It's a month of kitchen tutorials...look what Kathleen is serving up...

At my house there's almost always a pot of coffee brewing, that's what. My thanks to Madame Samm for inviting me back (I'm Kathleen Tracy, from A Sentimental Quilter), to show you how to make something cute for your kitchen. Or perhaps this one is more for your car, which can be almost like a kitchen some days - if you have kids and you're always on the go, LOL.

A cute Coffee Cup Cozy!

Coffee made at home is great and I have a special travel mug for that if I want to take it on the road. But when I'm out and about and just need to buy a cup of coffee at my favorite coffee shop or chain restaurant, ouch, I really don't want to burn my hands. Also, you have to admit, those cardboard sleeves are not really very attractive. Keep this one in your purse or car and whip it out when you need it.

First, however, you do have to go and buy a cup of coffee (or tea) to get the template. When you finish your hot drink, toss the cup but keep the cardboard piece that wraps around it.

Select two fabrics for your cozy, one for the outer wrap and one for the lining.

Cut 1 rectangle, 4 1/2" x 11" from each print (for 2 rectangles). Cut a piece of cotton batting the same size. Open your carbboard template and trace it on the wrong side of the rectangle for the outer part.

Layer your fabric rectangles, right sides together. Place the batting on the bottom.

Cut through all 3 layers about 1/4" around the drawn shape. (Doesn't matter if it's a little bigger, you will trim it later.)

To make the closure loop, take a small piece of elastic (a coated hair band works) and place it between the inner and outer layers with the loop that's going to show inside. After you sew the layers together, you can trim the loop that hangs outside the piece.

Pin your layers together. Stitch around on the drawn line, leaving a 2 1/2" opening on one long side. Stitch over the part with the elastic several times to make it sturdy. Now trim the seam allowance, clipping the corners a bit. Turn the layers right side out through the opening. Press, folding the seams of the opening inward.

Stitch about 1/8 inch around the piece, making sure to sew the opening closed. Add a cute button to the side opposite the loop and you're done!

This cozy fits most smaller cups perfectly and I carry mine in my purse for those days when I grab a cup while I'm out. If you find that you're spending way too much on those lattes, money that you could be spending on fabric instead, here's an easy one you can make at home -

Kathy's Low-cal Vanilla Latte

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 cup of very strong, hot coffee

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 T Cool Whip

dash of cinnamon

sweetener of choice

I usually make a pot of regular coffee in the morning. If I'm home and need a little more in the afternoon and don't want to bother with the coffeemaker again, I use my little one-cup filter I've had for 20 years or so (when my kitchen was "country blue") to quickly make a vanilla latte for myself. I pour the milk and vanilla into the cup before I let the coffee drip through, add the sweetener and sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the Cool Whip.

Decaf for me if it's after 3 p.m.

Enjoy your coffee and cozy. If you have a little time and energy to quilt after all that caffeine, I've challenged some of my Yahoo group and blog followers to make one Small Quilt a Month this year from patterns in some of my books. At the end of the year they'll have 12 little quilts finished. Trust me, it's very doable if you take it in small steps - and also drink a cup of coffee, LOL. I'm giving everyone weekly reminders to keep going. And if you can't make 12 quilts, how about 6 or even 4? Stop by my blog A Sentimental Quilter to see what new little quilt we're making for April. This month's quilt is a free pattern and you can download it from my website Country Lane Quilts on the Free Pattern page.

                                                            

A thousand thanks to Madame Samm for inviting me to blog for you again. The last time I guest blogged, you left me some pretty wonderful comments. To make it even easier for some of you to begin making some of your own little quilts, I'm giving away a copy of my newest book, The Civil War Sewing Circle (which contains quite a few patterns for cute doll quilts) to one lucky person who posts a comment. So be sure to say something really nice . . .

congrats Marilyn

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all of your comments very appreciated...