DIY: Shirred Coffee Sleeves

With the holidays coming up, quick and thoughtful gifts are perfect! Tuck a gift card for your favorite coffee joint in these and wrap with a bow. This is a great way to cut down on those disposable paper sleeves too. Plus they make a nice "napkin" for any drips that may occur during rush hour!

 

 

Grab some pretty scraps, or cute holiday fabrics and a few trims. Never tried shirring? This is a great starter tutorial to take away your misgivings. The "hardest" part to shirring is taking the time to test it on your machine. Once you have the few simple settings perfected, it is as easy as changing the bobbin!

 

 

 

 Grab your supplies and lets get started!

 These directions will make one coffee sleeve to fit a standard size travel mug about 10" around. (*formula given below for other sizes if needed)

 

You will need:

• 1 piece of fabric 4" x 15"
• Tape measure
• Cutting ruler
• Rotary cutter/Scissors
• Thread
• Elastic Thread
• Iron
• Optional: Fray Check, Lace or flower trim, large eye needle

 

 

First, measure around your travel mug. Mine measured at 9.5" and 10.25" around the midsection. The sleeves work great on both!

One of my mugs was from Starbucks, just in case you were wondering...these will fit!

If you have a mug that is much larger or smaller, you can follow the formula below.

 

Cut a single layer of fabric 4" x 15"

 

*If you need to adjust the length to wrap around your mug simply take your mug and measure it as shown above. This number we will call "x".

(x/2) + x = cut length.

For example, you have a mug that is 14 inches around.

14/2 = 7

7 + 14 = 21

21" is your cut length and 4" remains the width.

4" will remain the same for most mugs, as this width fits the hand nicely.

 

Finish the long edges as desired.

I used a 3 thread overlock stitch on my serger, trimming away 1/4".

You could also do a rolled hem.

If you do not have a serger, you can turn the edges over 1/4"and iron, then topstitch.

You could even use a pinking shears on the edge or just add some lacy hem tape!

 

When you are done finishing the long edges you will have something similar to this.

 

Now for shirring...

Wind the elastic thread onto your bobbin. I machine wind my elastic thread onto the bobbin, just like I do for any other thread.

Easy peasy.

When you load your bobbin into the case, make sure you manually slide the thread into the clip that holds the thread as shown in the photo above.

 

 

The settings that work best on my brother are a thread tension of 5 (Increased just a bit more than the usual setting of 3) and my longest stitch length of 5.

I did some trial and error to find these. It took me about 5 rows of shirring to find the best tension/stitch length ratio. I just stitched one row and gave my fabric a pull until I got the best stretch!

I get a nice strechy stitch using regular thread in the needle, and the elastic thread in my bobbin. 

 

Next, line up the edge of your presser foot 5/8" to 3/4" away from your finished edge.

You will need to hold the elastic thread when you start sewing.

Sew slowly the first few stitches and for backstitching.

 

 

Sew a nice straight line all along the length of the finished edge.

See how the fabric is already starting to cinch up?

Eeek! It's working!

 

When you get to about 1/4" away from the edge, you need to turn your fabric around and sew another straight line about 5/8" away from the first elasticized stitch line you just made.

Here is a trick... 

 

To save your elastic thread waste, you can swing your fabric around, with out back stitching.

Make sure the needle is DOWN in the fabric when you finish the row.

Lift your presser foot.

Turn fabric so that you can sew back towards the opposite direction that you just came from.

Lower presser foot.

Continue sewing about 1/4" to 5/8" away from your previous stitch line!

 

Continue sewing in this way until you are about 5/8" to 3/4" away from your other finished edge.

 

When you are done shirring, your 15" long piece will have shrunk up a few inches, as shown above.

 

To finish your coffee sleeve (without lace/ribbon) fold your fabric right sides together and line up the 2 short edges.

You can see in the photo above where the shirring ends on each side, just to the left and right of my finger.

 * If you want to add lace/ribbon/flowers, go to the end of the post for those finishing directions.

 

 

Serge the short ends together, being certain to sew over all elastic ends.

Your sleeve will look similar the photo above.

Again, straight stitch on a regular machine if you do not have a serger,

then trim away the excess to 1/4".

 

If desired, to secure your threads, thread a large eyed needle.

 

 

Secure the tails back under a few serged stitches.

 

Clip excess.

 

Apply fray check.

 

You sleeve should look similar to the above picture when done.

 

Take your cute little coffee sleeve over to your iron.

This should be hot! Set it to your cotton/linen setting and turn ON the steam.

You can spray it with a spritz of water if you are impatient!

 

 

Steam both sides for a few seconds.

This works best if you hold the iron just a 1/2" or so away from the fabric.

Then it shrinks up nicely!

 

Voila!

 

 

If you would like to add a quick ruffle or flower...follow these directions.

 

Cut your lace or floral trim to fit the short width of the sleeve, measuring along the sleeve (~3.5").

 

Pin your trim to the right side of the fabric on the edge.

 

I pinned my flowers down so they would not get caught in my serger stitch.

 

Line up the other short end and place it on top of your trim. Pin.

 

Once your pieces are secure, we will serge.

