Wednesday, April 4, 2012

One More Cup of Coffee

My favorite crafty blog Sew We Quilt  asked me to be a guest blogger again. Madame Samm told me that the topic of the month for April would be What's Cooking?  - sewing things for the kitchen. I tried my best to come up with something cute that would not be duplicated all month. My brain wasn't working to come up with anything good. Many of you probably use my quilts for place mats and table mats already and did I really need another apron?

Originally, I was going to do a tutorial on some pet dish place mats using that cute puppy fabric. Many of us keep our pet food dishes in the kitchen, right? That sort of counts as a kitchen idea, I thought. Ingrid said it would bother me to see my cute little quilt slobbered on, though, and that made me think some more. Then, when my daughter was home for Spring Break, we stopped at a Starbucks and she suggested - a fabric Coffee Cozy and I really liked that idea better.


So, if you go to Sew We Quilt tomorrow, on Thursday, April 5, that's what you'll find there - a tutorial for a cute coffee cozy, plus one of my favorite coffee recipes. AND a giveaway of my book The Civil War Sewing Circle!  How good can it get?


Have you seen all the wonderful and creative tutorials on this blog?? Please go check it out. There's almost always a good giveaway too.

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For the past several months, I've been trying really hard to walk and work out and get myself back into some kind of shape and finally get rid of some of that "baby weight gain." Okay, okay, who am I kidding? Those of you who follow me regularly may remember that my baby is 18 and just went off to college last fall. LOL. So it's taken me awhile, so what. It's going very slowly and I have good days and bad days - days I don't want to but I do it anyway. I don't love it, I have to say, but so far I am sticking to it even if it's difficult. It has to get easier soon, right? Now that the weather is getting nicer it's a little easier. And any effort I make can only be good for me.

One of the things I've learned is that having a cup of coffee (and a few carbs too) before I work out really helps. And it's not just my imagination - studies show that drinking coffee before a workout increases your metabolism and boosts fat loss. That's what we all want to hear, right? Don't take it to the extreme, just a cup will do. And remember that coffee acts as a diuretic so you will need to drink water too.  I love coffee anyway so what have I got to lose? Except all this darn FAT . . .


You know I always have to tie the things I think about and write about into my quilting - hence the coffee cozy. You will love this - yes, they also drank coffee during the Civil War. More than one blogger suggests that coffee may have had a real impact on the outcome of the Civil War and that consumption of the drink during the war helped make it a national pastime after the war. According to CNN, "throughout the Civil War, coffee was as prevalent on the battlefields as it is in offices today. In fact, the Union army was fueled by the stuff to the point that, if there was no time to boil water, the Boys in Blue would chew on whole beans as they marched. And at night, Union campsites were dotted with tiny fires, each boiling a pot of coffee like a million miniature Starbucks. Beyond caffeine cravings, Union troops loved their coffee because it was, literally, the best thing on the menu."  I wonder if drinking coffee can help me win MY battle . . . 


Looks like she sure could have used a cup . . .

(Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress)

Stop by Madame Samm's blog on Thursday and leave me a comment for a chance to win a free copy of The Civil War Sewing Circle. The quilt we'll be working on for next month will be taken from that book. Don't drink too much coffee before you begin your quilting though - I don't want to hear about rotary cutters flying and everyone hurting themselves.




24 comments:

Merilyn said...

Very sweet Coffee Cosy! Congratulations on being invited to be a guest blogger, I'll go over and check it out!
My best exercise partners are my dogs, as I live in a small rural village we take a walk down the road and along the Macadamia plantations, up and down hills, I know my dogs Shali and Tia enjoy it, and it must be doing me some good too, I think.......

Shuttle, Hook and Needle said...

The Civil War Sewing Circle is my favorite of all your wonderful books! I'm having fun playing with my nine patch blocks.

I wish a cup of coffee would help me with my middle age weight problem. I'll give it a try before my next walk!

Hope you are having a wonderful spring day.
Louise

Kathleen Tracy said...

I hear you Louise - it's so much harder now than it was years ago isn't it? One step at a time - any movement is a good thing and if the coffee gets me moving a little more, even better.

Lesley said...

So nice to hear you'll be a guest at Sew We Quilt! The coffee cosy looks terrific! Thanks for sharing your stories of coffee during the Civil War!

Robin said...

I gasped when I saw that coffee cup on the blue and white quilt. I guess I'm so accident prone I just assume everyone else is too.

Judy Dietrich said...

