Denim Cup Insulators!

Only three days into the new year, and I can cross a project off the list!

Sure, they were supposed to be completed in 2011. And yeah, the only reason they are finished is because I need to snap a picture for a blog post at work. But the important thing is, they're finished!



Since my favorite hot chocolate dealer is stingy with handing out those disposable cardboard insulators it just makes sense to create reusable versions out of denim. Besides, it's a teeny, tiny small step towards making a difference, right?

The one to the left is gold metallic foil. I'm still not thrilled with how the foil turns out - it's patchy in places. Thankfully I went with a frayed edge for the denim, so it just gives an overall worn-in look. Or so I'm telling myself!

It didn't photograph well, but the middle one is embroidered. Since I'm still learning, it's just a simple backstitch. Instead of trying to transfer the design onto the denim, I tried stitching over tracing paper. It worked out great, and it was so easy to tear the paper away from the stitches.

The one on the right is just black screenprint ink. The ink bled under the freezer paper stencil a little, making the logo a little blurry. I need to figure out a better way to use stencils (or something) on fabric other than knits.

Since I only had three cups around, I snapped a quick picture of this insulator on it's own. To use both white screenprinting ink and another foil attempt, I created two freezer paper stencils - one for the white areas and one for the foil. I stenciled the ghost first, then once the ink dried and the stencil removed, I ironed on the stencil for the foil. Again, not wild about the foil, but I think it works okay.

I have two more insulators to embroider, but there isn't a rush since they're for my husband and myself. I'll work on them off and on the rest of the week. Next up, I need to make my husband's bracelet (I promised it back before Christmas) and continue working on the "c" afghan, "r" & "d" amigurumi, and the paper cranes. Luckily, these are all great projects for the cold winter months. I still want to work on that corduroy messenger bag and wristlet, but the idea of it is super-intimidating to this sewing machine beginner!