Yesterday was my lucky day . . .

because this is what I received in the mail from my partner in the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap!!!

This awesome, modern mug rug was made for me by Jessica (a.k.a. Quilt Happie on Flickr.) I saw it in our group photo pool a few weeks ago and loved it, and I was so surprised to receive it in the mail yesterday! Jessica also made me a wonderful little hexie-shaped needle book and included two of her favorite recipes and some delish dark chocolate in the package. (There's a tutorial here for the needle book if you're interested.)

Thank you Jessica for making my day! Your mug rug makes me smile every time I see it :-)

Happy sewing,
Mary

Cyber . . . Tuesday?

Hello there! Well, it looks like I missed Cyber Monday. But never fear, I'm checking in with a little special deal for the shop. Now through mid-December all mug rugs ship FREE to the U.S. and Canada! So if you'd like a mug rug for yourself or to give as a gift, hop on over to my shop and snatch one up!

I've been sewing up a storm here like a Christmas elf . . . I'll check back in soon with some sneak peeks!

Happy sewing,
Mary

It's beginning to feel a lot like . . .

time to work on some holiday sewing!

I made this mug rug for the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap on Flickr. This group is entirely to blame for my mug rug addiction!

My mug rug was inspired by this awesome pincushion, and I used this free template for the design with Heat-n-Bond Lite. It was easier than I expected!

And here's a little sneak peek of a project I'm working on for someone on my Christmas list -

Fabric: Pure by Sweetwater
Block tutorial: found here in the Moda Bake Shop

How's your holiday sewing going? I'm way behind, as usual, because I'm a procrastinator! I like to think that I work better under pressure :-)

Happy sewing!
Mary

Fishy Mug Rugs

After hoarding my Heather Ross goldfish stash for a mere three months, I just had to cut into these guys and make something fun. No sense hoarding fabric and never using it, right? (But believe me, it was hard to make the first cut!)

I just love these fish combined with bright and cheery patchwork in aqua and tangerine. My inspiration for these came from here and here.

I like how Splashy is the star of the show on this first mug rug. Isn't he cute? He won the heart of one of my bloggy friends and is already off to his new home in New England!

This second mug rug stars Helen and Bjorn. They're great friends and I just couldn't bear to separate them. They're also up for "adoption" in my shop!

This final mug rug stars Splashy and his friend Spooky. These little guys are going to be participating in a giveaway for 100 Quilts for Christmas.

Haven't heard about 100 Quilts for Christmas? 'Tis the season for giving, and this wonderful event encourages us quilters to donate a small quilt or blanket to a local charity for a child in need. Click here for more details, and I'll keep you updated on where and when you can enter to win my fishy mug rug!

Happy Wednesday!
Mary

Join the Pin.Sew.Press. Flickr group! (and a sneak peek of my latest project)

Hello lovely sewing friends! How have you been? I spent last week taking care of a sick little one. I'm ready to get back to blogging, designing, and adding some new goodies to the shop!

First order of business today . . . I now have an official {Inspired by} Pin.Sew.Press. Flickr Group! If you've made one of my Stay-Put Kitchen Towels or a mug rug inspired by one of mine, please add your photo to the group! I'd love to see what you're making!

Last week I finished up three more Bliss Cross mug rugs. I think this may be my last one is this particular design and fabric combo . . . it's time for me to design something new!

Here's a sneak peek of what I've been working on for the past few days. Yes, it's true, I finally cut into my goldfish stash! I came up with three new mug rugs starring these fantastic fishies, and I hope to finish the bindings soon so I can show you the set!

Next I really need to tackle some holiday sewing. I've been procrastinating, but Christmas is quickly approaching! Time to get to work!

Happy sewing,
Mary

Modern Meadow Mug Rug Madness!

Prepare your eyes for a feast of Modern Meadow + Linen! I finally sat down and finished handsewing all of the binding. Phew, that takes a while! But you just can't beat the end result.

On this one I went a little crazy . . . those finished squares are only 1/2"!!! I love the look though.

These mug rugs are in my shop, and now I'm back to work finishing up some custom orders!

I hope you had a great weekend! Did you eat tons of candy? I'm trying to pace myself (and my daughter!)

Mary

Another mug rug and tips for sewing with linen

I've been having so much fun making mug rugs! This one is a mix of Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane with linen. I'm officially in L-O-V-E with linen! I just love the color and texture.

Here are a few tips if you'd like to sew with linen yourself. First, prewash! I never prewash my cottons, but linen shrinks quite a bit so I recommend prewashing in hot (yes, hot!) water and tumble dry low if your finished product is going to be washable. So if you're making a zip pouch you don't really need to prewash, but for something like mug rugs or placemats or a quilt I'd say prewashing is a really good idea.

Second, spray starch is your friend! When linen comes straight off the bolt it will have a slight stiffness to it since the manufacturer applies sizing to the fabric. But once you wash it, linen becomes very soft and wrinkly. It also tends to be pretty shifty when you're sewing with it, so I use lots of Magic Sizing (which is only a couple bucks at WalMart) and a hot, hot iron and basically starch my linen into good behavior. It makes a huge difference!

I've added my lastest mug rug to the shop, as well as a made-to-order option for both of my Bliss mug rugs in case you wanted one but missed out the first time.

I've been working on three more mug rugs with Modern Meadow. They just need binding and then hopefully I can show them to you tomorrow! I'm having way too much fun making these teeny, tiny quilts!!!

Happy sewing,
Mary

More Bliss Love . . .

After my little weekend sewing project I just HAD to come up with some new sewing projects to use more Bliss! This time I paired it with linen, which is such a yummy combo!

I made two mug rugs, and I love how they turned out. Patchwork + linen + scrappy binding = GOOD STUFF!!!

What is a mug rug, you might ask? Well, it's like a coaster only bigger. Think of it like a tiny piece of art for your desk and a pretty place for your mug to rest. Or just a really, really tiny quilt. This one measures about 6 1/2" x 7 1/2".

I couldn't help making another tiny log cabin. They're just so much fun!

This one measures about 5 3/4" x 7 1/4".

You can find these little mug rugs in my shop. (P.S. - mention my blog in the comments section at checkout and I'll give you free U.S. shipping now through October 31st.)

These little mug rugs are addicting. I'm already dreaming up a few new designs using Modern Meadow and more linen. Stay tuned!

Happy sewing,
Mary