Fun with Mug Rugs

I was trying to figure out what to give my sister who had a birthday last week.  She's very crafty, but mostly she's a craft hoarder.  A lot goes in, but not much comes out.  She claims she's prepping for retirement.
I didn't want to add to her hoard, so I decided to make her some mug rugs that she can use throughout the year.  It was the perfect way for me to try a few techniques/styles that I don't often use. 

 This pumpkin is paper pieced using fabrics from my scrap bin.

This snowman is raw-edge applique finished with a machine blanket stitch.  I used some leftover Kate Spain fabric from a quilt I made a few years ago.    I used to think that raw-edge applique was cheating.  I've changed my mind.

This shamrock is also raw-edge applique.  It's for the Irish half of the family.

My sister likes the Day of the Dead stuff.  I added a few crystals to the lady skeletons to tart them up a bit. (crappy photo)

I love the colors in this folk-art flower.

I saw a similar leaf on Pinterest.  I tried to make the right-hand side resemble twigs using the method where you slice, insert a strip of fabric and then sew the sliced sections back together. I like the way it turned out.

My sister likes to make hexies, so I had to include some.  Did some simple echo stitching.

One of my next projects is a quilt with curves.  This circle was my practice block.

I had a lot of fun making these.  I gave them to my sister on Sunday and she loved them.  Yay!

These mug rugs count as a finish  for the 4th Quarter of the Finish-Along hosted by Katy at The Littlest Thistle. 

Today I'm linking up with Show and Tell Tuesday at i have to say.

Joyful stitching,
jane

4th Quarter Hopefuls

It's time to post my hopeful finishes for the final quarter of the 2014 Finish-Along hosted by Katy at the Littlest Thistle.
Most of these will need to be finished before the holidays, so I have some added incentive to get them done.

#1 Mug Rugs for my sister's birthday...
I thought it would be nice for her to have something on her desk at work that she can change with the seasons/holidays.  I have 7 that I want to finish.  Most have been started, none finished yet.

#2 Thanksgiving table mat...
Not in love with the fabric, but I'm determined to use up my charm packs.  This mat needs the outer border added before I can sandwich and quilt it.

#3 Winterlude table runner...
I bought this during the summer when it was on sale on Craftsy.  It has some blues in it that I can pull out to match my dining room.

 #4 and #5  Winter wall hangings...
This counts as two separate entries. I bought these a couple of years ago.  I got as far as tracing the applique shapes onto the fusible web and then ended up putting them away.  I'm making the snowman one and the one with the mittens and holly.

#6 The Beatle bag....
I bought the pattern and inserts last spring.  My sister gave me the bundle of Indelible for my birthday.

 #7  Flower Power quilt...
This pattern is from a Quilter's Mixology.  I love this book.  I purchased a circle/drunkard's path template a while back with the intention of making a circle quilt, but once I got my hands on this book, I knew this was the one I wanted to make.  Made a few practice circles only.

A little ambitious considering all the Christmas gifts that I'll need to make.  I haven't even thought about those yet.  Hopefully, I'll end the year with a fabulous finish!

Linking up with

Joyful stitching,
jane

Another Disappearing 9-Patch

My final finish for the 3rd Quarter Finish-Along.  I'm trying to use up my charm packs and the disappearing 9-patch makes good use of just a single pack. This is a very happy and bright quilt.

I used some Kona Snow along with the charm pack.  Don't remember the name of the fabric line (maybe Snap Pop?) I had some yardage leftover from another project and a couple of unused blocks on the back.

I think it turned out nice. 

I did an all-over stipple which crinkles up nicely after a trip through the washer and dryer.  The binding is a solid blue.  This quilt measures 36"x44".

It wasn't too bad of a quarter.  I managed to finish 4 of my 7 hopefuls on my original list including these 3...

 The Kaffe Fassett stripes...

the  Sasparilla Tumbler baby quilt...

and the Social Tote.

I've got a pile of things I hope to finish in the next quarter, but that's for another day.

Linking up with

Joyful stitching,
jane

The Social Tote Finish

One of the items on my hopeful list for 3rd Qtr. Finish Along was the Social Tote by Carolyn Friedlander.

This was not an easy project, mostly because I have a bad habit of not reading all the directions before starting a project.  I made a lot of mistakes on the inside and ripped it out more than once because I thought it looked wrong, but it was actually correct.  She recommends labeling each piece as you cut them.  I didn't, that was my first mistake.

The divided sections were the hardest. She has extra instructions and assembly photos on her website.  I found those really helpful.  It's a bit saggy (I can relate) inside, but once I started putting things in, it became less noticeable.

I liked the assembly of the outside of the tote.  It was quite easy.  I'd never used Soft and Stable before this project.  It was great to work with.  The fabric is In my Room by Jenean Morrison.

I had hoped to make a few of these for Christmas gifts, but at this point, unless some elves are available, it doesn't look good.  I'm glad I made it and have been using it for some of my EPPs.

I'm linking up with

Joyful stitching,
jane