July 16, 2016

Free Cup Cozy Pattern and Tutorial

Free Insulated Cup Cozy Pattern from Happy Okapi

When I first started sewing, I was so intrigued with Kam Snaps – they looked so enticing, with their rainbows of colours. Most of the people I saw using them were making diapers though, so I wanted to find a use that would suit me. I came up with this insulated cup cozy. I had seen cup cozies before, but they were usually closed with buttons or hooks, or made out of something else entirely. My design allows the cozy, or sleeve, to be completely reversible, so you get 2 for 1!

A friend introduced me to the reusable Starbucks cups a few years back, and I use mine daily. I designed my pattern to fit these cups; if you are wanting to fit different cups, you may need to adjust the pattern. I get a lot of requests for my pattern, so I finally got around to making it in a shareable version for everyone. I’m offering it here on my site to you for free!

free_happy_okapi_cup_cozy.pdf
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Download File

Go ahead and tell all your friends about the free pattern, but please don’t redistribute; just have them come here for pattern. Thanks!

It’s a perfect project for beginners and experienced makers alike. It’s a fun, quick project and makes a great little gift.

Tutorial

To make the cup cozy, you’ll need less than a fat quarter of 2 prints each. I like to use quilting cotton, but a linen blend could work too. You’ll also need some insulated batting; I use Insult-Bright, available at Funky Monkey Fabrics, and Connecting Threads. You also need 2 complete sets of Kam-snaps and the pliers or press, and awl to install them (4 caps, 2 studs and 2 sockets). You can find Kam-snaps at Stay-Home Fabrics. You might find a point turner helpful too.

Start by downloading and printing the pattern. Make sure to print at 100%. You can check the test square to see if it measures 1″ square to make sure the pattern printed at the right size. Cut out the pattern and tape together at the dotted lines to get the full piece.

Cut out a mirror image set of your exterior fabrics. You can do this by either placing fabrics right side together and cutting out the pattern piece once, or just cut out one fabric from the pattern piece, then flip over to cut the mirror image. Then cut one Insult-Bright piece.

Place fabrics right sides together and the Insult-Bright wrong side against one of the fabrics, matching the shape of the pattern, then pin or clip around the edges. Starting at the bottom of the cozy (where indicated on pattern piece with turning gap) sew around the perimeter, leaving a small turning hole, with a 3/8″ seam allowance, making sure to backstitch at start and stop. Trim corners and seam allowance, except leave seam allowance intact over turning gap. Trim away Insult-Bright over turning gap.

Turn right side out, making corners nice and sharp. Tuck in seam allowance and press all over. Topstitch around cozy 1/8″ away from edges, closing up turning gap.

To add the snaps, you can use the pattern placements (4 circles on the pattern piece) as a guide, but I suggest trying it out on the cup you’re going to be using it with before piercing holes with your awl. I do this by wrapping the cozy around the cup, nice and snug. One end should overlap the other, it doesn’t matter which one since the cozy is reversible. Once I have a placement I’m happy with, I hold the cozy where the ends overlap and quickly slip the cup out. If you aren’t confident with doing this, you can pin or clip the cozy in place before you remove the cup; a bobby pin or paper clip would work well here too. Now while still holding the overlapped ends, I take my awl and pierce the top and bottom, through both ends of the cozy. Note: For this step, you need to make sure the hole you’re piercing is well within topstitching on both layers, otherwise your snap may miss a layer.

Once your holes are pierced, you can let go of the overlapped ends and install the snaps. You’ll want one set of caps showing on the left end of the cozy and one set of sockets on the right end for side A, and when you flip the cozy over to side B, it should have caps (the other side of the sockets from side A) on the left and studs on the right (the other side of the caps from side A).

You’re done! Rinse and repeat for all those teacher/neighbour/coworker gifts. It’s great for scrap busting too! I would really love to see your cup cozies! Please tag me @reecemontgomery and use #HappyOkapiCupCozy on Instagram, or share on my Facebook wall.

If you aren’t a coffee drinker, they double as power cuffs!

Want to make a cozy, but don’t have snaps? My friend Rachelle used Velcro on hers; check out the changes she made for it.

July 14, 2016

Do It Yourself Party of the Week — 41

It’s Thursday evening so it must be time for the DIY Crush party.

Things were a little touch-and-go about an hour ago when I realized that I still hadn’t written this post and scheduled like I intended to do last night. I was busy packing and removing cats from my suitcase. I arrived at my parent’s place for a weekend visit, only to discover that my mom couldn’t remember the WiFi password. And well, I can’t write a post on my phone.

