Introduction: Nerdy French Press Cozy From Recycled Clothes
I don’t know about you, but my biggest problem with a french press is not the sledge at the bottom of the pot. It is not the chance of broken glass.
My problem is that no matter how wonderfully hot the first cup is the second cup of coffee is icy cold. Heck, it’s so cold I feel like I might as well have done dropped it in the fridge for awhile. Blech. Guess I need a cozy. I wandered about the internet and looked. Yet, every pattern I found looked like something my grandmother might use. The patterns also looked really hard and I’m kind of a beginner… So time to come up with something on my own. So here it is, the perfect cozy for the gamer in your life.
You will need:
2 old t-shirts: One dark and one lighter for the d20 and the lining
A length of quilt batting (or old blanket, or sweater, or whatever)
2 colors of thread
Sewing machine
Hand Needle
An Iron
Printer
Tape
My problem is that no matter how wonderfully hot the first cup is the second cup of coffee is icy cold. Heck, it’s so cold I feel like I might as well have done dropped it in the fridge for awhile. Blech. Guess I need a cozy. I wandered about the internet and looked. Yet, every pattern I found looked like something my grandmother might use. The patterns also looked really hard and I’m kind of a beginner… So time to come up with something on my own. So here it is, the perfect cozy for the gamer in your life.
You will need:
2 old t-shirts: One dark and one lighter for the d20 and the lining
A length of quilt batting (or old blanket, or sweater, or whatever)
2 colors of thread
Sewing machine
Hand Needle
An Iron
Printer
Tape
Step 1: Trace the D20
First print this picture. Don’t be a hero and try to draw it free hand. It’s WAY harder than it looks to draw and not worth the hassle. Next, tape the picture to your window. Tape the fabric you want to use for your die over it. TRACE. I used sharpie, but it doesn't really matter, you’ll be sewing the lines over it.
Step 2: Iron the Edges of Your D20
Heat your iron. My girl scout troop leader used to say, “The key to good sewing is good ironing.” She was totally right. While the iron heats cut out your hexagram leaving a WIDE seam allowance.
Pick a side of your d20 and iron it down. Then rotate and fold the next side down. Fold down each side and iron it. Go around until each side is folded and it is tightly ironed. This is hard to describe so I made this helpful red diagram.
Pick a side of your d20 and iron it down. Then rotate and fold the next side down. Fold down each side and iron it. Go around until each side is folded and it is tightly ironed. This is hard to describe so I made this helpful red diagram.
Step 3: Sew the D20
To the machine!!!
Pick a corner. Sew along that edge line to the corner. Then with the needle down raise the foot and turn so the machine is lined up to go down the next edge.
Do this with each side. Until you have sewed down each side seam.
Next grab a small piece of your batting (or sweater, or blanket, or whatever) and back the d20 with it. Trim it so it is a little smaller than the patch. Then using the same techniques sew over the lines you drew in the middle. This will make the sides pop out.
Pick a corner. Sew along that edge line to the corner. Then with the needle down raise the foot and turn so the machine is lined up to go down the next edge.
Do this with each side. Until you have sewed down each side seam.
Next grab a small piece of your batting (or sweater, or blanket, or whatever) and back the d20 with it. Trim it so it is a little smaller than the patch. Then using the same techniques sew over the lines you drew in the middle. This will make the sides pop out.
Step 4: Measure Your Carafe
Measure your carafe.
Around the carafe measure for black cloth and add 6 extra inches. You will cut so that the height is the height of the carafe, the seam allowances will leave room for the spout and anchor the project together. These will be part of the lining.
While you are at it, if you are using old shirts like me, cut out the shoulder seams to use for the cords.
Next cut out another piece of your accent color for the interior. This should be the same height as the black piece but only as long as the carafe is around.
Around the carafe measure for black cloth and add 6 extra inches. You will cut so that the height is the height of the carafe, the seam allowances will leave room for the spout and anchor the project together. These will be part of the lining.
While you are at it, if you are using old shirts like me, cut out the shoulder seams to use for the cords.
Next cut out another piece of your accent color for the interior. This should be the same height as the black piece but only as long as the carafe is around.
Step 5: Hem
Sew the batting to the lining piece, hemming around the edges so that the lining goes around your batting.
Set the lining aside.
Hem the exterior along the top and bottom edges as well as each side.
Set the lining aside.
Hem the exterior along the top and bottom edges as well as each side.
Step 6: Embroidery
Embroider your monogram into the exterior piece using the accent color. The one in the picture was a gift for my room mate, but it might also be cool to add a logo, or guild name, or swear. Ya know, whatever goes with your gamer and their coffee.
Stitch in the 20 using the same accent color. This is really easy, if but you are unclear on embroidery. Just draw what you want and stitch over it like so. just keep going over the stitches and wrapping thread around them until they look how you want. This does not have to be embroidery floss. I used regular red thread.
Stitch in the 20 using the same accent color. This is really easy, if but you are unclear on embroidery. Just draw what you want and stitch over it like so. just keep going over the stitches and wrapping thread around them until they look how you want. This does not have to be embroidery floss. I used regular red thread.
Step 7: Assemble
Next Sew the exterior to the accent and batting.
Place the accent piece in the middle of the exterior and then fold over the edges. Sew
Take the cords and place them so that one goes over the handle, one under, and one through.
Sew them down tight.
Place the accent piece in the middle of the exterior and then fold over the edges. Sew
Take the cords and place them so that one goes over the handle, one under, and one through.
Sew them down tight.
Step 8: Quilt
Okay now it is time for some quilting. Re-thread your machine with the accent color. I didn’t bother to change the bobbin but if you’re feeling fancy who I am I to say you are wrong?
From the name quilt out to the edges, in starred lines.
Last give a once over to where the exterior meets the interior.This will mean verticle lines on the sides.
From the name quilt out to the edges, in starred lines.
Last give a once over to where the exterior meets the interior.This will mean verticle lines on the sides.
Step 9: Affix the D20!
Now to affix the d20! Re-thread the machine with black. Sew along the outside line in black thread excluding one FIVE sides. leave one open. Every project has scrap, take every little piece of scrap this project generated and shove it behind the die, add extra batting until it is full and plump. Sew the last seam.
Now relax brew some coffee and start working on your character sheet.
Now relax brew some coffee and start working on your character sheet.
Participated in the
Sew Warm Contest
