Featuring:  FreeSpirit Fresh Picked by Sarah Campbell

Pattern design by:  There are as many patterns out there as you can throw a stick at; this is my own interpretation!

Sewn by:  Sarah E. Asby , Inspiration Coordinator, FreeSpirit Fabrics

What could be better on a cold winter day than a delicious hot chocolate, a creamy mocha latte, or if you’re old school – a rich, bold, black cup of coffee?  I think the answer just might be your favorite hot drink wrapped in a little bit of love and a whole bunch of flowers! The FreeSpirit Fresh Picked by Sarah Campbell collection is just the ticket. These fabrics are so bright and cheerful.  I can just imagine strolling through a flower market on a beautiful, crisp Spring morning.

While your toes might be freezing, you can wrap your hands around a bit of warmth and beauty with this simple project – a quilted cup cozy! It makes me think on this grey February day… oh, Spring, technically you are far away, but I am going to imagine you right here with me…

This fun and easy-to-make Cup Cozy is a great way to sharpen your cutting, sewing, decorative stitch and quilting skills. Plus, it is the perfect gift for all your friends and family!

Technique:  Simple piecing, sewing and quilting (if desired)

Skill Level:  Beginner

Finished Size:  Approximately 3” x 11”

Fabric Requirements:

• (2) 5” x 12 1/2” pieces of fabric
• (1) 5” x 12 1/2“ piece of scrap cotton batting, or  heat-safe batting
• elastic hair tie/or elastic for loop
• button

Preparation:  visit your favorite local coffee shop and pick up a cardboard/paper cup wrap.  This will be your template for your environmentally friendly, re-usable quilted cup cozy! 

• Unfold the paper wrap and use it as your template. 
• Layer the fabrics:  
  1. Place the batting on your table first.  Then place one piece of fabric right side up.  Then place your second piece of fabric right side down. 
  2. If there is a particular direction to your fabric, you will need to note that the bottom of the cozy is the shorter of the two long curved sides.
  3. Since the cozy can be reversible, the order of your fabric layers is not important. Just make sure the batting is on the bottom and you place your elastic loop between the two fabrics (more on that below).
  4. The fabrics I used here are: PWSH011.WARM, Dahlia Garden – Warm and PWSH009.SHADOW, Sweeties – Shadow.
• Place the template on top of your fabrics and batting, and trace a line along the edges.   I want as much fabric to show as possible, so I then add about a ½” to each side - that way I end up with a nice wide cozy to show off the fabric! If you want a narrower cozy, just add a ¼” to each side. 
• Place cardboard template to the side.  The outside line will be your CUTTING line.

Cutting:  Cut along the outside line, or cutting line.  I am a big pinner so I pin my stack together to ensure no fabric movement, placing pins parallel to cutting line!

• After cutting, switch pins around so perpendicular to the edges. 
• Before you sew, take your elastic loop and tie the middle together with thread to hold it together. I wrap the thread around multiple times to really secure it.

• Place the loop between the two pieces of FABRIC, with the side of the loop you want to use facing IN towards the middle of the cozy.  I’m using all caps and bold here, because I may or may not have placed it correctly the first time I made this.  And since you sew over it a couple times, it is NO FUN to rip this out!!

Sewing:

• Use ¼” seam allowance
• Be sure to leave about two inches open on the bottom of the cozy (remember this is the shorter of the two long curved sides).

• Sew your cozy together using a ¼” seam allowance.  Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end so that things don’t come undone as you turn your cozy right side out!

• You may wish to sew over the elastic a couple times to really make sure it’s sewn in securely.
• After sewing is complete, trim corners to eliminate bulk.  Be sure you don’t snip any seam threads!
• Check your elastic loop, make sure it’s sewn in.  Then trim the un-used part of the loop to eliminate bulk inside the cozy.  I leave about ½” on the inside.
• Turn your cozy right side out.  You will need to use something with a sharp point to help get the corners fully turned out.  Be sure not to poke all the way through your seam! (You might consider using a point turner which you can buy from your local quilt shop.)
• Isn’t it cute?
• I roll the edges a bit between my fingers to get a nice flat edge. 
• Turn in the opening, press. 

• Sew, or top-stitch around the top of the cozy; and, TA-DA!  Admire the 95% complete cozy!!

Finishing:

• If you have mad quilting skills, or just want to give it a try, now is your opportunity to quilt your cozy – it’ the perfect size to practice with if you’re new to free motion quilting.  Or, you can straight line quilt with your walking foot. Another option is to test out the decorative stitches on your machine. 

• Or, you don’t have to quilt it at all – maker’s choice!
  • Draw a dot approximately 1 ½” to 2” in on the short side opposite from the loop, centered.  This is where you will sew your button for the loop to fasten onto.  You may want to wrap your cozy around your favorite cup for exact placement of the button. 

• TIP:  If you sew a button on both sides, then you have a reversible cozy!

You’re now ready to enjoy - Just don’t throw your cozy away when you’re done with your drink!

Fabric Details

FreeSpirit Fabrics Fresh Picked by Sarah Campbell            

View full collection & find a retailer near you: www.freespiritfabrics.com/fresh-picked-collection/

Learn more about the fabric designer.

The first thing you need to know about me is – I love fabric!  I consider fabric both an art form, and a way to communicate with others. Sometimes, I will admit, I really think a fabric can speak to me…

Enough of that craziness!  I’m Sarah Asby.  I work in the Marketing department of FreeSpirit Fabrics as the Inspiration Coordinator.  This means I happily coordinate sample fabrics and getting them to makers for sample quilts, manage our large sample quilt inventory, and I oversee pattern development for all these quilts.  In other words, I have the privilege of playing with fabric; how lucky am I?

I grew up watching my Mother sew things for the house, and outfits for me.  I don’t recall her teaching me, per se.  I clearly remember learning to sew in 7^th grade in my Home Ec class.  We had to make this awful animal shaped pillow…. As an adult, I am very sad about the lack of Home Ec classes being offered in schools.  That was where I really learned not only to sew, but also to cook.

From there, along with my grandmother’s Singer Featherweight, I made myself skirts, shorts – anything that was simple and didn’t require a zipper or a buttonhole because my antique machine didn’t have those attachments!  Then I made curtains for my first apartment… and things just progressed from there.  Once I was married and had children, I made them clothes and burp cloths.  I learned to smock and had great fun with that!  Then my daughter grew old enough that she no longer wanted to wear what I made her and that’s when I discovered quilting!  I mean, I had to do something with all my fabric, right?   I now not only work with FreeSpirit Fabrics, but love to teach beginner quilters how to quilt.  Pro tip; it does NOT need to be perfect!

Connect with Sarah

Facebook: @Sarah.P.Asby

Instagram:  @sewsarahquilts