December 29, 2018

Fancy Little Mug Rugs from Solid Stars

Hello, Friends!
I have a fun little gift project to share today!



I made three little mug rugs, using
some 6 1/2" star blocks that I made
a short long time ago. 

{Ahem...time flies.}

You can read more about the Moda Sweetwater solid bundle
of fabrics that I used, in this post.




I had such fun stitching up these solid blocks!
I used one of them on the back of a little table runner,


Hmmm...solid blocks do tend to show "mistakes", 
don't they?
I'm pretty sure I've always had some issues,
but busier prints tend to mask them better.


A little miracle occurred when I pressed some fusible fleece
to the back of the stars. Everything flattened out nicely!
I had some little iron-on labels in my stash,
also from Sweetwater, so I decided to use them to
dress up these little orphan blocks.


It didn't hurt that the tiny houses also disguised those imperfections!


The little labels were easily ironed and stitched into place.


I used a Frixion pen to mark quilting lines.
I used a different quilting design for each block, 
just for added interest.


When the quilting was done, a quick press
with a hot iron removed the Frixion lines.


I trimmed up the blocks and prepared them for binding.


I used some leftover jelly roll strips, cut to 1 1/5" width,
to bind each block with a different print.


to finish off these little beauties in no time.
Feel free to try it - you'll love it!
It's a single-fold binding that works great for
small projects like mug rugs or mini quilts!


{I made one slight modification to the tutorial
and used a straight seam, instead of a diagonal seam, 
to attach the ends of the binding together.}


I chose a pretty print from Treehouse Club,
also from Moda Sweetwater, for the backings.
I still have lots of my fat quarter left over.


I only needed 3 7" squares...yay!


I wish I had time to make dozens
and dozens of these!


Little mug rugs are a great way to show off individual blocks.


That's one reason I like to join sew alongs,
even if I don't expect to use the blocks in a quilt.


Blocks can be made into special gifts
for friends, whether they are quilty friends or not.


These little orphan blocks will find their way to loving homes.
How do YOU like to use extra blocks?
Let me know in a comment!


Pin It

March 21, 2018

The Patchsmith's Sampler Sew-Along - blocks 1, 2, and 3

Hello, Friends!
Have you ever joined a sew-along?
I would highly recommend one that is going on right now

over at The Patchsmith's lovely blog:

To get started, order your copy of the book,
The Patchsmith's Sampler Quilt Blocks here on Craftsy.
There are 50 amazing blocks,
fun for anyone to create, 
whether you are an experienced stitcher, 
or someone who is just developing your sewing skills!



The book is priced at only $12.99 - what a bargain!
It's in PDF format, and you can choose to print any or all pages.
I'm just using the computer or my phone for instructions, only printing
template pages as necessary, for applique pieces.


Photo from The Patchsmith blog, showing patchwork and applique blocks
If you're just starting out on your sewing journey as a beginner,
DoYouSew.com is a wonderful resource with some great information!


Today I'm sharing my first three blocks from the sampler book.

For my blocks, I've been using some leftover jelly roll strips

from a line called Simply Sweet by Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup.
I've had it in my stash for a good long time.

{Like...9 years!!! hahahaha}


Block 1 - Brick Wall,was the perfect place to start.
There were lots of little pieces, but no seams to match.


For the Guiding Star block (#2),
I selected four different colors of stars to make.
My background for the blocks is a tonal white dot print,
and I like the way it sets off the bright prints.



The third block was a Watermelon block, mostly patchwork,
but with a tiny applique accent.
I love to cut out my pieces when I have time,

then stitch them up in no time.



This little block comes together quickly,
from the inside out.
Look at the finished patchwork - very cute, huh?



And now...The Patchsmith adds her design magic...
little black appliques for the "pips".
What a difference they make!


I'll be continuing my sampler journey here on the blog,

and I would love to have you join me!


Find more photos by following me on Instagram.
I am @eamylove.The Patchsmith and I are no strangers to sew-alongs.
We became fast friends as a result of the Zakka Style Sew Along
years ago...maybe YOU can meet lifelong friends through the Patchsmith's Sampler Sew-Along!
Pin It

February 3, 2018

Hurry, Valentine!

Hello, Friends!
Here we are, just a few days away from Valentine's Day. 
Are you ready?


If you need an idea for a quick gift or two...
think about using my


It's available for instant download at just $3.00,
so you can get started stitching immediately.
Find it on Etsy, in my shop called eamylove.



If your sewing time is limited, just take a shortcut!
Leave out the quilting,
and just let the pretty fabrics steal your heart away.



My mug rug uses some Scandi II fabrics by Makower.
This Nordic print is a wee bit Christmas-y, but it works
for me, to brighten up any winter day.



I can always flip it over to show the snow-covered trees.


{All of the mug rugs made from my
 Be My Valentine mug rug PDF pattern are reversible.}


I'll be back soon to share a few more versions of my mug rug.
You can search my blog for more pretty samples,
with the "valentine" tag, if you just can't wait.


This pattern is so versatile...
I'll never run out of ideas for new valentine mug rugs.
Why not see what YOU can make?





Pin It