A "Flower Pot Cozy".......a what????

Happy day before Mother's Day Blogland Neighborhood! The "Sewing and Design Dept" here at MBIAJ was on a mission to come up with a quick gift idea for Mother's Day (because as you all well know, the "Sewing and Design Dept" is not known for getting things done ahead of time ... no... nope .... coming in just under the wire .... or most likely "fashionably late" is our motto). However, this time, due to a fluke of nature or maybe all of the stars aligned in the right order or something, this project is actually finished the day BEFORE the event !!!! So, we thought we'd like to share it with all of you (in case there are other procrastinators out there).

Anyhow, as you can see the project is a "Flower Pot Cozy" ..... and here was the thought process ..... people make cozies to keep their tea pots "cozy" ... so why not make a cozy to keep your flower pots cozy?

OK ..... here's what you will need:

- a flower pot (any size) and preferably with a flower/plant already in it
- 2 different fabrics (one big enough to cover the flower pot, & a scrap of another)
- rick rack (large size)
- yo yo maker to make desired size yo yo's
- 3 buttons (to sew into centers of yo yo's)
- a pencil or pen
- scotch tape
- Fray check
- freezer paper
- a piece of string

....and here's how you make it:


tape the piece of string to the center of the bottom of the flower pot and bring it up along the side and about 1 1/2 " above the top of the pot




cut the string



untape the string from the flower pot and tape it to the center of the dull side of the freezer paper; tape the other end of the string to a pen or pencil;


draw a circle on the freezer paper...



have your assistant hold the string if the tape doesn't hold it well enough.....


.....cut out the freezer paper circle; press the freezer paper circle (shiny side down) onto a piece of fabric and cut out fabric circle;



...on the right side of the fabric pin rick rack in a circle about 2 1/2" from outside edges;


.....stitch rick rack down using matching thread



....fold under 1" to wrong side of circle all the way around (as you can see, lots of pins are helpful)......press;


...stitch all the way around (1/4" away from raw edge of folded over edge) making a casing....

snip a "button-hole" in the center of the casing ....


...be careful not to cut through the stitching or through the folded edge ....


....dab some Fray Check on the buttonhole edges...




....thread a piece of rick rack through the casing;




....using the yo yo maker, make 3 yo yo's;


....stitch a button in the center of each yo yo;



.....now stitch a yo yo to the front of the cozy, and a yo yo on the ends of the rick rack ties...

...we suggest you put a piece of aluminum foil around the bottom of the flower pot before putting it in the cozy (in case of leaks); after you put the flower pot in the cozy, pull the rick rack ties to gather the cozy around the top of the flower pot....and TA DA !!! You're done!! (don't forget you can click on any of the pictures to make them bigger if you need to)

Hope you enjoyed our little last minute Mother's Day gift idea ! Enjoy !! and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY girls !!!!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)