My First Mug Rugs

On Saturday, the day before Mother's Day, I decided I should make gifts for my mom and my mother-in-law.  They would be more meaningful than anything I could buy, right?  (The day before was not the best timing, but it all worked in the end.  Sleep is overrated, right?!)

Bird and birdhouse sketched in a 6 x 7 inch rectangle for mug rug pattern.

I felt a bit like a child again, drawing a picture for Mother's Day.  I just took the picture to a new level this time.

Now, I must admit, I have been a bit fascinated by the concept of a Mug Rug. They are larger than a coaster, but smaller than a place mat - making them perfect for a beverage and a snack.  So, I decided to make mug rugs.

After looking up several tutorials and sketches of birds and birdhouses, I decided to draw my own picture and to take ideas I liked from several mug rug tutorials. (I did not reverse the pattern when I cut my applique pieces out, as I did not mind if the bird sat on the left or the right.)

Blue Birdhouse Mug Rug by Renee

I do not trust my sewing skills, so I made three mug rugs.  This allowed me to work the quirks out with the one for our household, instead of on the gifts.

I liked the way the mug rug at SameliasMum.com outlined the applique with charcoal thread.  I only had black, and liked the way it turned out.

Pink Birdhouse Mug Rug by Renee

As you may recall, my boys insist my mother's gifts are pink, soft, and fluffy.  This passed their inspection.

Red Birdhouse Mug Rug by Renee

I used more of the poppy fabric for my mother-in-law's gift, as it is her favorite flower.

To bind the mug rugs, I chose the 2-fold method shared at The Patchsmith.  Using the slip stitch in the back took me quite some time, but I made dramatic improvements with that stitch!

I had so much fun making these, I would not be surprised to see a "sane" quilt make it to a To Do List shared on a WIPW post one of these days!

Blue mug rug by Renee with a cup of cocoa in an M&M mug.

I do have a question for those of you with more quilting experience.  Is there a secret to machine quilting to avoid loops in the top thread?  I imagine it was a tension issue, but I could not quite manage to solve the problem with changes I made.  Any tips or advice are most welcome!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!