Hello Kathleen, I can relate to your walking routine to lose weight. My baby is 22 years old now--so you are not the only one is this position!! I would rather sit down and stitch instead of going out for a walk, but I have a dog who loves to walk. I hate the first part of the walk--but then after about 5-10 minutes, my body takes over and my mind works on things I want to get done when I get back home. We also meet people, and that helps to see other people daily!! It is amazing how much more you get done in a day, if you get out for a little while & away from your creative space. I have read many blogs where people take cameras and photograph interesting things on their walks. They then turn them into creative designs and color ideas. You have to make a game out of it, so your mind will eventually have fun walking. I have also found many neighbors interact more with my dog--they create a reason to talk to me!! But, as you know--dogs think they need love from everyone!! I am sure the caffeine in the coffee gives you a burst of energy--and I would use it to get out there & walk!! Good Luck on your walking & have a Happy Easter weekend.

EllenaElizabeth said...

I just so enjoyed reading your story about coffee and the civil war. I love the photo too. It's a real gem. Thanks for sharing and Happy easter from Australia to the USA

marian said...

I'm more of a tea drinker these days and yet i was raised on coffee drinking from a very early age. My favourite brekky as a child was a cup of sickly sweet milky coffee and chunky vienna bread broken up into it...eeeek!! i can't imagine why i liked it so much lol!!
btw i love your cute coffee cosy and i sure understand your struggle with weight loss. i go to gym 3-5 times a per week and i've grown to love it, but it's never easy..as you say you've just got to stick with it! Must admit i've noticed a huge improvement in my body core strength and overall wellbeing, so that's a good thing!
i'm looking forward to reading your post on Madame Samm's blog :))) cheers, Marian

moosecraft said...

lol! Cute post! I luvs me a cup (or a few) of coffee every day! Next to ice water... it's my favorite beverage! I've seen metal repro signs around that say "I drink coffee for your protection".... lol!

moosecraft said...

P.S. I'm still losing my baby fat too... as in "the baby fat I was born with"... ;-)

Diane said...

The coffee cozy is adorable! Combines my favorite addictions: coffee and fabric!
Congratulations for sticking to your 'getting in shape' goals. It is so difficult to make these changes. I've been walking since last August and eating much better-I have to add weights to build some muscle...oh I dread the thought. But we must make these changes and keep these habits if we expect to be able to do all the things we want to in our later years. It is my main motivation.

Christine L said...

Your Tut was great.. I look forward to making these for Xmas presents for all the gals in our offices. :) I understand about "getting in shape" goals. I have recently started walking to work so that I can get my exercise in :) Thanks for the giveaway opportunity as well! I am one of your newest followers :)

Beth said...

Great story about the coffee during the war. I have tried tolike the stuff, but I just can't. I drink ice water. BUT I love the cozy cause most everyone I know does drink coffee.

Diane H said...

Really enjoyed your post over at SM, Kathleen.
Thanks very much for a chance to win your book.

Ingrid said...

I'm glad you went with the coffee cozy. It really is cute! I'm always drinking coffee on the road. Having a pretty quilted cozy on my mug would make it even more enjoyable. The recipe on your guest blog for vanilla late sounds appealing. I bet it would taste great with other flavors, too. Must go out and get some cool whip today so I can try it!

Jackie V. said...

Hello Kathleen, I have just discovered the joys of quilting with Civil War fabrics and have the book you are giving away, as I've made three little quilts from it and even hand quilted one, fun to do while watching the tv. Now I'm going to do the little one for April. Thanks for your designs and keep up the good work. O, yes, as for the lady in the photo at the top, she needs more than a cup of coffee!

Lori said...

Thanks for the tutorial - I love little projects like this. I have your Remembering Adelia book and didn't realize you were the author until reading a bit in your blog. I've now added you to my favorites and am going to give your "one small quilt a month" challenge a try.

Terry@ a quilting blog said...

Thanks for the coffee cozy tutorial...what a great gift to give with a gift card to someone's favorite coffee shop!
Love your little quilts...I'm now a follower :o)
~Terry~

Mary said...

Thanks for the cute tutorial- should be fun to whip up. I love your books Kathy. Is there another one on the way? I'm also enjoying your small quilt a month challenge. Fun stuff!!

Kathleen Tracy said...

Nothing in the works, Mary : ) - my blog followers will be the first to know. I'm trying to get them to finish all the other ones first, LOL.

wendy@iqlt said...

Hi Kathy- I enjoyed your tutorial, it will add a personal touch to a coffee gift and make the mug look real good. I love seeing your quilts on your blog and would love to have a copy of your book.
wendy@iqlt.net

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I've been meaning to make a coffee cozy for a while now.

Beckyjean said...

Thanks for the tutorial!! I'm not a coffee drinker, but these will make wonderful Christmas gifts for my coffee drinking friends.

Becky

LavenderBlue said...

Baby fat? I'm going to use that one (37 years later!). I so enjoy your blog and this post is an especially good one. Thx for the opportunity to win - I'm off to take a peek on the other blog. HAPPY EASTER TOO!