MAKE SURE you do not serge over a pin!

Remove those once the fabrics are under the presser foot.

 

Serge the short ends together, being certain to sew over all elastic ends, catching the trim edge as well.

Again, straight stitch on a regular machine if you do not have a serger,

then trim away the excess to 1/4".

 

Finish the seams and steam your fabric as shown above and you are ready to go!

 

What a beautiful way to start your day!

I know I would love to receive these in my stocking.

Thanks for stopping by.

DIY: Fussy Cut Quilted Christmas Stockings

Last year, I had a Christmas fail! No stocking for the baby : ( Well, I substituted an old stocking we had...but it did not match the other family stockings on the mantle. This year, I am determined to have all four family stockings coordinating, and lovingly quilted by "mom." Awww.

 

 

 

I found a classic and elegant Christmas print. It is the "Holiday Frost" collection by Jan Shade Beach for the Henry Glass Fabric company. I just love the graceful scrolls and snowflakes mixed in with graceful reindeer! The true Christmas red and green were a must for me...I just can't do aquas and purples at Christmas...it just doesn't seem right to me! Anyhoo~ I mixed in some red and green polka dots from my stash to emphasize that traditional feeling.

 

 

 

 I wanted to create quilted stockings for everyone. That way each would be unique! I chose the various blocks I would use for the designs. I knew I wanted to alternate the traditional quilt blocks with a beautiful piece of the main fabric. The images were so beautiful, I just had to showcase them!

 

Today I am going to share with you how I completed these "fussy cuts" in order to showcase the main prints. After measuring around the design I wanted to cut out, I decided that a 5" square would work best. After getting crossed eyes from my grid ruler, I wanted to be sure there were no mistakes! I have just enough of the prints to make 4 stockings.

 

I decided to create a viewfinder. I use them in the art classroom to help students focus on an item they are drawing...but it works great here too!

 

 

You need:

• An old picture mat, cardstock, or just a cereal box!
• Tape
• Scissors
• Chalk or a Fabric Marker
• Ruler
• Pen
• Fabric that you want to fussy cut ( On this particular fabric, I needed 1/2 yard to get the 10 fussy cut suares I needed)

 

 

When you are done...you will have an accurate sturdy viewfinder that allows you to more easily center your fussy cut.

 

 

 First thing you need to do is cut the opposite corners of your mat on a diagonal as shown above.

Note: If you are using cardstock or a cereal box, you need to cut it into a 2" thick frame shape with no center first.

 

 

 You will now have two "L" shaped pieces.

 

 

Slide the pieces closer together and overlap them.

 

 

I slid and adjusted the pieces over my cutting mat so I was certain to get a perfectly straight 5" center square opening.

If you do not have a cutting mat. you can use 2 rulers!

 

 

Next, tape the sides together so it will not shift.

Do not let the tape hang over the edges or it will stick to the fabric and obstruct your tracing.

 

 

Next, I marked a few points along the outer edge so I could more easily see the centered object.

 

 

I measured and marked 1" and 2.5" points on all edges.

 

 

Next, I ironed my fabric. It is easier to work with when its wrinkle free!

 

 

I then used my viewfinder to center the design I wanted to cut out.

 

 

Mark all edges with chalk.

Do not worry about the corners...just mark all four sides neatly.

 

 

 

 

Although it is a bit hard to see here, I have a faint yellow chalk line surrounding the tree I want to fussy cut.

 

 

Then, I moved over to the next design I needed to fussy cut.

BE CERTAIN you do not cut into your previously marked square!

The purple arrow shows you the yellow chalk line from the previously traced square...

make sure this is NOT in the new square you are cutting!

 

 

Being sure that the other chalk line was UNDER my viewfinder, I centered and marked the next square I wanted to cut.

 

 

I repeated this until I marked the width of the fabric with 5" centered squares.

In the photo above, I marked my faint chalk lines with yellow boxes for you to see better.

Sometimes the print is more off centered...but this piece had pretty straight designs.

That was helpful in cutting!

 

 

Using a scissors, or a rotary cutter and straightedge, begin to carefully cut out your 5" pre-marked squares.

 

 

You can cut out one square at a time.

 

 

If your fabric print is in a straight line, you are lucky...and you can cut the top and bottom edges all at once.

 

 

Then cut off the sides and you have your perfectly centered 5" fussy cut blocks!

 

 

Gah! That sure did eat up more yardage than I like...but the results are just so stunning!

 

 

Here is a quick tip for those of you that use rotary cutters...

Sometimes my blade is dull in just one tiny spot and it

does not cut 1 or 2 threads ...ANNOYING!

So, instead of re-cutting and dulling the blade further, or pulling out the scissors

...try this: Your seam ripper!

Yup. It is quick, handy and does not pull or distort the fabric.

 

 

Finally, I arranged my 5" fussy cut blocks with my neatly trimmed 5" quilted blocks!

 

 

Oooh!

 

 

These are starting to look like stockings!

 

 

Then, I just finished piecing the blocks...

 

 

And I have my finished stocking "top"

...quilting and hand embroidering the names on is next!

 

Thanks for stopping by and

Have a beautiful day!