Catching Up - Mug Rugs and Wall Hangings

The second post from the trilogy that chronicles my brief sojourn away from dressmaking (I can hear my dress fabric calling me back!) was to dabble in mug rugs.  I have mentioned them previously in this post, and have had a great time sewing up some more . . . .

1. Whales, 2. Jigsaw, 3. Scottie Dogs, 4. Flowers, 5.Tea Cups (my own design), 6. Scottie Dogs (see 3), 7. Four Seasons, 8. Autumnal Leaves, 9. Jigsaw (see 2), 10. Red Flowers, 11. Snowman, 12. Christmas Tree Sampler, 13. Rainbow Stripes (my own design), 14. Autumnal Leaves (see 8.), 15. Home

They range in size from about 8" x 4" to 10" x 6" and do not use up much fabric.  I learned a lot about colours and how they play together, as well as working with light and dark values.  I also found these great outlets for precision sewing (1/4" seams, stitch in the ditch etc) and, of course, hand-sewing!  But most of all, they are just so damn cute - it makes me smile to delve into my fabric stash and choose such lovely fabrics to play with - and a fat quarter goes a loooong way!  I plan on making up some more for Christmas/birthdays - I would parcel one up with a cute mug and some hot chocolate and/or fruity tea.

I have already given most of these away - the 'new home' one was made into a tiny wall hanging for my brother and his wife when they moved into their new house.

I love that the windows are a little wonky - I think it adds to the quirky charm.

And finally, for this post, I made a few wall hangings:

Again, these have all been snagged - I only have the photos to remind myself of them!  I will make another version of the last wall hanging as it is from a fabulous quilt shop in Canmore, Alberta (as is the 'We Love Canada' one), and features the Three Sisters Mountains which were in most of our wedding photos as we got married in Canmore.  Happy memories!

Sidetracked - Mug Rugs

With losing Jess recently I found myself a little distracted and did not want to cut into any of my sooper dooper dressmaking fabric in case I made errors.  But I still wanted to sew.  So I decided to sort out my quilting fabric and make some mug rugs.  Now what is a mug rug I hear you ask?  Well, it is a cute little rug for you to to put your mug on - and it has space for a cake or some cookies.  They make up quickly and are fun to make.  They measure about 4.5" x 9" up to 7" x 10" - it is personal preference really, so this is what I made:

The pattern for the whales mug rug can be purchased here.

I have a feeling that these will make great Christmas gifts - parcel them up with a mug or cup and some nice coffee/tea/hot chocolate - perfect!

I know that a lot of readers are turned off by patchwork/quilty posts on a dressmaking blog, and as I am enjoying this sidetracking and will be indulging this passion a bit more, I have started a blog to specifically for these 'tangents' - if you are interested, pop over and see me at the Patchwork Dog!

Well, I really enjoyed making this (and a number of others!) - but tomorrow I will be cutting out fabric for some clothes, and will be playing with my new machine!  Can't wait!