Our daughter is the only granddaughter on my husband’s side of the family. Therefore, she gets all of the girly, pretty, and pink things. Including being handed down this beautiful dress from my sister-in-love.
The Dress
I then learned some history behind the dress. Not only did this dress belong to my mother-in-love, but she made it herself for her graduation! Because of it’s special significance, I decided I wanted to make it into a keepsake. My original plan was to do a keepsake bear, which I figured I could probably get 2 bears out of the material from the dress.
While I was searching for the perfect bear patter, I came across this Simplicity Pattern and knew it was meant to be!
My mother and sisters-in-love are all tea drinkers, so I knew this was perfect. In addition, this pattern allowed me to make something for everyone!
Making the Tea Holders
When I started making them I knew I wanted to stay true to some of the design elements of the dress, such as the delicate lace, and pink ribbon.
So, I made a couple minor adjustments to the pattern to give it the look I wanted. I was able to find some beautiful buttons that added a flair of elegance. I also made a little card to go inside with pictures of the dress and the following little poem:
“Family is a gift that lasts forever. Always together, never apart. Maybe in distance, but never in heart. This was once warn by someone so dear, whenever you use it, you keep us all near.”
Final Results
In the end I was able to make six sets (tea bag holder and cozy) and one of the larger tea cup holders. I love how they turned out, and am glad I was able to make them into something we can all enjoy together.
In addition to making a beautiful keepsake, this pattern would make a wonderful gift for any tea drinker in your life. You can get the Simplicity Pattern s9511 here.