December's Across The Pond Sew Along Project

Across The Pond Sew Along for December

Across The Pond Sew Along

It's the beginning of a month, and that means time for a new project in the Across The Pond Sew Along !

This month we'll be making Coffee cup  sleeves,  or Mug Hugs, as Amanda, The Patchsmith calls her cute little "mini quilts" that hug around a cup or mug!  There are lots of patterns online to choose from when you start looking for them.  

Amy, of Amy Made That!, made this coffee cup sleeve for me as a gift last year

I began to notice that there are several general shapes:   the curved shape, which tapers a bit for the "to go" cups,   and  the straight edged rectangle for the mugs with the straight sides.

Amy's pattern shape is this:

Amy made this sleeve with the curved sides

I jumped at this first project, when Amanda said she was making a cute fox shaped coffee cup sleeve.    She found this link  from Crafty Staci  : Crafty Staci coffee cup sleeves . There are oodles of different patterns to make here!  The Fox is just one of the patterns she has tutorials for.

Crafty Staci's  Fox Coffee Cup Sleeve   and The Patchsmith's Fox Mug Rug
photo courtesy of The Patchsmith

Aren't these just so sweet when paired together??!!  

Here is my Fox Coffee Cup Sleeve:

The back side of the coffee sleeve

The Fox Coffee Sleeve   made by Susie's Sunroom

Well, I have a confession to make.... I made this little fox while my daughter was home for a visit over the holiday.  We were watching a movie and chatting, while I was sewing.  I did not read all of the directions carefully,  and I attached my cute little fox head to the body BEFORE the body was sewn,  front and back together.  It is supposed to be attached AT THE END, like the button on the tail.   ooops!!  (There is a bit of tight turning out the right side,  using my chop sticks, so I didn't undo it.)

Hmmm,   this little "fox" looks more like.....

....Yep!  a Scottish Terrier !!

Obviously, the "fox-like"  outer corners of his  "chops", or like my husband described it as "football shaped head", got lost in the side seams of his body, when I attached him too early!!  And I think I made his nose a little big for a fox.  

So if you want to make a cute Scottie Dog coffee sleeve, you know how to do it now!!

Amy has wittily  suggested that I name this blog post, " The Fox and the Hound !"  

Another note~  When I make another "almost fox, more scottie dog" coffee cup sleeve, the  one difference from Staci's pattern that I would make, is to leave out using the Insulbrite batting.  I like my coffee sleeves thinner, as I am clutzy enough without handling  thick spots around a cup. 


Since this was so much fun, I made another sleeve.  
My goal-  make it for a straight sided mug, with minimal bulk.

The pattern, that sweety pie Amanda found for us, is called Coffee Cup Cozy, from Embroidery Library. 

Coffee Cup Cozy     from Embroidery Library

I got an idea to make a coffee cup cozy for my daughter, that can be used for 2 different months.   (I took out the embroidery, and made it dual sided)
* ( Have you seen Amy, of Amy Made That! 's , reversible mug rugs ? Such a great idea!!) ** 

Achieved by:  

•   measure the mug, per directions
•  make outside one fabric (Christmas) 
• make  inside another fabric (January)
• sew 2 buttons (back to back), so loop can hook on either side

Christmas side  

January side

Reversible Coffee cup sleeve  

Mission Accomplished!  Two fun coffee mug sleeves scarfed up by happy daughter before she left for her home!  
These are fun and quick gifts, by the way.

If you make any coffee cup sleeves, or mug hugs,  post your pictures to share in the Across The Pond Sew Along Flickr Group!!
And, go on over to see The Patchsmith's post about her adorable Fox Coffee Sleeve.  She has a giveaway this month!!

I'm off to my sewing room!

PS      Charlene McCullough.... email me with your mailing info, as you won my Blog Hop Giveway in November, but I can't find your email address!  Help !