I’ve been wanting to try a technique that I’ve admired for awhile: a combination of machine applique and embroidery.
So today I pulled out my bins of fabric scraps and got busy. Luckily, I had a few scraps of Wrenly left over from a quilt I made last year. The Wrenly birds were perfect for fussy cutting the windows.It’s called a mug rug, which is an unlovely name for such a lovely thing. Basically, a mug rug is an over-sized coaster. Something pretty to put your coffee cup on, great for personalizing your desk at work (or at home).
This one is 6.5″ square…a good size for holding a cup.
I’m very happy with this little project. I experimented with a couple of other mug rugs, here, but this one definitely shows improvement in my technique. Yay!
Next time I’ll quilt the back ground before adding the applique. Stay tuned! Do you have a special mug rug or coaster that you love above all others?
I traced the pattern from a little book called Embroidery pour le Jardinier by Sylvie Blondeau that my son gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago.
This has been a busy weekend for us! Last night was the Salmon Arm Community Concert Band Christmas concert, and Mr. C’s big debut as co-conductor. I am very proud to report that he stood up on the podium in his suit and waved his baton around and didn’t fall off once! More importantly, the audience loved him. I don’t have a single photo for you, though, I am so sorry to say. 🙁
Here…I’ll take a quick two-selfie for you (is that a word?)
Today was Date Day and we spent the afternoon visiting every single winery that Salmon Arm has to offer. Because today was also Christmas Open House day! (At the wineries that, is. Not at my house, though you are welcome to drop in anytime…which makes everyday open house day at my house, actually…)
We came home with 8 bottles of wine, two from each winery:
Sam loves Open House Day at the wineries, too, because I sneak out pieces of sausage and cheese from the party trays for him. (oh, um….yes, that is a quilt you see on the back seat, covered in muddy paw prints. And yes, you are correct…it is hand quilted. But before you get your knickers in a knot over my mistreatment of such a precious heirloom, I quilted it myself and so I can do whatever I want to with it. Get out! get out! No quilting police allowed at my house, lol!)
After we got home and I made myself a nice cup of tea, I finished the last row of the Trifle Dish Quilt. The quilt-along was so long ago that the directions for the last row weren’t on the website anymore, so I had to write to them and ask for the directions to be sent.
It’s called a Trifle Dish quilt because it’s built up in layers (rows). I made it because I love (L.O.V.E.) trifle. Next comes the borders and then finishing and then off it will go to its new home.
This is the flimsy (that means just the plain top, before it has been put together with the stuffing and backing and then quilted). Please excuse the bad lighting. Indoors, flashbulb, too much wine….you know.
Here is something cute…Michael’s girlfriend had a birthday last month, and as I was too busy with Nanowrimo to think about much else, I whipped up a couple of little coasters to put in her birthday card.
And I also made another book mark. Just because.
Oh! And today I am celebrating an anniversary! One year ago Today exactly, I pulled into my driveway in Salmon Arm for the very first time as a new early retiree. 🙂
My goodness, this has been a busy week. Since I committed to attempting to write 50,000 words as part of nanowrimo, my time has been completely taken up. I am a slow, slow writer. Sometimes it takes me all day long to reach my daily goal of 1650 words, the amount I will need to average if I’m to reach the 50,000 mark by midnight on November 30th. Yesterday was a bit of a bust. My entire morning and early afternoon was taken up by the last minute decision to check out the Shuswap Needle Arts Guild. Of course, I came home in the mood to stitch, not to write, and I only managed 700 words. Argh. Well, it’s the spirit that counts, right? It’s all about balance.
So to rid myself of the stitching urge, I made this sweet little bookmark after supper while we watched Man of Steel, which Mr. C brought home from the library yesterday.
She is hand embroidered on tone-on-tone quilting cotton. I used heavy Pellon interfacing to give her some weight and backed her with this sweet 1930s repro print.
The pattern is from Little Stitches by Aneela Hoey. I’ve had this wonderful book for an entire year. I got it for Christmas last year and this is the first project I’ve made form it.
What’s keeping me away from the keyboard this morning?
…a fresh loaf of sourdough artisian bread, fresh from the oven.
So, in the spirit of that resolution, I spent almost my entire April allowance on playful inspiration: books!
I want to knit something bigger than a sock or a hat, but I know myself…I will make the front of something, or a sleeve, and then put the project away. Why? Because I just hate sewing the seams. I actually have an entire knitted sweater – front, back and two sleeves sitting in my basket. It’s been sitting in my basket since…um…gah! I am embarrassed to say it: about 1998. Needless to say, it no longer fits. But the yarn is good! It was expensive! So I’m in the process of unraveling the entire thing so that I can make something lovely with it. Knitted tops with no side seams! Yay!
Prairie Children and their Quilts because I love anything to do with history and story-telling, and I’ve also become fascinated with miniature quilts. AND Mastering Quilt Marking because I want to expand my hand quilting beyond using purchased templates. I’d love to quilt some of the beautiful, intricate feathers & fans etc. I have the skill to do the hand quilting, but lack the technique of how to get the markings onto the quilt top. Maybe I can practice on a miniature quilt! Boo yah!
Bread from Sourdough to Rye because I’ve been given the wonderful gift of heritage Yukon sourdough starter (read all about it here – it’s a cool story!) and I’ve been experimenting with baking bread. This book also has breads from all over the world, from challah to chapatti! And The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook by Jaden Hair because I follow her blog, which is all about yummy Asian-style cooking. (And Jaden is also a quilter, so duh….)
And then BONUS! Look what my extraordinarily fabulous son of mine sent me for Mother’s Day!
All the indoor rainy-day bases are covered! Over the next couple of months I’ll be saving my allowance for outside play…new hiking boots and a day pack.
A spending allowance is built into our retirement budget.. I’ll post about it soon!
So today I pulled out my bins of fabric scraps and got busy. Luckily, I had a few scraps of Wrenly left over from a quilt I made last year. The Wrenly birds were perfect for fussy cutting the windows.
It’s called a mug rug, which is an unlovely name for such a lovely thing. Basically, a mug rug is an over-sized coaster. Something pretty to put your coffee cup on, great for personalizing your desk at work (or at home).
This one is 6.5″ square…a good size for holding a cup.
The pattern is from Jenny at Elefantz.She makes lovely things.
Next time I’ll quilt the back ground before adding the applique. Stay tuned! Do you have a special mug rug or coaster that you love above all others?
