Doughnut Coffee Cozy (Tutorial and Pattern)

Who doesn't like a good jimmy (or a sprinkle depending on where you're from)? 

Especially when it is on top of a fried piece of dough covered in frosting? 

And what better complement to a lovely doughnut than a big cup of steaming hot coffee?

This is one of those tutorials that I started out taking pictures for, and for one reason or another (usually my camera's batter needed to be charged and I didn't want to wait) I only got a few process pics. Good thing this isn't a hard pattern to follow. Pretty much, after you get the sprinkles stitched on the rest of the cozy goes together rather quickly. 

I suggest popping in a good (or cheesy) Christmas movie and making up one of these cute cozies as a great stocking stuffer. Or add it to a coffee lovers gift basket (toss in some chocolate covered espresso beans, a travel mug, and a gift card to their fave coffee joint).

Doughnut Coffee Cozy

What you will need:

• tan felt (one sheet, 9”x12” OR ⅛ yard)
• light pink felt (one sheet, 9”x12” OR ⅛ yard) (You could use brown felt for chocolate frosting or even blue for blueberry, get creative!)
• light blue felt (one sheet, 9”x12” OR ⅛ yard)
• thin quilting batting (a small amount
• tan embroidery floss
• light pink embroidery floss
• sprinkle-color embroidery floss (aqua, lime green, white, yellow, purple, and pink)
• thin white elastic cording (about 4" of 2mm)
• One ¾” button
• Matching thread (light blue)
• The usual stuff (sewing machine, hand sewing needle, fabric scissors, paper scissors, straight pins, pencil, paper, tape, etc...)

Cut out two pieces of light blue felt according to the pattern. Fold one sheet of light blue felt in half long ways and pin the pattern in place. Using very sharp fabric scissors cut around the pattern. Cut out the doughnut pattern from the tan felt, you will need two doughnut pieces. Cut out the batting and the frosting using the appropriate pattern pieces.

Pin the frosting in place on one piece of the tan doughnut. Using a backstitch embroidery stitch (check out this video), stitch around the outside and inside edges of the frosting. You want to follow the curves and stitch pretty close to the edge. 

Now its time to make those sweet little sprinkles! This is so easy and there is really no technique, its just random. All you do is make small (various sizes of small looks really great) stitches in different colors all over the frosting. I used one color at a time and just filled in wherever I felt like there needed to be a sprinkle. The back of this piece ends up looking like a mess of colorful threads, but the back doesn't matter :)

I also added sprinkles to the cozy its self. Use the same method of random stitches all over one of the light blue cozy pieces.

Layer the two cozy pieces of felt (make sure the sprinkle side is facing out) on top of each other making sure to match up the edges and corners. Fold the elastic in half and pin inside the felt sandwich according to the elastic placement marking on the pattern. Pin the rest of the sandwich so that it doesn’t move while sewing. Using the sewing machine, stitch around the perimeter of the felt, ⅛” from the edge; making sure to back-stitch at the beginning and the end.

Sew the button onto the cozy, see the button placement marking on the pattern, going through both layers of felt.

Sandwich the batting piece between the plain doughnut piece and the frosting doughnut piece. Center this sandwich on the cozy and pin in place. Using the backstitch and the tan embroidery floss, stitch around the inside edge (where the hole is) of the doughnut, and then stitch around the outside edge. Make sure you are stitching through both doughnut layers and both cozy layers. Where the doughnut hang off the cozy, just keep stitching as if it were through all four layers.

Thats it! I hope you get crafting this holiday season! 

Get your craft on and make some doughnut cozies to slip in those stockings.

If you make one of these darling cozies, please let me know! I would love to see how yours turns out.

Leave a comment here or check out the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/EvelynandAnna

XOXO,

Coco

PATTERN:

(Print out on a regular sheet of printer paper. I drew the pattern on notebook paper because we were out of printer paper, but if you print it on regular paper the proportions  will be just right.)

 

Sanity Tote Bag (Tutorial)

One of my very good friends from college recently made the very brave move to the Big Apple. (Check out her blog at emyannie.wordpress.com ). Annie and I were the only Theatre Production majors in our class at school, therefore we were each others' biggest fan and biggest competition (though there wasn't much competition due to the fact that we were such good friends). We were even told by our professors that we should be friends and lean on each other, we took this advice to heart. Annie and I quickly adopted the nickname "Sanity" and started using it to address each other.


When I heard that Annie was moving to New York (just picking up and going!) I was jealous, proud, excited, impressed, and excited. She would now be only three hours away instead of 24. She is living the dream (living on couches and eating Ramen Noodles and peanut-butter) in the City that Never Sleeps.

I wanted to give her something that would be useful but also comforting. Something that she could use in her daily life of job searching and Subway riding. A tote bag seemed the perfect option.

