Keep your coffee or tea hot and cozy with a simple sewing project.

A French press is not a weightlifter’s move.  It is, however, one of the easiest shapes to deal with when making a ‘cozy.’ This is because the typical French Press is cylindrical, with a uniform diameter except at the top.  So, a rectangular piece of fabric will easily wrap around the body of the press.  You need to decide if you want to make a narrow cozy that fits through the handle or a wider cozy that has a gap for the handle….. Or maybe a custom shape that has notches for the handle.  Let’s deal with the simple shape and leave the more complex shapes as an exercise for you to work out (not ‘workout’ like a weightlifter does). This is a ‘no sweat’ project.

Supplies needed:
Decorator fabric
Backing fabric
Cotton batting
2 – 5” Elastic cord or ponytail holders
2 – buttons

Measure the circumference of your French press by passing the tape measure through the handle. Add 3” to the measurement for overlap and seam allowance.
Measure the height you want your cozy to be and add 1” for seam allowance.
NOTE: In the photos, you might notice the sample has ¼” seam allowances.  The problem with the narrower seam allowance is tucking in the seam allowance on the open end on the fourth side of the cozy.

The measurements for my Bodum French Press are 8” from base to lid and 12” in circumference. The between-the-handle measurement is 5”.

My cutting measurements are:
6” x 15” for top fabric, backing fabric and batting

Construction:

1. Layer the pieces together with the batting first.
2. Align the back piece right-side facing up on batting.
3. Align the front piece on top of the back piece, wrong-side facing up.
4. Pin in place. Mark a 4” opening on one short end and sew a 1/2” seam around all sides leaving a 4” opening on one short end for turning.
5. Trim excess fabric from corners.
6. Turn the cozy right side out.
7. Turn the open end in 1/2” and press.

8. Use ponytail holders or cut two strips of elastic to 5 inches long and fold in half to form loops.

9. Insert elastic inside the open end of the cozy, placing one in each corner.
10. Secure the elastic loops with a basting stitch. This will prevent them from moving when you edge stitch the opening closed.

11. Edge stitch the opening closed.
12. Top stitch a ¼” from edge around the entire outside edge of the cozy.
13. The edge with the loops will have 2 rows of stitching. Remove basting stitches if necessary.

14. Wrap your cozy around the French press to determine button placement.
15. Sew on buttons.