Tag: mug rug

Circle

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I have an idea for a quilt. Now, I have a lot of ideas for a lot of quilts and I’ve had to start writing them down as I’m worried I might forget.

This quilt design involves some circles. You may remember that I did some portholes after the first Fat Quarterly retreat and I love this technique but I’m worried it might make a quilt fairly heavy and a bit stiff. I therefore decided to try out some inset circles. What better way than to experiment than making a mug rug.

Mug Rug

I think it turned out really cute. I like the improv circle and the way the circle sits flat. It’s a little fiddly but once you get the hang of it it’s actually quite quick. All you need is a little freezer paper and some glue. Claudia from Machen und Tun München has a great tutorial.

I used some Kona solids and Timeless Treasure sketch and think the mug rug looks sweet in those pastel colours. I’m not normally a pastel girl as they remind me a lot of the 80ies when I was growing up (showing my age here, guys).

Circles Mug Rug

I’m really looking forward to making this quilt. Probably some time in 2075 after I’ve done all the other designs that are on my list.

 

 

Categories: Quilting3 Comments

Teacher Gifts

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I have had an absolutely fabulous time at the Fat Quarterly Retreat and I will get round to writing a post about it very soon but first I would like to show you some mug rugs I made as teacher gifts for Little Miss Bossy-Boots’ teachers and teaching assistants.

A little while ago I bought ‘25 Patchwork Quilt Blocks‘ by Katy Jones of Monkey Do fame. For Christmas I gave all the teachers a fabric bucket filled with chocolate, this year I decided to make them mug rugs. I was a bit too quick wrapping them all up so I only have these Instagram pictures to show you.

Mug Rugs I

Mug Rug IIThe mug rugs are all made with scraps and some Kona Snow or Sketch in Mist. As always I pieced and quilted them with my trusty Aurifil 50 wt. Because I didn’t have that much time I kept the quilting to a minimum, simply echoing some of the shapes.

I added some tea and biscuits in the bag but didn’t actually have the time to get them a mug (that’s what you get when you organise presents at the last minute because you go gallivanting in London). Hopefully they get some mugs from one of the other children.

 

Categories: Quilting3 Comments

FLiRTS

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A while ago I joined FLiRTS, a fun little swap on flickr. However, when the first round kicked off I couldn’t sign up as I had too much going on to properly concentrate on it. Round two came around and I signed up. I was so excited about it all and didn’t think life was going to be quite as busy as it got. So although I haven’t been able to comment on all the pictures as I normally do when I join a swap, I’ve been busy making a few things for my partner. I like this swap as you pick three things from a list of makes and your partner then choses one of these items to make for you.

My partner had some great things on her wish list and I decided to go for a mug rug. As I knew I wouldn’t have that much time to spend but wanted it to look good and be fun I went for foundation paper piecing two different blocks. First, the tea pot that I found in Fat Quarterly number 8. It was desigend by Kerry Green from verykerryberry and I’m sure that I will make it again. It was really fun to do and I love the colours I used.

Tea PotI hand quilted around the teapot and on the tablecloth with some Aurifil 28wt. Once I finished the piecing I thought ‘what if this girl prefers coffee?’. Around about then I won a giveaway on Kerry’s blog and the prize was the Parisienne Cafe pattern by Sew-Ichigo. So I made the coffee cups and put them on the back of the teapot mug rug.

Espresso

I also bought a blue and white mug to go with the mug rug, added some scraps and made a grocery bag (which was also on my partner’s list).

Grocery BagAll these things are now on the way to…. ha, ha, ha, it’s a secret swap so I won’t tell you until I know they’ve arrived.

Let me show you, however, what came for me all the way from the United States of America:

FLiRTS Goodies from DawnI couldn’t remember what three things I had put on my list but it seems Dawn (2mayboys on flickr) decided to make all of them! First up the greatest Kindle case ever. I love Denyse Schmidt fabrics and the colours are just so spot on. I really could not have wished for anything better. It even has a pocket on the inside for the charging cable. However, Dawn also made me the cutest coasters in my favourite colours and from some of my most favourite fabrics. To top it all off she made me a little pencil case and sent me a mini charm pack of Boho. Gosh, I really have been spoilt and I can tell you this little package has made my day, my week, my month. Thank you so much, Dawn!

 

 

 

Categories: FLiRTS, Quilting4 Comments

Busy Bee

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I’m really pleased as I’ve finished two more Bee blocks. This time the ones for January’s queen, Nicole aka Follow the White Bunny. If you haven’t checked out her blog yet, please do. I’ll wait for you here while you have a little look at all her fabulous embroideries.

Back already? Ok. Nicole asked for the wonderful x & + block for which there’s a tutorial here. I love this block, especially in a scrappy style, and it was as much fun to make as I imagined. The block in the tutorial is 8″ unfinished but Nicole asked us to make the blocks slightly bigger, namely 11,75″ unfinished. I’m just glad she did all the maths as we all know what happens when I do it….

x & + blocks

I am totally in love with the cat fabric and I meant to have it in the plus of the pink block but had a slight brain fart (excuse my language please) while cutting and ended up with a completely different looking block. Hopefully Nicole will like it anyway.

When I was trimming the triangles for the crosses I just couldn’t get myself to throw away the little triangles but instead turned them into 2″ HSTs (that is half square triangles). These HSTs were then turned into pinwheels and a little mug rug.

Pinwheel mug rugThe binding is Kona pepper, my favourite black (I don’t really like black much but I love Kona pepper).

 

 

Categories: Quilting, Sew Euro-Bee-An2 Comments

Please

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Please look at this picture and tell me you don’t like it.

You do?

20 lovely, romantic 5″ square bits of fabric and they are looking for a new home. Could you be the person to give them a warm place in your heart and home?  Then, please, leave a comment on this post. Ok, so they come with this

and this

but you can always give the mug rug to auntie Jane and the frog to the neighbour’s cousin’s friend’s son.

Go on! Click here, please?!

PS I’m happy to send the goodies to you wherever you call home.

Categories: Giveaway1 Comment

Giveaway!

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Today is the last day of Blogtoberfest and I’ve really enjoyed it. I admit I’ve missed a few posts but it has been fun trying to blog every day. I’ve also enjoyed visiting loads of new blogs and, of course, a few that I already subscribe to.

To celebrate this enjoyable month of blogging I’ve decided to host a giveaway. The prizes are:

First, we have a “Tilda” Charm Pack. To be honest I would love to keep it so I might just buy one and make myself something lovely after Christmas (I wish I had the time to do it right now but alas…).

Second, a mug rug made by yours truly. The nine patch block in the middle is Nell Whatmore’s “Happy Go Lucky”. I’ve machine quilted the polka dot border and hand quilted the nine patch block with some pink perle cotton. This mug rug is 7″ by 7″, perfect for a cup and a biscuit.

Third, is a little Amigurumi frog named Fergal. He loves to look out of the window and watch the flies but is just as happy holding your pins (with his head…).

Interested? Leave a comment on this post telling me about some handy tip, cooking, sewing, knitting, gardening anything that makes your life easier. My best tip? Use a rubber glove to get dog and cat hair out of carpets easily. This is especially handy on stairs as you get into the corners much better than with a dustpan and brush. Just rub your hand over the carpet, the hair will stick to your glove and turn into this dust bunny thingy (I have no idea what it’s called in English, sorry!).

Giveaway is open till Sunday, 6th November 2011 and it’s open to everyone. I will draw a winner at 10am Greenwich time, so make your sure you comment before then. Please make sure I can contact you to ask for your address.

Good Luck!

Categories: Blogtoberfest, Giveaway5 Comments