Sewing lessons .. Or, learn from my mistakes

I've learned a few thing in all my years of sewing.

1. Don't sew tired. I used to sew until the wee hours of the morning. That led to the möbius vest...no matter how long I pulled on the pieces, some part was always wrong side out.  No pictures, but it did take me at least 10 minutes to realize a toddler sized vest shouldn't take that long to flip.

2. It helps to cut precisely.  It's amazing, but if you precisely cut along the lines or measurements, your corners align so much better

3. Be consistent with seam allowances. Again, stuff lines up so nicely if you use the same seams throughout! Amazing!

Mug Rug Madness, continued.

My love affair with the mug rugs continues...

I needed a gift for a cousin…so this one came about in the night before I was going to see her.  I had the fabric on hand from a purse, and just upsized the previous chevron pattern.  I think these were 2 1/2" HST.

(Simply Color by V&Co)

Mug Rug Madness

My new favorite thing to sew is mug rugs.  They are like mini quilts for your desk!  I received my first one last Christmas as a swap gift and it has been gracing my home work desk ever since.  Before that time, I’d never paid attention to them and thought they were just fancy giant coasters.  They are SO MUCH MORE!!  They catch coffee drips from my youngest using the spoon to have her “little tiny taste of coffee” and condensation from iced coffee.  They are perfect for a pile of crackers or cookies (yes, I eat piles of cookies.  I can tell you are jealous).  They are easy to throw in the washer to wash out the remains of said cookies and crackers and coffee drips.  I am a new quilter, so they are also a good way to practice techniques.  Binding seems confusing and intimidating?  Not if you are only doing about 30”!  I can hand sew that in less than time than it takes me to watch a movie! (probably faster if I wasn't watching the movie...)  Worried about quilting?  If you screw up a mug rug, it can mysteriously disappear and no one (perhaps a spouse…) asks where that giant pile of expensive fabric went.  They are quick, so it’s easy to spend a few hours and make one!  Or if you are speedy (not me!) you may even be able to finish one in less than an hour!  I suspect those people who claim to make them in only half an hour are related to the elves in the North Pole.  Or magic.

Here are some of my creations.  An Owl mug rug for one of my BFFs.  I paired with some instant mocha mix and she said it brings a happy spot to her desk at work.  This was my first attempt at applique and it turned out pretty cute, even if I do say so myself.  Not perfect, but that’s the beauty of ‘handmade’ gifts!  I machine stitched the binding on this, so it’s a little wonky.