The perfect pot of tea

Last night I had the honor of being the judge of the Maleny Teapot Competition!  The judging of the Functional section really got me thinking about what it is that I care for in a teapot.  I always have tea first thing in the morning and since I've had children it is mostly WAY too early.  The pot has to have a soothing quality to the handle.  Nothing about the way it works must jar me or make me feel as if I am about to drop the pot or hot water on myself.  The colours must be harmonious but also intriguing because, of course a cup of a tea is also essential in the afternoon.......

I don't mind a single drip in the pour as it is often the fault of the user rather than the design but I don't like more than one drip.  I like a teapot that when full is easy to lift with one hand.  

Making tea is such a lovely activity for me, my favourite tea a mixture of English Breakfast and Broken Orange Pekoe is drunk alone, with milk and Tasmanian Leatherwood honey staring out the window into the trees and thinking my thoughts.

Here I've compiled my dream competition I'd love to judge these pots  but it would have to be one of those unsatisfying competitions where everyone is a winner.

My first selection a Malcolm Greenwood teapot. Malcolm Greenwood is a Sydney based potter. His functional ware combines form and function. Malcolm's pots are designed to be integrated into life and exude calm and a quite authority.