The delicious perfection of hot tea lingers with a snug cover or “cozy” for your teapot. It fits over the teapot to keep the heat inside.

To make this simple cover, cut fabric and batting layers, and then quilt them together. I’ll show you how to finish the edges with bias binding, as well as three options for closing the cozies.

The heat-keeping secret is insulated lining. Available at fabric stores or on the Internet, it is a thin sheet of shiny Mylar within a polyester batting. You can sew through it and machine-wash it. It’s also great to use in oven-mitt or hot-pad projects.

A cozy takes less than an hour to finish. Play with colorful fabrics and embellishments to come up with different styles. Your teapot can stay a lot warmer, and look beautiful, once it has a wardrobe.

Cut and quilt the cozy

Since teapots vary in size and shape, test the fit on your teapot. Make any adjustments, then cut the cozy fabric layers, and quilt them together.

1. Try on the cozy. Use the pattern on page 94, which fits most two- to four-cup teapots. Cut two pieces in muslin. Sew along the curved edge with a 1⁄4-inch seam allowance. Test the fit around your teapot; enlarge or reduce the pattern.	2. Cut the Fabric. Use your pattern to cut two fabric pieces, two batting pieces, and two lining pieces.