How to Make a Reversible Quilted Coffee Cosy

This instructable shows how to make a insulating jacket for your cafetiere or French press coffee pot.  Wrapping any layer of insulation around your coffee pot will keep your fresh coffee hotter for longer, (or colder for longer if you have iced coffee) but this stylish cosy is custom made in coffee themed fabric and uses space age insulation consisting of mylar and hollow polyester fibres.  Using two different fabrics means you can change the look of your cafetiere simply by fitting the cosy the other way around.

If you would like one of these coffee cosies, but are not into sewing, they are for sale in my etsy shop LizzyAstro

Step 1: What You Need

A cafetiere or French press
2 different fabrics (mine are coffee themed & coffee coloured)
A piece of Insul-bright wadding (you can use other wadding but it may not be as insulating)
A piece of cardboard
A small piece of hook and loop fastener (Velcro)
A tape measure

Sewing machine, thread, pins & scissors

Step 2: Measure Your French Press

Measure around your cafetiere and also the height of the glass beaker.

Mine measured up at 12 1/2" x 7", but I decided to make mine a little less high as the plastic base does not really need covering.

I added an extra 2 1/2" on the length for overlap.

Draw out a pleasing shape on cardboard to use a template - I drew mine in Corel draw and cut it out using the laser cutter.  The overall size of my template was 15" x 6 1/2" with a small cut out for the lip of the glass beaker / jug.

Step 3: Cut the Fabrics

Cut the fabrics and insulation at least 1/2" bigger than the template, my fabric was cut at 16" by 7".

Lay the lining fabric face up, the outer fabric face down and the insulation on top of that.  Pin the fabrics together and then place the template centrally on top, leaving 1/4" all around it.  Draw around the template (I used a wash out pen) and then pin all around inside the drawn line.  The drawn line will be your stitching line.  Make a couple of marks 4" apart to leave a gap for turning.

Step 4: Do the Sewing

Starting at one of your marks stitch in reverse for three or four stitches then stitch all around your drawn line.  When you reach the second mark stitch in reverse for three or four stitches.  Using scissors carefully trim the excess fabric 1/4" outside the stitching line and also clip the fabric outside the curve for the spout at right angles to the stitching, but do not cut through the stitching line.  This will make it esier to get a smooth curve when you turn the cosy the right way round.

Turn the cosy through the gap so it ends up right sides out and then use a pointy thing (I used the end of a paintbrush) to push out all the corners and seams fully.

At the turning gap fold the fabrics and insulation under about  1/4" and then pin the gap closed.  Take the cosy back to your sewing machine and stitch close to the edge all around ensuring you sew the turning gap closed securely.

Step 5: Quilt As Desired

I like to add a little quilting to the cosy to help hold the insulation in place when the cosy gets washed.  If the quilting is too dense you will flatten the insulation which makes it less effective at retaining heat.  On this fabric I chose to quilt parallel lines in between every other line of coffee words.

Once you have done the quilting wrap the cosy around your coffee pot to check where to sew the Velcro.  Pin one piece to one end on the outer fabric and the other to the lining at the opposite end of the cosy.  Sew the Velcro in place and you coffee cosy is ready to use, with your preferred fabric on show.