Mug Rug Tutorial

         This post is not related to vacations or fishing or cabins...but a post I felt was needed.  I'm a quilter...I have a passion for sewing!  My 11 grandchildren have provided me with lots of sewing opportunities...blankies for each baby when they were born...minkee fabric is my best friend when sewing for these little ones!  So....I had a wonderful opportunity to sew last week.  My cousin, Jackie, drove up to spend a few days and we sewed our fool heads off!  Jackie spent the weekend before she came here in Door County, WI, walking 50 miles for Multiple Sclerosis.  She's a little younger than I am...and she just amazed me with her ability to walk that far in 3 days!!  Needless to say, when she got here, she was glad to relax a little.

      Jackie brought her sewing machine and fabrics, equipped to sit and sew for several days...so I couldn't disappoint her!  I hauled my machine and just a small part of my fabric stash...out into the lodge game room where we could sew with the natural light coming in the lodge windows.  We worked on projects we both wanted to get done, but then we decided to look for something we could both do together and use some of our fall fabrics.  Pinterest was our friend...we researched the projects and found lots of "mug rugs" featured.  We noticed that there were lots of photos, but very few tutorials...so, here you go!

 

This is the finished mug rug that I am making.

The finished size is about 6 1/2 inches by 10 1/2 inches, but size can vary.

 

This is a charm pack of 5 inch fabric squares...not the one I used, but you get the idea.

I started with a stack of 5 inch squares...I like using charm packs to sew because all the squares coordinate in your project.  It's just easier...and eliminates searching your stash and cutting the fabrics into 5 inch squares.

 

I laid out my 5 inch squares and cut them in half...now I had 2 1/2 inch strips of assorted colors.

 

I sewed 2 different strips together, then added 3 more strips and ended up with 5 strips sewn together.

I then cut those strips in half, ending up with a strip of 5 colors 2 1/2 inches wide...

 

Here's the 2 1/2 inch strip of fabric, with 2 background strips sewn on the top and bottom of the strip.  That's the face of the mug rug...

 

Next I layer a backing fabric, a piece of batting and the fabric to be quilted.

 

I just did a squiggle stitch...my own design just moving the fabric side to side while stitching...very easy and forgiving if you don't stitch straight!  After I have quilted the piece, I trim the batting and backing to the size of the mug rug.  I attached binding to the back of the project and top stitched the binding onto the front of the piece.  It's fast and secures the binding well in case the mug rug is laundered frequently.  I cut my binding 2 1/4 inches wide, folded it wrong sides together, pressed and sewed it on.

 Here's the finished mug rug ready to gift with a mug and a package of Chocolate Mug Cake!

Recipe?  I have it...I'll post it later...

 

I embellished the corner of my finished project with stitching and a button...

Aren't they cute?

I used my entire 5 inch charm pack and sewed about 25 of these mug rugs...sewing was fast and it's a great way to use up scraps of batting and backing fabrics.  They make such cute gifts...everyone needs one for every season!  

Now go make yourself one...or 25!!

Happy Sewing!