Reversible Quilted Coffee Cup Sleeve Tutorial
Sweater weather is in full swing, which means warm coffees, cosy layers, and a little extra time for seasonal sewing! If you love picking up your favourite hot drink on a chilly morning, why not make a quilted coffee cup sleeve to take along? This DIY coffee sleeve is a quick and practical sewing project that’s perfect for using up your favourite fabric scraps. It’s so fast to make that you could sew a whole batch in an afternoon to give to friends and family during gifting season. Oh, and did I mention that the sleeve is reversible?
This tutorial is sponsored by Brother USA, and I used my Brother Innov-is CX1 Celeste sewing machine to make these quilted coffee cup sleeves. From piecing together the quilting to stitching the finished edges, it made the process a breeze. If you’re looking for a sewing machine that makes creative projects like this a joy to tackle, the CX1 Celeste is well worth a closer look!
Grab your favourite fabric scraps, fire up your sewing machine, and let’s get sewing.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• Basic sewing machine – Brother Innovis CX1 Celeste sewing machine was featured in this blog post.
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat
• Coordinating thread(s) – 50wt for general construction and quilting
• Scissors for fabric
• Scissors for paper
• Download PDF coffee cup sleeve templates for free here**
• Printer to print PDF envelope templates
• Printer paper
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Pins
• Sewing clips
• Seam ripper
• Iron
• Hera marker
• Walking foot (Brother Compact Muvit Digital Dual Feed Foot was used in this tutorial)
• Coordinating quilting cotton – one (1) 4in x 11in rectangle for Exterior (Fabric A) and one (1) 4in x 11in rectangle for Lining (Fabric B)
• Batting – one (1) 5in x 12in rectangle
• Basting spray
*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something the author and designer may earn a commission.
DIRECTIONS
Read through all directions before starting. Seam allowance throughout the project is ¼in unless otherwise specified. The directions are broken down into three key parts:
PRINTING AND PREPARING TEMPLATES
Step 1: Download the coffee cup sleeve template here**. The template is provided as a PDF. Print at 100% scale, with no page scaling, to ensure the template is the correct size.
Step 2: Using paper scissors, cut along the solid line of the coffee cup sleeve template. Seam allowance is included in these templates. Set paper template aside for Quilting Exterior, Step 2.
QUILTING EXTERIOR
Step 1: Create the Sleeve Exterior Sandwich by spray basting one (1) Fabric A rectangle to the batting rectangle. Position the fabric with its wrong side against the batting, ensuring it is centred. Press to activate the basting spray.
Step 2: Place the paper template from Printing and Preparing the Template, Step 2 on the sleeve exterior sandwich. Trace around the template using a fabric pen or pencil.
Step 3: Using a Hera marker, mark your quilting guidelines within the traced outline. Attach a walking foot to your sewing machine and quilt using your preferred method. For this example, a 1-inch grid was used.
Tip 1: To speed things up, mark a 2-inch grid with a Hera marker and stitch along the marked lines first. Then, use these stitched lines and the built-in Sew Straight Laser Vision Guide on the Brother Innov-is CX1 Celeste to help quilt a 1-inch grid. If your sewing machine doesn’t have this feature, use your presser foot, needle position, and stitched guidelines to help space your quilting lines evenly.
Tip 2: Edge sew within the marked template outline. This will help secure the layers before you cut on the marked outline in the next step.
Step 4: Cut along the traced outline to complete the Sleeve Exterior. Set aside for Coffee Cup Sleeve Assembly, Step 2.
COFFEE CUP SLEEVE ASSEMBLY
Step 1: Place the paper template from Printing and Preparing the Template, Step 2 on the Fabric B rectangle. Trace around the template using a fabric pen or pencil, then cut along the traced outline to create the Sleeve Lining.
Step 2: On the wrong side of both the Sleeve Exterior and Sleeve Lining, use a fabric pen or pencil to mark a line ½ inch from the bottom edge (the shorter curved edge). Fold the raw edge up to meet the marked line, enclosing the raw edge. Press with an iron to hold the fold in place.
Step 3: With right sides together join shorter edges of Sleeve Exterior Sandwich to create a tube. Reverse stitch at the start and end of the seam.
Repeat with Sleeve Lining to create a second tube.
Step 4: Turn the sleeve exterior right side out. Keep the sleeve lining inside out. Place the sleeve exterior inside the sleeve lining, aligning the raw edges with right sides together. Pin in place.
Step 5: Sew along the long edge of the sleeve and turn right side out. Press seam.
Step 6: Align the folded edges of the Sleeve Exterior and Sleeve Lining. Pin or clip in place, then edge stitch along the folded edges to secure them together and close the opening. Reverse stitch at the beginning and end of the seam.
Then edge stitch along the longer edge of the Sleeve to permanently secure the layers and give the sleeve and overall clean finish.
Step 7: Trim any loose threads, and your quilted coffee cup sleeve is complete!
And just like that, you have a handmade quilted coffee cup sleeve ready for your next coffee run! I love how this quick sewing project turns small fabric scraps into something useful, and you can easily make a few in different prints to suit your friends and family. They’re a lovely little handmade gift for the holidays, stocking stuffers for fellow sewists, or a treat for your own daily coffee ritual.
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