Mug Rug Tutorial :: Scrappy COLORBLOCK

Welcome to Mug Rug Madness Day 9 ~ A huge thank you to Erin for inviting me to be a part of this fun bloggy get together. I have created something very special just for you mug rug fanatics out there. I hope you enjoy making them ( I might have gone a little overboard with pictures, but I hope that you can see each step clearly and you will surely make one just as cool)

Mug Rug Tutorial :: Scrappy Colorblock

This is a great project to use scraps with. I have now made two of them and have only used my scraps to piece the entire top. So pull out your scrap buckets and let's get started.

You will need::

Rotary cutter

Self Healing mat

Ruler

9 scrap pieces in your favorite rainbow colors

FQ of a neutral solid fabric ( I used Kona Snow)

Please use .25 inch (quarter inch) seams

From each of your 9 color scraps cut 1 piece each measuring 1.5" x 1.5 " Square and  1.5" x 3: Rectangle

You will have nine stacks that look like the picture below.

From your solid neutral fabric cut

9 pieces measuring 1.5" x 2"

18 Pieces measuring 1.5" x 4"

2 pieces measuring 1.5" x 11.5

To sew your first piece, take your colored 1.5" x 1.5" pieces and sew them to the neutral  1.5" x 2" pieces using a quarter inch seam

see the photo below for example.

The pieces you just made now measure 1.5" x 3" take these and sew them to the remaining color pieces that measure 1.5" x 3"

See the photo below



When finished you will have 9 pieces that look like the above photo. Sew your 1.5" x 4" pieces to the tops, and bottoms of these strips to look like the photo below. Still using a quarter inch seam.

After your strips are sewn, line your strips up to checker board the smaller blocks in the strips. The only points that you need to match up are those small 1.5"x1.5" blocks, everything else will fall into place.

Pin the meeting joints if needed before sewing them together. Then sew a quarter inch seam along the entire strip joining the two strips together.



Keep joining each strip in the order you have chosen until you get

something that looks like the photo below.

Your last two pieces are 1.5" x 11.5"

These are sewn to the left side and the right side of your strip picture to finish the mini quilt top.

This is a detail of the graph I have just explained. hopefully

 this makes sense where each piece should go.  (To see this more clearly please click on the photo to enlarge it at any time)

Now that you have everything pieced, square up (or rectangle up) :) your block. This can be any size within the parameters. I squared mine up to 9" tall and 11.5" wide.

After you have squared up your block. Sandwich it with batting and backing to make a mini quilt.

Pinn everything into place and quilt the mini block in what ever pattern you desire. I personally think the straight line quilting looks best but of course I had to practice a little stippling to. ( I really need the practice)

Square up the sandwich , sew on your binding, and stitch the back of the binding to your quilt. I prefer to do this by hand, but your machine will work as well.

The finished product will be this GORGEOUS piece of art!

OR

I hope this is clear, and that everyone enjoys making these perfect little mini quilts.

Don't forget to upload your scrappy colorblock mug rugs to the flickr pool HERE

and stop by Erin's blog post HERE to sign up an win one of the 10 FANTASTIC mug rugs that were shown this week.

Happy Sewing

Wordless Wednesday .....

What a productive week I think :)

Happy Sewing!

Mug Rug Madness

What is a Mug rug you ask??

That cute little thing that catches your crumbs, or holds your most favorite cup of something while you complete your daily dose of catch up on the blog roll.

Erin @ twomoreseconds is hosting Mug rug madness week, and it starts this Monday. Have fun visiting all the links to free tutorials on mug rugs for 10 whole delicious days.

Here at Sew-Fantastic you will see our tutorial post on March 29th

Have fun, and don't forget the coffee.

 Photo credit Afriend2

Photo Credit Fashioned By Meg

Happy Sewing!

Wordless Wednesday.....

Happy Sewing My Friends!

{ Sunday Stash #27 } Prints Charming

Good things come to those who clean (their studio). Although the studio is a mess, it's been fun finding old collections that I have hoarded and tucked away. This line is probably one of my favorites for kids. I will eventually make a quilt from some, but who knows when right.

Maybe I will just stack them up and sit them high on a shelf to stare at while I sew. (yeah I like that idea)

I have been sharing pics on twitter of the grueling process I have been in the last few days. I am glad to say that everything paid off. My studio has a fresh new coat of paint now and she is looking FAB!!

The new color pallet for the studio is still pretty rough and I think that shades and tones might go awry here and there but the main idea will stay the same. Gorgeous gray walls with accents in accessories done in Yellows and aqua's. What do you think? Spring is here you know :)

For now I will start getting through this mess! Putting things back in there very own place.

I can't believe I will have a place for each little notion, and piece of heavenly cloth.

Happy Sewing!

{UHG swap} Utility Apron

I am forever crossing my fingers when it comes to swaps on flickr. Although I love them so much, I always feel like I put my own style in the mix to much. So far, no complaints in items that are received, so that's the good news.

My partner this round was hard for me to read honestly, plus I procrastinated in finding out information that could be pertinent to the swap and then just decided to wing it. I have wanted to do something with improv lately. It's ones of those things that you just get in the mood for. I decided to make the utility apron from issue four of Fat quarterly. Nova's directions were wonderfully open to fit in your own style but still be guided along.

My partner will receive two items, this is the first. What do you think?

Cute little pincushion that is removable.

Scissor holder and patchwork pockets

Improv  Utility Apron

Pattern by Nova Flitter

Published in issue 4 of Fat Quarterly

Fabrics used::

Echino

RK Quilters linen

RK essex linen
RK Quilters tweed

Some rick rak, buttons, ink stamping, selvages, and some hand stitching .....viola..

Echino goodness

Happy Sewing My Friends

{ New Blog } and a Destash!

Slowly but surely I am getting these piles of fabric listed in the destash shop to make roon in the new space. There are many pieces and bundles to list and I will be doing so over today and tomorrow. We are getting ready to paint my studio finally and I am almost caught up in the handmade shop, in hopes to reopen shortly. This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I am destashing. You can find the  link by clicking here and if your a blog reader use the code IREADSF for a little discount. (cause I love you all) *wink*

On another note, my fabulous designer made new graphics for the blog.... What do you think. Clean, Fresh, simple, elegant, all of the above *smile* .. I hope that this makes it easier to read without so much boxi-ness and distraction. After all I do love my readers so much. What do you think about it ??

Happy Sewing!