot when more tea is required, an important little touch.

Once the seam is done it can be turned the right way out with the seams on the inside.

For the lining I pinned one of the layers of lining to the black felt insulating layer. My lining fabric doesn't have a right or wrong side but if it did the wrong side should be facing the insulation. I randomly sewed starting from one edge using a straight stitch to a different edge, once the next edge was reached I turned it and sewed to another one. I repeated this step a few times giving the lining a quilted texture.

I did exactly the same for the second piece of lining and insulation.Once both sides were completed the construction of the lining sewing could begin in a very similar manner to the outer part. Again the first step was to sew the notches closed, this time the edges were joined with the lining fabric on the inside and the black felt on the outside. Once both of these were sewn closed the two sides of the lining were sewn together by pinning them together, as with the outer layer, but with the lining sides facing each other. I made the seam allowances twice as big as those for the outer section to make it a little smaller to fit inside, i.e. I used a 5mm seam allowance on the outer section and a 10mm allowance on the inner lining section. I trimmed the seam down for the lining to about 5mm after it had been sewn so there wasn't an excess of fabric creating bulk.

Now it was time to insert the lining into the outer shell. I matched up the seams and gently tugged it into place, smoothing the outer section over the inner section.

I had to trim down the inner section at the bottom to make the lining and the outer parts the same length. 
I used shop-bought, navy blue bias binding to finish off this last raw seam, pinning it all around the edge making sure that both sections are securely within the binding. I sewed it approximately 2mm in from the edge of the binding.

Once the threads have been neatly trimmed it’s good to go - a completed cosy just right to keep the pot snug and the tea hot!

Thanks so much for reading the post, I'd love to know what you think!
Until next time craft in earnest, Craftin' Ernest x