Saturday 4 July 2015

4th July Independence Day Patriotic Mug Rug

4th July Mug Rug
4th July Mug Rug
Happy Fourth of July!  OK, so I am in the UK and naturally it is not one of our Public Holidays, but I love the colour scheme of red, white and blue and I felt the urge to make something quick and easy. As part of the Mini Doll quilt swap, I had received a lovely selection of Civil War reproduction fabrics from my swap partners, and in my stash I had a lovely blue starry fabric, which fits the patriotic quilt theme perfectly.

Patriotic fabric scraps
Patriotic fabric scraps

Just by using a few squares of fabric I had enough to cut strips for three scrappy mug rugs, two for my swap partners in the Mini Doll quilt swap, and one for myself.
Foundation Piecing - Carol Doak paper
Foundation Piecing - Carol Doak paper

I used my Electric Quilt software to draw up a simple log cabin pattern and I printed it out onto the Carol Doak foundation paper I bought a few weeks ago.  It is working great in my laser printer, I just have to remember to replace it with normal paper once I am finished(!).

Foundation Paper Piecing - Pressing with the iron
Foundation Paper Piecing - Pressing with the iron

Foundation paper piecing is very satisfying when it is going well.  With a log cabin pattern I was only working with straight lines and with a quick press with the iron at each stage, the block was coming out a dream.
Quilting a Log Cabin block
With narrow strips and thick seams I kept the quilting simple by stitching in the ditch and in the centre square I stitched out a star.  Mine is currently sitting in front of me by the computer with a cup of tea - yes, the same stuff that started the American Revolution!

Fourth of July Mug Rug 6" x 6"
Fourth of July Mug Rug 6" x 6"

3 comments:

  1. Hello, great idea ! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Mug rugs are a great idea for quick one-block projects. I never thought of using EQ software to design them, but that's a stroke of genius. We used to have heavy metal coasters but my son started distressing the furniture with them when he was a toddler and they all went straight into the trash! I could use some soft, safe fabric mug rugs as an alternative. Do you think I could slip a layer of vinyl or something underneath before binding the mug rug, just in case enough condensation dripped down the glass to soak through the coaster?

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  3. I LOVE my mug rug! It was such a lovely surprise in my mail box and you are such a dear to make it for me! Thank you.

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