coaster #11: cafe beyond

today's coaster is another found paper coaster. 

it comes from this glossy menu that's available at cafe beyond, the eatery that's inside bed, bath & beyond on 6th avenue and 18th st.  i picked the menu up this morning while i was getting a toasted corn muffin, but it's lunch that i usually have here. salads, burritos, baked potatoes, pasta, soup--it's one of my top 3 places, easily.

it was a bit too glossy for a coaster, so i lightly sandpapered it down which gave it a nice, distressed look. then i glued the cutout onto a blank cardboard coaster.

that's what i call coasteriffic!

coaster #10: sun with french knots

i got this sun fabric at a garage sale during the summer. you probably can't see it on the screen, but it's very shimmery, a really nice piece. i added  eight french knots to the outer circle just to give it a little bit of a color pop and a little bit of texture.  i'm liking this fine.

here's the back of the coaster.

the cats seem to want to get in on the action and kish, who is really the scaredy cat, joined me tonight for the coaster making fun. what a handsome boy he is!

kish, so far things have worked out fine in the testing of the coasters and i hope that tonight you'll witness another  thumbs up result.

: )

coaster #9: keys coaster

today a very simple coaster using some great new key fabric.

can't forget that what i'm making also has a function. will it work?

nash could barely stand the final moments of the coaster's testing phase.

hey, nash! not to worry! we have another working coaster!

coaster #8: festival of sleep coaster

according to the folks over at holidayinsights.com, January 3rd is the Festival of Sleep Day. It is "...an opportunity to sleep in, snooze, doze, nap, and catch 40 winks." this would be the right coaster to use when i wake wake up at 3:00 am. "should i go on the computer?" "should I sew?"

no. take the advice of a coaster. "go to sleep"

the back of the festival of sleep coaster

i was a little bit tired when i took these photos. too tired--STILL--to take that nail polish off of my thumb.

but never too tired to celebrate another coaster that works!

coaster #7: scrappy flower 2

well it was on my mind since yesterday to make another scrappy flower coaster using better colors/fabric. and--unlike yesterday's blue--i outlined the parts with black thread. big improvement. i really really like making these...i might not be able to stop myself.

and i know what you're saying: "yesterday's coaster wasn't so good looking but, sue, it WORKED! 

ok. lets GO THERE!

i have about five fruit punch gatorades left over from when i saw the intestinal guy. he thought i wasn't absorbing fluids so well. i know, why bring that up here? 

you're right. i just wanted to explain why i have gatorade.

it works!

a fabric resolution for 2012

i gave my friend leslie the book zakka sewing as a Christmas present. but i was inspired by an article in the current issue of sew somerset to do more than wrapping paper.

in the magazine lindsay ostrom, who has a blog here, talks about her "little bitty bags". They are very scrappy--which i love--bags that she makes, usually with muslin as her blank canvas. after the bag's constructed, she embellishes them beautifully and colorfully and wildly.

i just really like the idea of giving gifts wrapped in some kind of fabric container. a container that becomes useful in itself. in fact, while leslie was waiting to get a cover for her new ipad, she used this bag! she said it was a great fit and the bright color made it easy to find where the ipad was last used!

coaster #6: scrappy flower

i can see where my color/fabric selection could have been better--the green leaves are lost against the green background-- but it was so much fun making coaster #6 and i'm excited to make more like this. i found them at the jolly bee. she  started off using a tutorial over at chasing cottons. but jolly bee made them wonderfully scrappy and outlined everything in black thread (where i used blue) as she saw in a book called "Scandinavian Stitches".

i agree with you, jolly bee. these are the happiest coasters ever.

but, you didn't mention--do they work??

this sunkist beverage...very tasty.

ok! they are happy and....they work!