Coasters For the New Place

We are moving in about a week and I'm finally motivated to start making stuff for it.  I've had fabric for months with the intention of finishing various projects to decorate the place.

I finished the easiest of them the other day, coasters, for the living room.  Our living room set is a navy blue, so I bought a navy polka dot I wanted to use but really wanted to have a matching fabric on the back.  The only problem was, I had no matching fabric in my stash. 

While cutting out a pair of shorts for my little guy from one of my husbands old shirts I realized I had enough extras to back all of my coasters.

Here's what was left after cutting out the shorts:

 

I ended up using both the sleeves and the left side of the shirt which made 6 coasters.

 

 

I used leftover quilt batting for the centers and quilted them just like I did the mug rugs I made as Christmas gifts this past year.

 

 

If you look closely I used the cuffs of the sleeves and didn't even worry about the seems.

 

I think they are gonna work great and most importantly they are soft and unbreakable, so when little man has a tantrum and inevitably throws something, he can't break them or anything else with them.

 

 

Mug Rugs & Cozy to Match

I made a couple mug cozies and mug rugs to match  for 2 of my friends.  Of course after having made them I'm really wanting one for myself and my mom has already put in an order for me to make her one as well.  A crafter's to-do list is never ending.

 

I searched blog land to find a coffee mug cozy tutorial and found this one, but of course in my usual style I used the measurements (the one thing I hate most about crafting is figuring measurements) and did my own thing with the rest.

 

I've seen quilted mug rugs many times and have had them on my to-do list for awhile.  I love how these turned out and just like the cozies I now want a set of these for myself.

 

Here is how I made mine:

 

I cut 2 pieces of fabric 6x6inches and 1 piece of quilt batting 6x6 inches.  I layered them with the batting on bottom, 1 piece of fabric with right side facing up on top of the batting, and 2nd piece of fabric with wrong side facing up on top of that one.  I pinned the 3 layers together, stitched around the 4 sides using 1/2inch seam allowance and leaving bout a 1 1/2inch opening for turning on one of the sides.

 

 

Clip your corners.  This helps when you turn your mug rug right side out.

 

Turn right side out.

 

 

Pin opening closed and stitch around four sides using 1/4inch seam allowance, making sure to stitch opening closed.

 

 

I made a design on my mug rugs by just going around making a square inside of a square until I reached the center.  I think it just gives the rugs a little something special about them. 

 

 

 The best part is you can raid your scrap pile to make these and they make great gifts for friends, co-workers, bus drivers, teachers, or stocking stuffers for family.

 

Now for the mug cozy.  As I said in the beginning I used the measurements from this blog and she made some super cute cozies but I wanted mine to be a bit different and to me mine are a smidge easier and quicker to make.

 

You will need 2 pieces of fabric 3 1/2x10 inches and a piece of Insul-Bright 3 1/2x10inches (you could use quilt batting but the Insul-Bright is what's used in pot holders and I have tested it out with my cozies and your hands will be completely protected from the heat of your mug.  I prefer the Insul-Bright over anything else).

 

 

Layer and pin these pieces as shown below with the 2 pieces of fabric right sides together and the Insul-Bright on the bottom (it doesn't matter which side of the Insul-Bright is up or down).

 

I used hair elastics (I bought a package of 100 various colored elastics at Dollar General for $1) instead of velcro (as is shown in the tutorial I reference above)to hold the cozy onto the mug.  If you choose to use hair elastics cut the metal piece off of 2 of them, if there is one, and place them in between the 2 (right side together) pieces of fabric.

 

 

Using a 1/4inch seam allowance stitch the elastics into place, making sure not to stitch the top layer in place (fold this piece of fabric back while you stitch the elastics in place).

 

Fold the top piece of fabric back down covering up the elastics and pin in place.  Stitch around the 4 sides using  1/4 inch seam allowance making sure to leave an opening for turning.

 

Turn right side out.

 

 

Pin opening closed and stitch all the way around using 1/4inch seam allowance.

 

For the finishing touch, hand sew 2 buttons on the opposite end of the elastics,  The hair elastics will loop over these to hold in place.  I made the gray and yellow chevron cozy reversable.  If you want to do the same make sure you put 2 buttons on each side.

 

 

TA-DAAA!  You're done.  You now have your very own mug cozy perfect for drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter's night.  I will forwarn you, after making one of these you will have the urge to make many many many more, as they can be addicting.