Coffee Cup Cozy (In-the-Hoop)

Make hot beverages even more magical with an adorable embroidered cup cozy! Cute details, a Velcro closure, and a three-piece construction option for smaller hoops make this project as convenient as it is charming. We'll show you step-by-step how to make the magic happen!

When you download an in-the-hoop needle book design, you will find multiple files. One is the full embroidery file. The others are dieline files marked with the letters DL. Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the right shape and size.

Open the dieline files with embroidery software and print them. If you do not have embroidery software, you can stitch the DL dieline files directly onto a piece of paper to create a pattern, or the fabric that you wish to cut out (then cut around the stitched dieline).

Spray the back side of the paper dieline with spray adhesive. Smooth that on top of the fabric.

Cut out the shapes.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer. Madeira E-Zee Tear 1.5 oz. or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less paper-like, and will tear more cleanly.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery file (not the dieline files).

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, rather than an embroidery needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so that will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline, or outline stitch. This marks the area on the stabilizer where we'll place the fabric piece.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Spray the back of the front fabric piece with a temporary adhesive, and place it right inside the sewn dieline.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue embroidering the design. A tackdown stitch will sew next. This binds the fabric in place for the remainder of the design.

Then embroider all the inner details. Make sure to stop before sewing "back piece tackdown".

Watch the color change sheet for a note that says "back piece tack down." When you get to this point, remove the hoop from the machine, but don't unhoop the stabilizer.

Turn the hoop over. Spray the back side of the back fabric piece with temporary adhesive, and place the fabric inside the shape on the backside of the embroidery.

Since both sides of the embroidery will be seen, wind a bobbin with the same color as the top thread.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue with the design. A tackdown will sew followed by a finished E-stitch border.

After the embroidery has finished, carefully tear the stabilizer away.

Place one side of the Velcro circle on the back side of the squared edge and sew it in place. If sewing by hand, make sure not to sew all the way through to prevent stitches from showing on the other side.

Next place the front side of the Velcro circle centered on the angled edge, near the E-stitch border and stitch in place.

If sewing the 4"x4" design, which has multiple files, repeat the previous embroidery steps to sew out files "A", "B" and "C".

Use matching thread to connect each section. A zigzag stitch works best for this step.

Attach the Velcro pieces as you would for the non-segmented design. Your cute cup cozy is complete!