Warm mug, cool hands
Keep your hot drink toasty with these pretty mug cosies
Skill level: Beginner
Materials: Templates (below, enlarge by 200%) Blue wool felt, approx 18x25cm (7x10in) White felt, approx 10x21cm (4×8in) Small pieces of light brown felt Matching sewing threads White and blue stranded embroidery threads Narrow blue ribbon, 20cm (8in) Chunky blue button Needles, scissors, pins Cut 2 rectangles measuring 7.5x24cm (3x9½in) from blue felt. Using the templates, cut out 3 top cup shapes from white felt, three bottom cup shapes from white felt, and 3 tea shapes from light brown felt. Cut out a small D-shaped hole in the handle of each top cup shape. 2 Position the three bottom cup pieces in a row along one of the blue cosy pieces, leaving room to sew on the button at one end and space above to add the embroidery. Pin in place and sew straight stitches around the edge with white thread. 3 Place one top cup piece on each bottom cup piece, to give the effect of a cup sitting on a saucer. Pin and sew with straight stitches in white thread. 4 Add a tea piece to each cup, sewing each one in place with straight stitch in light brown thread. 5 Using three strands of the white thread, sew curving steam lines coming up from the tea. Use backstitch to create a continuous line, and make the lines as varied as possible with organic curves and loops. Repeat for all the cups. 6 Using three strands of blue thread, embroider details on to each cup. Backstitch a line around the inside of the saucer, and two curved lines around the cup to create a band across it. Sew small crosses and hearts inside the band. Repeat this for all 3 cups. 7 Sew a button securely in place in the middle of one short edge of the cosy using blue thread. 8 Cut a 20cm (8in) length of narrow blue ribbon, cutting the ends at an angle to help prevent fraying. Sew one end to the backing cosy piece, on the opposite edge to the button but at the same height. 9 Wrong sides facing, pin the front and back pieces of the cosy together. Sew around the edges using matching sewing thread and neat blanket stitch, sewing a couple of whip stitches over where the ribbon emerges. Remove the pins and finish the stitches on the back. To fasten the cosy, wind the ribbon twice around the button.