It’s noon, and you’ve been invited to dinner. You’d like to take a small gift for your hostess, but you have nothing stashed away. No time to run to the store, what do you do?
How about a quick mug rug with a cute raw edge applique? We all have piles of scraps, extra pieces of batting and other fabrics hanging around our sewing rooms, so what better way to use them up than an adorable “quilt as you go” mug rug. No pattern required! Simply pull out a large-ish piece of batting (mine was approximately 13×17), some strips of fabric and your favorite notions.
I started with placing the middle strip (roughly, I didn’t measure it) and pinning the second strip on top of it right sides together. Sew it in place, flip it over and press. Continue in this sequence until your whole piece of batting is covered.
Once your batting piece is covered, square it up. I trimmed the really long pieces of fabric as I went. I was able to cut it into two rectangles, about 12×8 in size. (Sometimes it’s easier to make two of something!) A basting stitch about 1/8″ in from the edge will keep your edges together.
Now time for a quick little applique! I found this adorable free snowflake applique online, (click here to find it), and downloaded it. Sometimes using the wifi capability of our machine can be a little tricky, so I video’d the steps I took to download and edit the design in our AcuDesign app, which is available as a paid download at the App Store. (Click here to see the AcuDesign app.)
Click here to see the video.
Editor: This video is highly recommended as you will see how to use our Janome iPad Apps: AcuDesign App, AcuSetter App for perfect placement of the snowflakes in the hoop and AcuMonitor for “watching” your embroidery on the iPad if you step away from your sewing room!
After your appliques are finished, simply place your mug rug right sides together on your backing fabric and sew around the edge, leaving an opening to turn. Press, trim your allowances and corners, turn and press again. Topstitch with your favorite decorative or straight stitch.
Here’s a neat tip: If you press your seam allowances open where your opening is, it is much easier to make the edges match after turning it. Top stitch all the way around the mug rug which also sews the opening closed.
If you are running short on time, you can trim the edges of your snowflakes as you drive (but only if you are the passenger 🙂 lol).
Voila! An adorable completed mug rug, embellished just a little, to drink tea and cookies, or milk and pop tarts!
Until next time,
JanomeGirl
Janome Life 