The Washington bee., 1895-08-17
A TALK ABOUT TEA CcsIEs.
a Sensible English Fashion Which All
Should Read About.

a Sensible English Fashion Which All
Should Read About.
One Of the sensible English fashions
The tea cosey, the thickly-wadded cap,
which assists the tea to steep, and after
1t is properly drawn keeps 1t at the boil
ing point.
1t is, as our English cousins say, so
practical an article, and 1t may be so
pretty that it ought to have a place on
every tea table and may we'll supple
ment the paraphernalia of the invaiid's
tray. In households where Bridget,
true to her national traditions, insists
on making the tea with water from the
BOILER. and on boiling it furiously after
1t is made, a cosey is the only safe
guard. Made with freshly boiling wa
ter in an earthen pot twenty minutes
before serving, and set upon the table
carefully covered with cosey, the tea
will be deliciously hot and fragrant.
The various hot draughts so eficacious
for colds and chills, may be kept hot in
the same way, and drank at almost
boiling temperature after the patient is
in bed.
The foundation of a cosey is two semi
slliptical or mitre-shaped pads Of cot
ton cloth, thickly stuffed with cotton
batting or wool wadding. For moder-
ate sized tea pot, they should be four
ieen inches wide and twelve inches high
and pound Of cotton is none too much
for filling. The pads should be stuffed
n such a way as to have one side con-
rex and the other fiat. With little
practice this is easy enough. With a.
long needle and stout thread catch the
cotton at intervals firmly to the muslin.
The next step is to haste the lining to
the fat side of each pad. The hand
,omest lining is, of course, quilted satin,
but surah India silk, farmers satin, or
cashmere will answer. If the cosey is
20 be plainly covered haste the outside
covering to the covered sides of the
pads, turn in the edges of both lining
Ind outside and overland them to.
sether,, and cover the seam thus made
with heavy silk cord, which is also
passed around the bottom and the cosey
s complete.
The English cosey is apt to be of
Felveteen. This fabric come in such
exquisite colors that 1t seems a pity it
not more used. Sage green or terra
Gotta, embroidered in heavy silk would
,e charming with some China The
Japanese cotton fabrics are excellent
or this purpose, and so decorative as
dispense with embroidery. The blue
Ind white crepe is always charming,
Ind the gold figured crepes are some of
hem exquisite. A handsome cosey was
| made of one with a ground Of dark old
ose, with gold and silver figures. The
lining was dull olive silk and cord of
\ darker red than the crepe surround
d it.
Another way Is to line the
| ,ads and sew them together. The
| space for four inches on each side Of the
seam is covered with very full puff Of
:olored silk. Over this puff are laced
:wo pieces Of embroidered linen, a little
smaller than the sides Of the cosey.
| 1yelet holes are worked in the scallop-
I'd edges of the linen, and the lacing is
| lone with small silk cord.
For the drawing room tea table the
:osey may be as fine as you please. In
| lila silk is dainty and may match your
ea cups in color. If you are fortunate
enough to have a bit of your grand
Mothers wedding gown cover tea
:osey with it. If you have white and
;old china, set your heart upon cosey
If large patterned brecade in vivid yell
oW w ldsR u Mtllt ma4Bf a tea fsosiss is
made of fine linen embr oidered all over
| With tiny flowers in Dresden fashion,
| ind made so neatly that it requires no
.ord, and lined with the same fine linen.
Half the pleasure of a gift is in it's
,nexpectedness. The knowledge that
,ome of my relations would give me
1andkerchiefs was a bitter drop In the
ND of my Christmas joy when was
little girl. When her birthday CONES
,ound don't send your old aunt in ne
| country a volume of sermons and 4llr
# felt slippers. Go down to the Japtn-
.se store and pick out a quain littleEea
BOT and fill it full of such tea as tey
In not sell in the country stores. Ten
make a puffy tea cosey of turkeyEed
will or dark red cloth (she Will ifgn
Vt silk or "art colors') with some onty
embroidery on it. Pack tea and teapot
Ind cosey in a box that Just hts ttfn'
md send it off so she will get it 1usht
, hight when the stage comes up ln
he Boston train.
She may laugh a little at your ~
8 tangled ways. but you will read
: ,ween the lines of her letter more pie;
d ire than slippers or sermons ever eau
orth. She will exhibit her gifts TO
no neighbors and next summer WI
- vou visit her you will find your COS
lmong her indispensables.
ELLEN ABERCROMBIE CoNW1g