Happy Heart Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I am linking up with A Rural Journal

and Two Bears Farm 

for their

 1st Annual

Valentine's Day Boost My Blog Party!

Welcome to my Scrapatch!

For you for Valentine's Day, I am sharing my

Heart Mug Rug Tutorial

This is a scrappy 16 patch block.  My squares are 2.5"

Layout the squares.

Chain piece into pairs.

Cut into pairs.

 

Chain piece together pairs into 4 strips.

Do Not Cut the thread that holds the chain together!

This will keep your strips aligned. :)

Fold one strip over the next and sew.

Fold seams up and down and nest as you sew.

Back of 16 patch with seams folded and sewn in opposite directions.

front of 16 patch block

use freezer paper to make your shape and quilting template

fold and cut and heart shape

Sandwich your pressed block

with batting and a backing square

and press the freezer paper heart template

with the plastic coated side DOWN onto the top of your block. 

stitch around freezer shape with your walking foot

cut heart shape just outside your stitching line

 ready to quilt

I quilted smaller hearts  within this shape by cutting down my freezer paper template
to smaller hearts for each round.

 Cut the same freezer paper template smaller.

stitch around each smaller heart shape

have your kitty quilty inspector checking your work as you go.

I made five mugs rugs reusing the freezer paper templates

and they can be saved and used again for another project.

cut 1.5 inch strip of binding fabric. 

I did not cut on the bias and it eased around the curves nicely

start at the bottom point leaving a tail over the edge of about an inch on one side and machine stitch slowly 

around the curves holding the fabric loosely to the edge ... no need to pin

when you get to the top point,

stop and back stitch

make a fold and tuck toward stitched side

press needle down on other side of the fold aligning carefully

I like to put in one pin at the point to mark where where the needle should be inserted and remove the pin to press needle down

resume sewing the binding to the other half of the heart easing as you go around the curve. At the bottom lift the end up, fold the starting strip down and set the end over this point and stitch over it to close the seam

 double fold to cover raw edges and pin

also use one pin to hold the top fold over onto the backing

start stitching at the bottom point

stitch around the curve turning under the raw edge as you go

You could do this with you machine. 

I like to hand sew the binding to the back

 remove pin and stitch the top and continue on around the other side

My Heart Mugs Rugs!

I have really enjoyed making these mug rugs as gifts for my friends.

One of these may be a Gift For You!

as my

Valentine's Day Boost Your Blog

Giveaway

For the chance to win one of my Pink & Green Heart Mug Rugs, please leave me one lovely comment to make my day happy. 

You do not need to be a follower to win. 

I will send my mug rug anywhere in the world.

Please be sure that I have a way to contact you by email to tell you that you have won and to get your mailing address.

For a second chance to win, be a follower and leave a second comment telling me you are.

This Giveaway will close at Midnight EST on Sunday, February 17th.

I will pick a winner using a random number generator and will announce

the winner on Monday, February 18th.

Good luck!

Thanks to Lisa and Nancy for hosting this Blog Party!

Thank you for visiting me in the Scrapatch!

 (hint ... if you read down the next post, you will find the prototype of these mug rugs in another giveaway ;)

Have a Happy Heart Day!

<3<3<3