Sorry! All links are fixed now!

I just realized this week that my Follow Me on Pinterest link wasn't working and that no pictures were showing up when the Pin It button was used. I've done my best to fix all of them. Sorry for any extra hassle this may have caused!

Reversible Coffee Cozy

Well, this project seemed easy - but I just couldn't get it! I threw my first three attempts away! I have no clue why I couldn't wrap my brain around it! Especially because, in the end, it's actually quite easy!

Hopefully the pain I went through for this will turn out a really great and well explained tutorial!

Here's what you'll need:

- Two coordinating fabrics (1/4 yard each)
- Insul-Bright (1/4 yard)
- 2 buttons
- Elastic
- Standard sewing equipment (Machine, rotary cutter/mat, tracing paper, pins)
- Cozy pattern or cardboard cozy to trace

For the fabric, I traced around a cardboard cozy I already had and added 1/4" all the way around. Then for the Insul-Bright, I traced around the cardboard without adding anything. I did it on plain paper and will save it for more cozies. 


Here's how:
Trace your template on the two fabrics and Insul-Bright. Cut it out. Cut your elastic 4 -5 inches long.

Make a loop with your elastic and lay the loop side on the right side of the fabric and on the inside on the fabric. 

Pin. Then sew across the elastic back and forth a few times to secure it on there.

Lay your fabric right sides together, making sure the loop is in between them and all you see is the tails of the elastic. Then lay the Insul-Bright down against the wrong side of one of the fabrics. This should be the order: 

Pin!!! With it this thick, pinning should be required! 

Start sewing from the bottom and go around, ensuring to leave a space big enough for you to flip it right side out! I usually do a reverse stitch at the beginning and end so it doesn't come unraveled as I flip.

For turning corners, make sure your needle is in the down position. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric. You can manually put the needle down by turning the wheel on right side of your machine towards you.

Take care to clean up an Insul-Bright "dust" from your machine - it can be nasty!

Cut the corners off.  

Flip it right side out. Use either dull scissors or a point turner to get the corners all flipped correctly.

I hadn't cut off the corner yet, but if you look closely at the bottom, you can see where I left a gap for flipping.

Iron it and sew a top stitch all the way around. It can be a little rough with two layers of cotton, plus the batting, so take it slow! I used a seam ripper to get that little extra thread off when I was done, but scissors will work too. I just think the seam ripper gets closer to the fabric.

Now for the buttons! 

Fold your cozy so the ends meet and put a pencil through the loop. 

Make a mark at the farthest point the elastic reaches WITHOUT stretching it. This is where you will sew the buttons.

If you know how to sew on buttons, go for it! I didn't and had to look it up, so if you don't want to go searching around for how to do it - I added these instructions.

I would suggest using smaller buttons, it makes it easier to finish off the button at the end. I learned this the hard way, unfortunately.

Thread your needle, and tie a knot at the end. Push it through your mark on the fabric and then add a button on the side without the knot. Then go back through and add the button on the other side. Back and forth until you feel the buttons are secure enough. Anywhere from 6-10 times depending on a two-hole or four-hole buttons. I usually do it way more than I need to. Then on your last stitch, go through one button and out the fabric on the other side (not through the button though). 

I pulled on the buttons a little bit to loosen them up so I could get the elastic around them. Now, using the extra thread, wrap it around the thread between button and material about 6 times.

It was really hard to go and back stitch on the other side to finish it off, since I have a button there, so I just slide the needle through the thread and a little fabric.

Then I wrapped it around one time and did that again then cut the thread. Hopefully it stays put! If this doesn't I will let you know! However, I don't see why it won't.  

I would love to see pictures of a coffee cozy you made using this tutorial!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to pin this on Pinterest, but please don't use my pictures for any other reason without my permission!


Mandy

Mirror Up-cycle

I've seen mirror up-cycles all over the place and since I had this old mirror sitting around for quite a while, I decided it could really use some sprucing up.

I had left over gems from the wall art I made last spring, so I thought, "Why not add a little more mirror to my mirror?" I laid out all the gems to make sure I had enough and that I liked it, but it was looking a little plain, so I painted a few hearts red and added them in! I just used the fabric glue I already had to adhere them to the mirror.

Here's my finished project! It definitely is more attractive!