Make A Coffee Plunger Cosy
A little cosy warmth, colour, and style for your coffee pot.
I don't have a 'real' coffee maker. Maybe one day I will but in the meantime I still like good coffee. This is why I use a coffee plunger... also called a coffee pot or a bodum (by brand name).
I grind my beans for each delicious pot full and emptying them into the plunger wait for the flavour to brew and mellow. I like a quality bean as I drink my coffee black with a spoon full of organic coconut oil for health and smoothness.
Delicious if not barista perfect!
There is only one downside to my little coffee pot and that is that during the brewing time the coffee cools. I like hot coffee almost as much as good coffee. Really they're one and the same to me.
Being a mother, getting a good hot coffee some days can be fraught with difficulty. My own mother, a traditional (very hot!) tea drinker understood this and seeing my little coffee pot brewing and cooling on the bench one breakfast time plunged (pun intended!) into action. My mother whipped out her trusty crochet hook and in no time my coffee pot was dressed for a winter's day out!
It was very effective and I gratefully accepted a new wardrobe for both of my coffee pots. My visitors think it's amusing AND a very good idea. I think some people are just plain jealous that their coffee pot isn't so up-market.
Recently, however, I've been thinking of sewing my coffee pot a new outfit to indulge my patchwork tastes and to replace my mother's cosy's which have perhaps been washed once too often.
A coffee cosy is practical and I also wanted it to be a pretty delight. My coffee plunger cosy is now a part of my kitchen decoration that warms the house with it's charm summer and winter!
Cafe Mundo IV
A Coffee Plunger Cosy
is one of the greatest projects for both a beginner or very experienced patchworker.
Not only is it small, but once you have the rectangular size your mind can create something elaborate or as simple as you like. It's quick, easy and not too overwhelming.
Plunger Coffee Pots - What size is your cosy for?
Bodum is a very respected brand in coffee pots. They have many different styles and sizes so I have a couple.
However there are some other good ones out there too.
I'd like a stainless steel one. I've always thought they looked classy and think they would hold the heat better.
Check out the outdoor one! I think that's a must have. When we go on picnics I'm always carefully wrapping my plunger pot to take along. A coffee cosy will also protect your plunger when you're out and about.
Before starting to sew a coffee cosy, measure how tall your cosy will need to be finished (from base to just below the spout) and also around the cosy from handle to handle. This is the finished size.
Designing Your Cosy
A coffee cosy can be VERY simple. Think vertical or horizontal stripes with maybe a couple of buttons for detail.
For the cosy I featured in this lens I wanted something a little more elaborate. I featured a block which I had made previously. This block was a sample when I was learning to piece but I still had fabrics to co-ordinate with it and thought it was quite pretty. My plan was to use it as a centre feature and then built into the rectangular shape that I needed.
The block wasn't as accurate as I'd hoped and points didn't match exactly where they should! I decided to forge ahead though as I feel there's something to learn even from our mistakes, everything works out in the long run, and I just liked it anyway. I feel it's a good demonstration of what can be achieved even when you're learning and don't get it perfect every time.
This book, 501 Quilt Blocks, is my 'go to' book anytime I'm looking for quilt block inspiration.
The Size of My Cosy
Having measured around my pot and its height I'm going to make my cosy 11.5 inches wide and 7 inches tall finished. This is approximately 29cm by 18cm.
This is the size I will cut my backing and my wadding. The wadding or batting is obviously an important component for warmth. On projects like this one I use a polyester wadding that is cheap and washes well. I anticipate my coffee cosy will be washed fairly frequently as I often spill on my cosy when overfilling my plunger or dumping in the granules after grinding.
The small star block I have patched is 6.25 inches finished (subtracting 2x quarter inch seam allowances) so I will need to add approximately 5" to make the right length (2.5 inches on either side of the block). The height only needs 3/4 of an inch.
I will need to add my quarter inch seams to these measurements. I therefore need to cut 2x edge pieces at 6.75 inches high and 3 inches wide.
Please be aware that this is not necessarily a pattern. It is rather a demonstration of my thought process as I make this cosy. Your pattern will need to reflect the size of the coffee pot you are sewing it for. You may find the measurements are similar to mine or very different.
Button Loops
I used two buttons to hold my coffee cosy in place. For these I used strips of fabric that measured 1 inch by 4 inches.
- Fold each strip in half and iron it to create a crease.
- Open it out and fold the raw edges into the centre.
- Fold it in half again.
- Stitch close to the edge down the length of the strip.
- Fold the strips in half and pin them to the right hand side of the cosy with the edges even and the right sides facing.
- Baste it in place within the seam allowance.
Putting It All Together
Top, Backing and Wadding
At this point I made sure the front was holding square. I measured to my coffee pot and feeling it was a little tall trimmed the front back about a quarter inch on both top and bottom.
I cut the wadding the appropriate size and chose a backing (or inside) colour and did the same with it.
This gave me the three pieces that would become my coffee cosy.
Normally at this stage I would make a 'quilt sandwich' and quilt the item. In this case, I opted to sew around the edges and thus avoid needing to bind the coffee pot cosy.
To do this I laid the front piece onto the wadding so the front was right side up. I then placed the backing piece right sides together onto the front piece. I pinned all three pieces in place and decided on a wider seam allowance.
I sewed right around all four edges leaving about a third of the bottom edge open for turning.
Turn the cosy...
almost done!
To have nice sharp corners, it is necessary to trim them off at an angle. This prevents bulk when turning the cosy right side out.
Push the corners out sharply with the point of your scissors taking care not to pierce the fabric.
Roll the seams out using your fingers so that they are tight to the edges. Iron them in place.
Pin and sew the bottom opening closed.
Now you can sew any quilting lines in place that you desire. Be careful and pin well though. With the edges already sewn closed it would be easy to get puckers unintentionally if the fabric wasn't secure and held tight.
Quilting, Buttons and then it's done!
Photo Coming!
My coffee pot cosy is almost done in this picture. I've sewn some quilting lines so that it holds true and can be washed regularly. At this stage I started playing with the idea of putting on a button or two. I found that I quite liked the effect.
I photographed the buttons laid out on my iPhone so that I could move them but know exactly where their placement should be when I attached them. I set my sewing machine to button hole and sewed each button on with my sewing machine. The pressure foot holds the button firmly and because it's on a button hole setting (that's not automatic) the feed dogs don't try to move anything.
My simple machine works a treat in this regard! It was quite quick to sew on these buttons.
I sent a photo to my sister with and without button adornment and we both liked the buttons better! It gives my coffee plunger cosy some character.
Replacement Parts for your Bodum - Repairing your favourite coffee pot!
I didn't know there was such a thing as a replacement beaker for my bodum. The very first one I owned was a unique green colour and a gift from my husband for my birthday the first year we were married. When it was broken I sadly threw it out.
I wish I'd known I could have got a replacement part!
It's Done! - A cosy coffee pot!
Crafting Your Own Not Your Thing? - Like the idea but don't have the time or inclination?
This is a super easy project and fun to do but I realise it won't be everyone's 'cup of tea'. If you like the idea of hot coffee but know you'll just never make your own cosy consider these options.