Here are my newest Mug Rug creations. This pair were made for 
my secret friend in the Scrappy and Happy Group Swap. The twist here is that Dorene, the hostess, asked us to post a photo in the album before we mailed them without revealing for whom they were made. What a tease! ;) So here they are! These pretty mugs were paper-pieced using a pattern from Kim Noblin of Block Center. You may find this and other free block patterns here ...
This size block is perfect for mug rug size. I added a couple of narrow cream borders and then a blue band on each size to make the rectangular mat size asked for in the swap.
I hope my "muggee" enjoys her new mug rugs as much as I enjoyed making them for her. :)
Lookee at what lovelies I just received in the mail today from my Mug Rug buddy on the Q&N Swap ... 
aren't they "sew" pretty!?
I love pansies! I am hoping next weekend to be planting some of these pretty little flowers in my window boxes and watching them turn the brave little faces to the wind.
Thank you, Denise! I just love 'em!
Now ... back to paper-piecing that long delayed Round Robin border ...
have a happy quilty day! :) Pat
Oh how pretty your mug rugs are! I adore the ones you received too. I have always loved pansies too. I hope it's not too cold yet for your pansies in windowboxes. Good luck! You are further north than I am...I usually wait until Mother's Day before outside planting.
ReplyDeleteOh, I so miss joining in the swaps! Unfortunately, I'm busy, busy and still working on that round robin, as well.
ReplyDeleteThose mug rugs are so pretty.
Your mug rugs are so very pretty. Love the fabric you used. I'm looking forward to flowers again. I'm afraid it will be a couple month from now here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind comments, my friends. :)
ReplyDeleteJanet ... I have been eyeing your mud season pictures and it is much deeper than ours. I enjoy reading about your spring calves and ranch life in your quilty part of the country ... so far away and different from the eastern seaboard. We traveled as far as Wisconsin once and flatland cornfields seemed to go on and on. Here they are small and contured on the hillsides. ;)
Delia ... these mug rugs are so much fun and can be made in a couple of hours, even by me and I am slow. I am still working on the last of the RR borders, too, which got put aside last fall when I just could not see to sew. I think there are plans to start another mug rug swap on the Q&N soon. You shoud take a break from writing and join us, girlfriend. I am thinking of taking a spring outing up through the apple orchards to the Bunkhouse sometimes soon. Is there a springtime shop-around this year. ;)
Carol ... do you quilt, too? I am hoping to visit a few fine fabric shops in your beautiful state sometime this summer. :)
Here there is a chance of frost until the end of May. I have had my family bring me lovely flats of annuals for Mother's Day and had to keep them inside another two weeks due to cold temperatures at night. Pansies, though, are very hardy. They are grown in outside beds and are usually available for sale around here at the beginning of April. I plant these in my windowboxes as soon as I can each spring. They do not like the hot weather and by early June I will replace them in the windowboxes with summer annuals. I usually take the wilting pansies and plant them in shadier places around the base of bushes and they will still be giving me a few flowers in the summer. Often they will seed a few fall plants here and there and I will see a little pansy face or two pop open in September. Sometimes in late spring a few of last year's pansies will give a second year of blooms around the bushes where I transplanted them the previous June.
Although we are have a bit of a cold spell here, I have been watching my crocus beds. No sign yet of these early bloomers. My forsythia (which is a late bloomer for this type of bush) is showing signs of buds. I am hoping winter is going to give up its grasp and let the sun warm the earth so these flowers will open soon.
Hi Pat, no I don't quilt...yet. Dorian keeps trying to get me to try and even gave me a quilting primer and some fabric to try it out. I take care of my mom sort of long-distance. She lives 1 1/2 hours away and has a caregiver, but I talk to her doctors and visit her once a week for a full day, staying to eat dinner with her before coming home. So I just don't have the time yet to try quilting. However, I do other needlework and enjoy it. Most of my completed projects were gifts for friends/relatives. I never have time to make for myself!
ReplyDeleteYes, pansies are cooler weather plants. I forgot about that. I've been seeing blooming forsythia bushes around here and crocuses. No tulips yet, just the leaves.
I don't know of any fine fabric shops in New Jersey! I hope you know of some! lol
love your cup mug rugs! those are awesome, your pall will be very lucky!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margo ... I am hoping they might arrive at her doorstep today. :)
ReplyDeleteCarol ... rut-roh ... for some reason I have been thinking that you are from PA which I am hoping to visit this summer. Now there must also be some very nice fabric shops in NJ. Dorian and I know at least one lovely quilter there who must have found a few. I am not surprised that Dorian is trying to tempt you into quilting. You would sure have a good teacher. ;) Caring for an aging parent can be a long haul. Your Mom is very fortunate to have your care and help ... <3 Pat
Pat, those are just BEAUTIFUL! I love the roses fabric (is it my eyes or is that Charlevoix?!) with the little half square triangles. Who received yours?.. I didn't see it posted. Someone sure is lucky!
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for the spring flowers also. My friend has her snowdrops peeking out but so far I haven't spotted anything in the yard EXCEPT for some early birds... robins and red wing blackbirds are hanging out in the garden again. No sign of the bluebirds yet but I'm sure they'll be here any day. We have another snow forcasted for this weekend... I'm hoping they're wrong about that.
THANK YOU for sending Lisa some fabrics. She's thrilled! She posted a pic of the yoyos she made with it on her facebook.
Deb ... you have very sharp eyes for fabric, girlfriend. I posted the photo the day I mailed since Dorene wanted to add "anticipation" to this swap. The USPS is making my muggee wait, though. According to the tracking number, it took over 24 hours for this little package to go from here to Boston which is less than 30 miles away and then I think they put it on a train that got derailed onto a siding somewhere ... or on a slow boat to nowhere. The official USPS website says the "expected delivery date" is today. I am hoping it is not an April Fool's Day joke ... ;) Pat
ReplyDelete:) IT WAS ME!!! When the mail would come, I would check.. no package...and finally last night at 10pm I got it! I absolutely LOVE these, Pat and have the perfect place for them. Now if I can just keep everyone from thinking they can set a cup of tea or coffee on top....lol..
ReplyDeleteThey sure did take time getting here, didn't they? BUT THAT'S OKAY.. I'm just happy it was MY mailbox they were destined for.