Super Quick Mug Rugs

It's time to think about Christmas in July. This is the time of year I usually start a project or two to get a jump on the holiday season. Now if I could only keep up with doing a little holiday sewing each month from now until Christmas, I certainly would get a lot done. But I would also be better prepared for the holidays. I like making mug rugs for quick gifts and also for decorating. Did you know that on the bottom of my Snow Globe panel I have included three adorable rectangles featuring snowmen that can be used to whip up into mug rugs? Let me show you how I do it...

Using my ruler and rotary cutter I fussy cut around the rectangle designs at the bottom of the Snow Globe panel.

 I then cut strips to sew to each side, then I cut strips for the top and bottom of the mug rug. Scraps of fabrics left over from your Snow Globe quilt would be perfect for this. Or maybe you have some blue fabric that matches the panel that would work too! Then layer your mug rug with a piece of fabric for the backing and a scrap piece of batting, you're making a quilt sandwich. Quilt as desired. These small projects are a great way to practice your free motion quilting.

It's also fun to embellish these mug rugs with star buttons for an added touch.

To add even more, you can embroider the mug rug before you add the borders and quilt it. I like to use variegated pearl cotton to embroider with.

The Snow Globe panel can be found in my Etsy Shop. I love how you can leave it plain or embellish it with stitching. 

Stay Cool! and let's get started on some Christmas in July projects!

~Cindy and Belvedere

Plaids in Quilting

Plaids.... I love plaids, always have. So when I designed the Snowman Snow Globe quilt I was giddy to work with plaids. Marcus Fabrics Primo Plaids are so yummy to work with. They are soft and such rich beautiful colors, a joy to work with. 

While working on the Snowman Snow Globe design, I did not bother to match plaids. If you learned how to sew garments before learning to quilt, you paid very close attention to matching plaids and stripes when sewing. I remember lining up plaids while cutting out shirts or skirt patterns when I would sew clothes. I still do when I sew blouses for myself. But when working on a quilt, I throw that rule right out the window! I know that this goes against anything you may have learned but on a quilt, especially when piecing small blocks, it's insane to match those lines. Add a piece that's cut on a diagonal and spin it around in a block and you might as well check yourself into the, nice place with the padded walls. 

I find that the unmatched lines add interest and charm to a quilt. Remember when quilting was a necessity and not a hobby, there was little attention paid to matching a plaid. Or having all your 'blue', 'red' or whatever your main color fabric was come from the same bolt of fabric. 

 I love how the unmatched plaids add charm to the Snowman Snow Globe quilt. Remember, when you stand back and look at the quilt, it's consistent in appearance. So don't fret about plaids in your quilt blocks. Have fun and create!

Now, let me throw a curveball.... I do match the plaids when I cut strips for a border or try to cut a continuous piece for a border. Especially if the fabric has a pronounced stripe or plaid to it.

I hope this helps you not shy away from working with plaids in a quilt, any quilt. Treat the fabric as a solid 'color' not as a plaid or stripe. When cutting, rotary cut your fabric as you would normally do for a quilt.

Happy quilting!

Cindy and Belvedere

A list of the participating Quilt Shops can be found on the Marcus Fabrics Website.

Check out if there's a shop close to you!

National Embroidery Month

Happy National Embroidery Month! It seems quite fitting for the month of February, especially in Minnesota. It has been cold and snowy here all month. Since Punxsutawney Phil declared an early spring, Minnesota has been in revolt! I have been enjoying afternoon's stitching by the fireplace with Belvedere curled up next to me. While getting my Snow Globe quilt ready to be shipped off to the photographer for Marcus Fabrics,  I stitched up a special label. While I was doing this I thought that this extra little detail adds a lot of charm to a finished quilt and it's so easy to do but quite often overlooked. 

I used a basic back stitch, running stitch and French knots for the snowman's eyes and buttons.  Many of these stitches I learned when I was a young girl. Mom taught me how to embroider. I remember her pulling out one of her hoops and showing me where she kept her floss. I don't remember what my first project was but I'm guessing it was a flour sack towel or pillowcase.

I then used my sewing machine's lettering function to sign names, add dates etc.

So included with the main Snowman Snow Globe panel from Marcus Fabrics are three smaller designs that can be used as mug rugs or as a label for the back of your quilt! They can be left as is or  you can use the design lines as a guide for embroidery. You can either embroider the whole design or just highlight certain elements in the design.

Snowman Snow Globe Panel

Available from Marcus Fabrics

Happy stitching!

Cindy and Belvedere