Jumping on the mug rug

I kept reading about mug rugs on all the great handmade blogs I subscribe to and just had to make one, too. Ah, crafty peer pressure.

Here's my first go:


A mug rug is a good chance to try a few new things on a small scale. I hadn't done much piecing or machine quilting before, so I learned a lot along the way. And I got to try binding again, this time without my coach to get me through the tough spots. Although I ended up doing a quick online search when I got to the corners and just could not remember the trick. God bless the internet!

Mug rugs are also a great way to use little scraps. I dipped into a scrap bag I got at a great fabric shop in Burlington, Vermont (www.nidovt.com) for my second mug rug, not quite done yet:


I think this one is already a step up from the first. I did more piecing and with smaller bits. I normally wouldn't pick these colours (yellow - eww), but I really like them together. It's very bright and cheery. I need to quilt and bind it, then it's onto the next project. I am thinking I need to start one of my quilt kits. Considering how slow I am with sewing, that should keep me busy for quite some time. A very long time.