You will have to forgive me. I don't have a picture for every step because I got rushed trying to finish the bag before Annie arrived so I forgot to take pictures. Hopefully the instructions will be clear enough, if not just send me a message and I will help you though the tutorial.

Sanity Tote Bag (Tutorial)
What you will need:

• A bunch of different complimenting cotton fabrics for the stripes. Fat quarters are perfect for this project! 
• 1/2 lining fabric (don't get the silky fabric used for lining clothing, you just want a quilting cotton fabric)
• 1/2 quilting cotton fabric for the main body of the bag
• 1 yard medium weight fusible interfacing
• 40 inches of 1/2" bias tape (or make our own with this tutorial)
• The Usual Stuff (sewing machine, hand sewing needle, fabric scissors, straight pins, matching thread, rotary cutter and mat, square ruler, etc...)

Cut the strips for the stripes. This is the same technique that I used to make my Patchwork Rice Bag. Cut the complimenting cottons into strips of 1 ½”, 2” and 3”. The easiest way to do this is with a rotary cutter. Fold your fat quarters in half, making sure to line up all the edges. Then stack one on top of the other, again making sure to line up all the edges. Check out this tutorial from Purl Bee for more info on cutting with a rotary cutter.

Once you have cut all the strips you will need, around 13-20 total, mix them up in a pile or a small bag. This way you will get a random pattern. Stitch your strips together, using a ¼” seam allowance.

Once you have all of the strips sewn together press all the seams to one side. This is now going to be referred to as the “patchwork fabric.”

Cutting:

Outside pockets (the orange fabric) - 10"x18" cut 2

Stripes - 7"x18" (cut on a 45 degree angle) cut 2

Inside pocket - 12.5"x13"

Inside lining - 18"x15" cut 2

Outside lining - 8"x18" cut 2

Straps - 3"x33" cut 2

Interfacing - 18"x15" cut 2

Stitching It Up!

Use a 1/2" seam allowance unless otherwise noted.

Stitch the stripes to the outside lining along the 18" side. Iron the fusible interfacing onto this piece of the bag, just follow the instructions that came with the interfacing.

Attach the bias tape to the 18" side of the outside pocket. Hand embroider "Sanity" or your name. Check out this video on how to stitch a back stitch. Don't worry if its not perfect embroidery that's the charm of this bag! Using chalk or another fabric marking device, draw a line down the middle of the outside pocket piece. It should be dead center, so 9" from each side. This will be your stitch line a little later.

Lay the outside pocket on top of the outside lining/stripes piece. They should line up at the bottom and the outside pocket should overlap the stripes so you can't see the outside lining. Using a basting stitch, stitch around the three outside edges of the outside pocket. Stitch down the middle on the stitch line you drew. Make sure to back tack with this one.

With right sides together stitch the two outside pieces together around three sides. Trim the corners, turn right sides out, and press.

Fold the inside pocket in half so that it measures 12.5" x 6.5". Stitch around the non-folded edges, leaving a area for turning. Trim the corners. Turn the pocket right side out and press, tucking in the raw edges. Using chalk, draw lines for where you will stitch later on the pocket. These pockets will be 4.5" wide (for a cell phone), 5.5" wide (for a small notebook), and two 1" wide sections (for pens and pencils).

Pin this pocket to one the inside lining pieces. It should be about 3.5" from the top of the piece (the 18" part) and 3" from the sides. The folded edge should be the top and the open space you left for turning should be pined closed. Top-stitch around three sides leaving the top open. Now stitch over the lines that you drew for the pockets.

With right sides together stitch the two lining pieces together around three sides. Trim the corners, leave it inside out and press.

Fold the 3"x33" fabric for the straps in half long ways. Stitch up the long sides of the strips creating three tubes. Trim the seams to 1/4". Pin a safety pin to one end of one of the tubes, only pin through one layer of fabric. Feed the safety pin back through the tube to turn it right-side out. Just keep scrunching up the fabric around the pin until the pin comes out the other end of the tube, then keep pulling the pin through until all the tube is right-side out. (These pictures are from my Beach and Imagination Tent tutorial)

Press the tube. Fold the tube in half long ways and press again. Pin if you want to, I didn't because my fabric was staying folded pretty well. Stitch right on the edge of the fabric to keep the edges together, hopefully the photo will illustrate what I mean. Do the same thing for the other strap.

Pin the straps to the outside fabric piece. The straps should be 4.5" from each side. The straps' raw edges should be in line with the raw edge of the top of the bag. Baste these in place.

With right sides together, put the lining fabric inside the outside fabric. The straps should be on the inside of this sandwich too. Stitch around the top of the bag leaving a 3" hole for turning. Turn the whole thing right-sides out and press (making sure to press the raw edges you left for turning inside so they are no longer hanging out).  Top stitch around the top making sure to back stitch and the beginning and end. 

That's it! Hope you get creative and make one of these bags for yourself or for a friend. It would make a great Christmas gift!