You can bet I was having visions of the world coming to a crashing halt and all human life perishing at 8PM Eastern if I didn’t get online. Oh noooooooo! What’ll we doooooo?

Tags: DIY Crush, Squash

July 8, 2016

Sew Sweetness Tortoise Bag

The hardest part about testing bags is that sometimes we need to keep it a secret until release date. I made this bag back in April, I think and I’m bursting at the seams to finally share it. The Tortoise Bag from Sara at Sew Sweetness is finally here! This bag comes in three different sizes and goes together in a very clever way. Here’s my version in the size large.

Installing that zipper is way easier than it looks. You can use either 2 zippers and connect them in the middle, as explained in the pattern, or if you have zipper tape by the yard, you can just create a double pull zipper yourself. If you need a refresher on how to do that, check out my video tutorial here.

There are handles, and also a removable cross-body strap. The inside also includes a zippered pocket and a removable false bottom for added firmness to the bottom – and who doesn’t want a firm bottom, am I right?

We dubbed my bag “Elizabeth-in-the-box” because Tula Pink’s Elizabeth fit so perfectly inside that flap and I couldn’t resist using it there. Actually fussy cutting was really easy with this pattern so you could line up a print from the exterior flap and continue it on with the main body if you like too.

As I mentioned, the pattern comes in three different sizes. The large could work as an overnight bag and the small would make an adorable lunch bag. The pattern is offered in both paper and PDF format, and is rated as an intermediate level. You can also visit the Sew Sweetness site to see all the testers’ versions for more inspiration.

I used one of my very favourite prints, Astraea from Tula Pink’s Elizabeth collection as the main exterior print. The rich jewel tones make it work as a year-round colour palette. I had some fun on the inside with coordinates from the collection and the selfie as the inside flap.

Head on over to the Sew Sweetness shop and grab a copy to get started on yours today!

July 7, 2016

Do It Yourself Day

Did I ever tell you about my personal resolve to never make myself responsible for keeping a schedule? Contrary to myself, I’ve gone and joined Domenica and Denise from DIY Crush as one of the permanent co-hosts. That means I post weekly, even if you don’t read it. Well, read it, ok? Every Thursday, except if I need to take a break. But, someone, somewhere will host.

And just to get us all in the mood for ~~doing ourselves~~ doing it ourselves, I’d like to know if there’s a DIY you want to have a tutorial for? Did you see something on Pinterest that inspires you but you don’t know where to start? Tell me in the comments and I’ll either find you a tutorial or ~~do myself~~ do it myself.

See ya in the comments!

A Crushing Message

As usual, every week on DIY Crush, we have a special message from Denise. Here she is to tell you about the link party. You can do it (yourself) !

Mid-summer here, mid-winter there… we just hope all of you are having a fabulous week despite the heat or the cold. Let’s see what favorites Domenica and I picked from last week. Did you see those entries? You can still check them out HERE.

New!

Welcome our permanent co-host Marsha from Seam Of My Pants! She guest hosted week #34 and #39 already! Now she is with us 4ever! Hopefully 😉

Best of Last Week

Domenica picked this great tutorial on how to sew travel storage bags from Threading My Way. I think this is genius because they are made from pillowcases!

My favorite post from last week is this DIY on how to make reusable car air fresheners. This post is from Our Peaceful Planet. I especially love the feather shapes, the post comes with the template download as well! So neat!

Ready to party now?? We sure are! Let’s see what you bloggers have been up to lately! It’s time to show off!

Denise

This Week’s Link Collection

///By linking up you are giving us permission to visit your blog, pin/share images from linked up post and link back to you///

An InLinkz Link-up

What is a link party?

It’s like a weekly roundup of helpful posts. Link parties like this one are a place for bloggers to share links to their posts that fit the theme. And readers who are searching for information on that theme will be able to find several resources in one place.

DIY Crush opens a new “link-up” every Thursday evening and bloggers are invited to submit their posts. Incorrigible DIYers of all sorts can find new inspiration and tutorials for their next project by checking out the posts and articles.

How does this work?

For blog readers and inspiration seekers, all you have to do is check the listings above, or go to DIY Crush each week to see what’s been added. You can also visit the Pinterest Board where we save all the links. And then off you go to replicate what you see!

