The Cozy that Started It All

Many years ago, when my daughter was just a toddler, I loved to go thrifting with my best friend on Fridays. On one jaunt, we happened upon a warehouse sale near our favorite thrift store. The owner had cleaned out his elderly mother's attic and was still trying to get everything put out on tables. (He had underestimated the amount of stuff she had and was pretty overwhelmed, I think.) I saw some old hats peeking out of a yet-to-be unpacked box and asked him for a price on a couple. He said he would sell me the whole box for $10.00. I was thrilled--my daughter was going to have lots of dress-up hats!

When we got home, I dumped the contents out on the floor and started going through the hats, making sure there weren't any hat pins or small parts that would be dangerous. In the midst of the sorting, I came across the oddest hat I had ever seen. Upon closer examination, I realized it wasn't a hat at all--it was a tea cozy! It was made of silk and had a sheer, hand-embroidered organza cover, kind of like a pinafore. The thing that threw me was the thickness. It was stuffed with wool and the sides were about 1 1/2" thick. I had never seen one like it. (In Texas, most cozies are thin...)

I have no idea how old it is, who made it, or where it came from originally, but it captured my fancy. It matches a pair of orange and blue lusterware candlesticks that sit atop my china cabinet with other special treasures, so that is where it is displayed.

Here is the tea cozy that started it all--my venture into making unique cozies: