I’m back on the AccuQuilt blog again this month, continuing with my 12 Months of Holiday Gifts projects. This month I’m making an Ice Cream Pint Cozy. It’s a quick little project, especially if you aren’t drafting a pattern from scratch!
I did look up several pint cozy patterns, but they all made cups. I just wanted a sleeve, so I created this one myself.
I started out by tracing a pint onto a piece of paper. I rolled the pint and traced the path. Then I cut the paper out and wrapped it around the pint. Easy peasy. I made my prototype out of scraps from my studio trash bucket. I was thrilled that it fit so well on the first go. My son observed that a dishtowel is easier. (Who taught this kid to talk? Oh, right, it was me, with the help of a speech pathologist. Huh.)
The next challenge was how to make it an AccuQuilt project. They aren’t going to make a die for this, and I’m not having a custom die made. So, time to be clever. I could have traced the pattern and made a down-loadable pattern. However, I thought there would be an easier way. I needed it to be able to be pieced using AccuQuilt dies, and decided I wasn’t up for appliqué this month.
I took a look at my Qubes, and decided on a flying geese unit. Luckily, I have the 5″ Qube set, and that flying geese unit was the perfect size! I made my second test piece, which is where I make something and don’t bother with pictures. The photos really slow me down. (This was the green version).
Making a tube out of of flying geese was easy, but it needed to taper. It turns out, that is also easy. I stitched the panel, then traced a line over the seam between each unit, making them wider at one end than the other. The first try was offset on one end by 1/8″, which wasn’t enough. Offsetting by 1/4″ was perfect.
Back to the stash for the third and final piece, which is this lovely orange one.
You can head over to the AccuQuilt blog for the complete instructions.
I’m really so happy with how these little projects are turning out each month. I have five left to make this year, and I will have a really impressive little stack of gifts. The funniest part is that I started this project with the idea of making one set of gifts for one person. However, as the year goes along, I feel like I need to make a set for everyone. I won’t, and I need to break that impulse! I will be gifting my prototypes and extras, though. Next year I might allow family members to pick one thing from the list, so I make each person one little thing they will enjoy.
12 Months of Holiday Gifts Series
- January – Stocking
- February – Sleep mask
- March – Placemat
- April – Journal cover
- May – Pillowcase
- June – Bowl Cozy
- July – Ice Cream Pint Cozy
I like it! I have the cup version, and while I like using it, the little “ears” get in the way. Might have to whip one of these up, when I’m not up to my eyeballs in working on a challenge quilt!
Thanks, Wendy!
Good luck on your challenge quilt!
Love the fabric 😉 I have some of that collection in my scrap bag too – eager to try this, I bet the sleeves could be used for other cups/mugs too!