Mayflower Pilgrims Tea Cosy

It's a special year for the Mayflower Pilgrims. It's 400 years this year that the ship the Mayflower filled with pilgrims set off from England, bound for America.

This tea cosy design celebrates the Mayflower Pilgrims of 1620. The figures are dressed in traditional costume of the time. The main part of the tea cosy is the lady's big sweeping dress. Her husband is stood behind her in his knee length breeches and stockings and his tall felt hat. The lady is holding her baby who is wearing a long robe.

I was asked by a tea cosy knitter in America if I would design a Mayflower Pilgrim tea cosy to commemorate the special date. I do love a commemorative tea cosy.

The pictures I have found to work from show the pilgrims as wearing dark coloured clothes, so I have brightened them up a little with artistic license. After sixty-six days, or roughly two miserable months at sea, none of the pilgrims look very happy so I haven't drawn on their mouths, but I think most people would enjoy seeing smiling pilgrims on their teapots.

I'm going to include the year on the apron of the lady because it's a significant year and I like that it sets the cosy in its context.

I know how special turkeys are at Thanksgiving time, so I'd like to add a turkey to the composition. Maybe discreetly around the back, a bit of a nod towards the significance of present day. However according to Bradford, pilgrims were hunting and eating turkeys back in 1620s.

It will be a lovely historic tea cosy with charm and lovely characters in period dress and it will be perfect for Thanksgiving celebrations or made as a gift.










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