fall coffee dates

Last fall I started going to Starbucks every Monday morning with Thing 2 before she went to school. It was a nice way to start the week, and we had many great conversations over our mochas, peppermint hot chocolates, and chai tea lattes. We made it there every Monday morning throughout her entire senior year of high school.

We've decided to continue the tradition this year. I visit the usual location near my home, and she goes to the one closest to her college dorm. We chat on the telephone instead of face-to-face, but it's still a great way to start the week and stay connected :) This week I brought along a book to fill the time while I waited for her. (By the way this a very good story - one of the main characters works at a quilt shop and actually lives over the shop with her young daughter!)

I really love the look of the new fall Starbucks cups, and as I sat there reading and enjoying my hot tea I thought, "these fall cups could really use a matching coffee cup cozy!" Since I knew the perfect fabric scraps were waiting in my stash, I immediately started cutting once I was back at home. My friend Lorrie created and published the fantastic pattern and tutorial on her blog at SewMod.

My button stash is not so well stocked (sadly), so once all the fabrics were cut I headed out to purchase some fun buttons and the elastic hair ties needed. Shopping for those supplies took longer than actually sewing the cozies!  Here they are all sewn and ready to go!

They will fit all sizes of Starbucks hot beverage cups - tall, grande, and venti.

I buttoned them all and stood them upside down so you could see the fun lining fabrics too :)

Thing 2 really likes the one on the left (so I'll be sending it in her next care package), while I'm pretty attached to the one on the right. I haven't decided what to do with the other five - probably give them to my coffee loving friends!

You should check out Lorrie's tutorial and make some for yourself and your friends! Then make a coffee date with someone you love :)

everlasting pumpkins for fabric lovers

Christmas ads are already inundating us, but there are still a few weeks of fall remaining. Plenty of time for you to make a batch of these pumpkins to decorate your home for Thanksgiving.

I made these three last weekend, and it took me about one hour per pumpkin - a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. The project will go even faster if you've got a willing crafty helper :)

You can find these carve-able pumpkins at JoAnns, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and most chain craft stores. You'll also need fabric scraps, matte finish Mod Podge, and a foam brush.

I cut my fabric scraps into roughly 3" squares. I cut them with scissors, eye-balling the dimensions. No need for precision cutting on this project!

Beginning near them stem, brush a swipe of Mod Podge larger than your fabric square on the pumpkin. Place the fabric square on top of the Mod Podge, tamp it down, and then brush another layer of Mod Podge over the top of the fabric square.

Continue this process - layer of glue, fabric, glue over the fabric - down the side of the pumpkin, overlapping the fabric edges as you go.

Yes - this is my mostly Kaffe (and friends) pumpkin!

When you get to the bottom of the pumpkin with a "column" of fabric, start working your way back up to the stem. Continue until you have the entire pumpkin surface covered with fabric.

Check for any edges that may have lifted and re-glue them with another swipe of Mod Podge. Then you just have to wait for them to dry - usually only a couple of hours.

Now you've got some everlasting pumpkins to decorate your home. I've displayed mine on the fireplace hearth, but the outside photos are so much prettier!

You could cut your fabric scraps into any shape - rectangles, triangles, circles, diamonds - go crazy and have fun!

Next year I want to cover some white pumpkins with large dots of black and grey fabrics. What do you think?