Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Spooktacular coffee cup sleeve tutorial

Today I wanted to share this very simple coffee cup sleeve pattern.

 

I decided to choose Halloween theme for this one, but of course, the possibilities are endless, especially with the Holidays coming. :)

To make this cup cozy, you will need:

- #3/light yarn

- crochet hook # F/3.75

The pattern: 

Ch36, join carefully-not to twist the stitches.

I am using tall Starbucks cup.

Round 1-4: sc all the way around. Place a stitch marker to know where each round ends.

Round 5: 2sc in the 1st stitch, sc in the next 17 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 17 sts.

Round 6-13: sc all the way around.

Round 14: work crab stitch all the way around.

Finish off, weave in ends.


Now when the sleeve is done, the fun part begins;)



To make the felt patch, you will need:

- felt

- embroidery hoop

- embroidery floss

- needle

- heat transfer pencil

- iron

- scissors

- any embellishments you like


First, you will need to type the text  and then you will need to print it out. You will have to reverse the text before printing, because it will be backwards when you apply it to the felt.



Then I crabbed my  Hot  Iron Heat Transfer Pencil (bought it at Michael's), and traced over the text.


Then simply place the print on top of the felt face down and pressed it with a hot iron.


And now the text is transfered and ready.:)


The lines of the text will be permanent, so you will want to cover them completely with embroidery stitches.

I should say that I just love this part of the project.I am a total beginner in embroidery and I enjoy it so much. I just hope that one day I will be able to make something more complicated and beautiful. :)

So when you are done with embroidery and other embellishments, just simply sew the patch to the sleeve.And you are done!



Isn't it a fun and simple project? I got carried away and made another one...

..and another...


and 9 more :) They are all available in my shop.

I hope you will have fun making these cozies- and let me know if you have any questions!


Wish you all a very SPOOKtacular Halloween!







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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Counting the blessings.
















Oh, we've been so blessed with gorgeous autumn this year.  I have been living here almost 8 years, and can say that usually we had to drive to New Hampshire to see the trees changing their colors. Here in Massachusetts after summer comes the "winter" months with its greyness, darkness and wetness. It kinda reminds me of my home. In Russia where I lived, people always joked that we have 5 months of winter, and maybe that's the reason why  New England feels like home to me:) But this fall we did so many fun things- we went pumpkin picking, apple picking, we jumped in the puddles, and in a leaf piles, visited corn maze I tried apple cider donut for the first time in my life:) I know, it sounds crazy- I've been living in US for so long and never tried it:)  Everything changed, now when I have a child, I want to start our family traditions, I want to create special memories, focus on what is really important in life. Also last fall I lost two of my friends. My childhood friend Ania, who was about to turn 30, and my dearest childhood friend and classmate Andrei. Both of them lost their lives in a tragic accidents, and it is still hard to believe that they are gone.I still didn't get over it.I am having hard time trying to accept this and  not to question my faith, not to fear this unfair life. But on the other hand I think this tragic events also changed me in a good way. Now I follow my promises, I work on my bucket lists, I make things today instead of tomorrow. I really believe that happy life is made of small things, ordinary days. Sometimes I get carried away- I think about the future too much, I drive myself crazy with what-ifs, and whys,but I still do not know the answers and I still feel lost most of the time. So these days I learning to let go, to surrender. I want to focus on today's blessings and just pray that tomorrow comes.


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