For Bloggers:

1. Please grab this image and install it somewhere on your site.* Link to www.diy-crush.com:

(or, if you’re not sure how to do that,
you can link to DIY Crush with a text link)

* This is a requirement, not an option. One of us will check.

2. Grab the link to your DIY post and head down to the bottom of this post to submit your link.

Posts that are invited to the party:

free craft tutorials & patterns
pattern reviews (can include links to the pattern for purchase)
decoration with small list of how you did it
recipes for foods that are also kids friendly (no alcoholic recipes please)
business/blogging tips
money tips for SAHM’s and WAHM’s

Posts that are not welcome to this party:

shops
giveaways
spam sites
products for sale
adult content

3. Spread the word, any way you like. We love party crushers!

4. If your site and post check out, we pin your link to this Pinterest board, which will bring you extra exposure!

5. Consider joining the party as a guest host. It’s not a lot of work, we promise.

6. The hosts and guest host each pick a favourite DIY to be featured the following week.

Simple, right?

Hosts

Guest Host

We are welcoming guest hosts to join us and party along! ***If you are interested in guest hosting a week, please leave a comment! We’ll get back to you!

We are looking for a guest host for party week #41, starting on Thursday, July 14. So if you are interested please leave a comment with your link to your blog and your email. I’ll contact you then.

Permanent Co-Hosts

Marsha from Seam Of My Pants, a whole new world of silly sewing and cockamamie crafting

Domenica from Easy Sewing For Beginners, a blog full of tutorials, projects and videos!

Please follow your hosts:

DIY Crush: blog // facebook //twitter // pinterest // youtube // google+ // instagram

Easy Sewing For Beginners: blog // facebook // twitter // pinterest // youtube // instagram

Seam Of My Pants: blog // facebook page //twitter // pinterest // facebook group // instagram

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

We will pin every instructional post but won’t be able to comment on every one, but if you are one of our favorites, we will comment to let you know!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Tags: Crush, link party, Pinterest, Thursday

July 6, 2016

Sew Sweetness Beatnik Waist Bag

I made a fanny pack! No, we haven’t traveled back in time to the 80’s. This isn’t the same fanny pack you remember; it’s modern and cool. Or maybe I’ve reached the age where fanny packs are cool? I was planning a day trip with the kids and wanted to be hands-free for the day. I love purses but I really didn’t want to have to worry about my purse on my shoulder or cross-body all day, so I whipped this one up. I received this pattern as part of my prize pack from the Bag of the Month last year. It’s the Sew Sweetness Beatnik Waist Bag.

The pattern is for a small bag to be worn around the waist. It has 2 front pockets with flaps, a divided interior pocket, and a zippered pocket at the bag. The main compartment is secured with a zipper.

I didn’t veer too much from the pattern. I omitted the back zipper to save a bit of time (I decided very last minute to make the bag.) I also used magnetic snaps instead of regular snaps, because I wanted to display some images from the prints I used.

After using it all day, I wholeheartedly recommend this pattern. I really loved having my hands and shoulders free and still having my essentials with me. Next time, I might add some card slots inside, but they fit perfectly in the front pockets, so the slots really aren’t necessary.

Thankfully I had everything I needed on hand. You just need a side release buckle and a slide. Because I did mine last-minute, I just used a black buckle, but next time I think I’ll use a coloured buckle, like the kind Sara sells. In a pinch, you could also use a D ring and a swivel clip with a slide.

I used Libs Elliott’s True Love fabric for this bag. I thought the splatter print was a bit of a throwback to this 80’s inspired style. The entire line was available at Sitka Fabrics, but some prints are starting to sell out, so don’t wait too long to grab some for yourself.

Giveaway Winners – Caravan Tote Sew Along & Canadian Blog Hop

Noodlehead Caravan Tote Sew Along

Thanks so much to everyone who joined me for the Noodlehead Caravan Tote Sew Along! I hope it motivated you or helped out with a tip or two. I really enjoyed seeing the finished bags. The random winner for the 2 Noodlehead patterns prize is Kelly P., who made a stunning Caravan Tote. She even used Anna’s Rain Walk fabric for her version.

There’s still time to grab the pattern at a discounted price (save 20%), using coupon code HOSAL until August 31st, 2016 in theNoodlehead shop. Then you can check back to follow along whenever it suits you. Start at Day 1 to find fabric selections and make your way from there.