Kiwi Coasters (Tutorial and Pattern!)

I believe inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere. 

I love Molly's Sketchbook from the brilliance of The Purl Bee.

I love the little projects. They are so sweet and often have just enough quirk to make me feel funky. I am all over little kitschy projects that make my home mine. These kiwi coasters were inspired by the Apple and Citrus Coasters from Molly's Sketchbook.

My Kiwi Coasters are a really quick and simple project to add some fun to your  day to day life. I made six coasters, but you can make as many or as few as you like. Each coaster takes about 30 mins from start to finish. So, try wipping up some great little Kiwis for your drinks to rest on.

Kiwi Coasters
What you will need:
(this tutorial is for 6 coasters)

• 3 sheets of brown felt
• 2 sheets of green felt
• Lime green embroidery floss
• Kelley green embroidery floss
• Black embroidery floss
• White embroidery floss
• Brown embroidery floss
• The Usual Stuff (hand embroidery needle, fabric scissors, paper scissors, straight pins, etc...)

Cut out the circles according to the pattern (scroll down to the bottom of the post to find the pattern). For each coaster you will need two larger brown circles and one smaller green circle.

For the center of the kiwi use white embroidery floss and the satin stitch (check out this tutorial). Stitch a organic, kidney bean kinda shape in the middle of your green circle, I have drawn a guide for this on the pattern, but I think it looks great when all the centers are a little different. So, don't be scared to free-hand this!

With the lime green floss stitch little "V" shapes all around the center of the kiwi. Again, free-handing this gives it a great organic feel! 

Using the lazy daisy (tutorial) stitch little "seeds" in each of the V's you just created. 

Once your embroidery is all done, pin the green circle on top of one of the brown circles and pin in place.

Using the running stitch (tutorial), stitch around the perimeter of the green circle.

Pin the brown and green circles on top of the remaining brown circle. Starting from the inside stitch around the perimeter using the running stitch (tutorial).

Trim the edges so the brown circles are even. 

Here is the pattern. Print it out on a full sheet of paper.

Hey Jude! IKEA Hack Lamp (with tutorial)

My theory with names like Charlie Brown (my parent's neighbor), Josh Hartnett (a friend from college), Harry Potter (read an article about a baby with this name), is that you have to either HATE it or EMBRACE it. My sister, Annie, is always getting renditions of "The sun will come out tomorrow!" crooned to her. So, when we named our son Jude, we knew he would be sung to pretty much his whole life. At least he gets a great song by a great band. My hope is that he will embrace his "theme song" and not hate the Beatles just because.

In the spirit of embracing the name Jude, I decided that he needed a little Hey Jude in his room. One of  my favorite lines from that song is "Take a sad song and make it better..." How much more inspiring can you get? You have the power to change your world. Take a sad song and make it better. Alter your life and make it something you love and that is worth living to the fullest.  If my son takes anything away from Hey Jude, I hope it is this sentiment. 

With that in mind, I took my favorite Hey Jude line and hacked an IKEA lamp shade. I had been playing around with the idea of hacking this lamp shade for a while. I love the vines and flowers, but it looked a little plain for my style and especially for a little boys nursery. I thought about stenciling the lyrics to the whole song. I considered tapping out some words and painting the whole lamp shade, removing the tapped on letters and have a negative space sort of thing going on. I finally settled on stitching the lyrics to the "Take a sad song and make it better" line. I love how it turned out! Kind of a homemade-chic look, not too perfect, with lots of love.

Hey Jude! IKEA Hack Lamp Shade Tutorial

What you will need:

• IKEA lamp shade (pretty much any lamp shade will work)
• Embroidery floss
• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery wax
• Thumb tack/push pin
• Scrap paper
• Tape
• Fabric snips and regular paper scissors

How to:

Cut scraps of paper about 3" tall and long enough to wrap around the base of the shade. (You can type up the letters on your computer and print them of you prefer, just play with the size of the font til you get something you are happy with.)

Tape the paper pieces together so they make one long banner. Wrap the banner around the base of your shade and tape in place. You will need to fold and snip the paper so that it fits nicely.

Using your push pin to make the pilot holes in the shade. Puncture the shade along the lines of the letters about 1/8" apart.  This took me a while and it was really hard on my fingers, but I made a fresh pot of coffee and watched a movie.

Using the back stitch method, (see this video for instructions), stitch your letters using your pilot holes as a guide. Sometimes the thread gets stuck on the plastic of the shade, if this happens run your thread along the wax to grease it up.  To make the dot on i's, a period or an ellipsis (...), use a french knot (see this video for instructions).

Thats it! Hang your new awesome shade on a lamp stand, add a light bulb (or lamp as we say in the theatre world) and enjoy the inspiration! Take a sad song and make it better!

This is a really simple project, it really doesn't take very long and makes a big statement. Try it out and let me know how it goes. I would LOVE to see what you come up with!