Jane Austin Tea Cosy

I do love a period drama, so designing a Jane Austen Tea Cosy to celebrate her 250th anniversary has been an absolute delight.

Born in 1775, there are no photographs of Jane Austen; photography didn’t become widely accessible until the 1840s. But one lasting image of her remains: a portrait by Cassandra Austen, which serves as the inspiration for my design.

The tea cosy will feature Jane in a blue dress, paired with a fabric bonnet or mop cap, just as she appears in the portrait. Her nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh, described her as a 'brunette with a rich colour', with 'bright hazel eyes and brown hair forming natural curls close round her face'. So, of course, I’ll give her dark brown curls that peek out from beneath her bonnet.

In her hands, she’ll be holding a book, though fitting a full title onto a small knitted volume is proving tricky. Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility are just too long, while Emma might fit; but is it the most iconic choice?

I can’t wait to bring this tea cosy to life. History is such a joy to celebrate, and what better way to honour Jane Austen than with a cosy inspired by the woman behind stories I truly treasure? Time to put on a period drama, settle in, and channel my inner Austen while I knit!












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