Canadian Sewing Blog Hop

Holy smokes, was that great or what?! We had almost 1400 entries for the giveaways. Check your email – did you win?
Chelle won prize pack A, which includes a store credit from Tangled Blossoms Design, and patterns from Jalie, Carla’s Creations and Blue Calla.
Karen won prize pack B which includes a store credit from Emmaline Bags, a fat quarter bundle from Camelot Fabrics, and patterns from Pollywoggles and StitchArt.
Rachelle won prize pack C, which includes a Flare Fabrics store credit, the Rebel Quilt pattern, and a pattern bundle from Thread Riding Hood.

Thanks again to all our amazing sponsors. You can find all the link to our sponsors on the blog hop, here.

What would you like to see next? I have a few things up my sleeve, but I love hearing suggestions, so hit me!

July 4, 2016

Canadian Sewing Blog Hop – Wrap up

I hope you’ve all had a chance to enjoy your weekend and had lots of time to sew! Did you also get some time to hop along with us? Here’s the schedule if you want to go catch up and read about some amazing makes, designers and shops.

Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop Schedule

Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:

And, of course, to enter our giveaway for some sweet-like-maple-syrup prizes.

June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi

June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants

June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily

June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi

June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants

June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi

June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations

Canada Day–July 1: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste

July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants

July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio

July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi

July 6: Giveaway winners announced

I’d really like to thank Marsha from Seam of my Pants for all the help with this blog hop. I’ll let you in on a little secret…my computer crashed about a week before the hop was set to begin. I had all my sewing done, but left the writing until the last minute, and then reallllly regretted it. Why couldn’t I have been more organized and scheduled all my posts weeks ago?! Well, I know the answer, it’s because I always have new sewing projects that distract me. Anyway, without Marsha’s help in the background, I would have had such a headache. Now that I have a computer again, I can write to my heart’s content. Don’t worry though, I’ll keep this post short and sweet.

Summary

We had 11 people writing at 9 different blogs over more than a week, with some days having multiple posts for the hop. Marsha was quite busy with her features, and I invite you to read them all. I especially enjoyed the Camelot Fabrics feature; she had me in stitches! She also interviewedBeverly Johnson and we had an offer from Craftsy for all her classes at 50% off. The discount is over but Craftsy often has sales, so check it out and you just never know, it might be on sale!

Celine and I both talked about Libs Elliott here on my site. If you haven’t had a chance to seeCeline’s Rebel Quilt, you’ll want to do that next. Don’t forget Sitka Fabrics is carrying the entire collection of the Libs’ first fabric line, True Love.

Fiona sewed up a beautiful Dahlia, from Blue Calla Patterns. Both Fiona’s shop, Tangled Blossoms Design and Blue Calla Patterns are sponsors for our giveaways.

Carla gave us a treat with her new ruffled wristlet pattern shown off in more Sitka Fabrics. If you hurry, you can still catch her patterns on sale. She’s also offered a pattern of winner’s choice in our giveaway. Sherri from Thread Riding Hood wrote about some timely Fedora’s, perfect for sunny days, or just to add some flair! Keshia sewed up one of Sherri’s patterns, and I love how it turned out. You can win a pattern bundle from Thread Riding Hood, make sure to enter the giveaway before it’s over.

Daniela and I both sewed up bags designed by Janelle Mackay of Emmaline Bags. Daniela modified the Totes Ma Tote to make it a super quick sew. I made a bag from the book Janelle Co-authored, On The Go Bags, which is still available at a discount with code CANADA to save 20% at the whole site. Emmaline Bags is also a sponsor for our giveaway, offering a $25 store credit – Thanks so much!

Michelle made a beautifully elegant summer nightie set from Jalie Patterns. Ula has been keeping very busy and was part of two blog hops! I love the dress she made from Pollywoggles. Both Pollywoggles and Jalie are also giveaway sponsors.

That leads us back to here! I promised to share what I did with the other Camelot fabric from the Mama & Me collection. I love that this collection has pretty, grown up designs, but also fun playful ones; making it perfectly named. I made a sun hat in this super cute yellow fabric with a Mama fox and her baby. For a listing of Canadian retailers that carry Camelot Fabrics, please see myTwo-Bottle Tote post.

Check back in a couple days to see the winners of our giveaways. Thanks so much for joining us. I’d really love to hear what you thought of the hop. Did you learn about new Canadian sewing resources? Did it inspire you? Are you still looking for something?

Please show our sponsors some love! Most of the sales have finished now, but there are still a few active discounts, head on over to the sales tab to check them out.