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,

and it's featured in this post.

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.

I used my own tutorial for "Machine Binding"

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!

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Anita Vacation Tote Bag - Black, Red and Linen Version

Hello, Friends!

Are you going to be traveling this summer?

I took some business trips recently,

so I made myself a new tote bag.

Do you recognize the pattern?

It's my very own "Anita Vacation Tote Bag" design,

available as a PDF pattern here on Craftsy, or

here in my shop called eamylove on Etsy.

For this latest version,

I wanted a mostly-neutral bag that would go with

a lot of my business wear.

The main exterior fabric is a floral print

from the original Mama Said Sew line

by Sweetwater for Moda.

The contrasting fabric near the top of the bag 

is Essex Linen by Robert Kaufman,

in a color called Flax.

The interior of the bag is also made from

the Essex Linen.

I find it to be very durable, especially when interfaced with

Pellon 987F fusible fleece, as I do for all of my purses.

Inside my bag, along one edge,

I use a strip of pockets,

to keep my sunglasses and other key items handy.

How do you like that cute zippered inside pocket?

For the inside of the pocket, I used a coordinating Sweetwater print,

from Volume II. 

What about that magnetic snap closure?
If you don't know how to add those,

my pattern will teach you...it's sew easy!

Even if you're not going on a vacation,

you might want to consider making one of these totes.

They make an excellent gift for a new grad!

Come back soon...we'll chat about this sweet pouch

that I also made, to coordinate with my new Anita Vacation Tote Bag.

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Project Sweetwater - Solids - Part 2

Hello, friends!

Remember when I shared my Project Sweetwater box?

I used the pattern booklet to create this fun - and reversible - Treehouse Club table runner!

I chose one of the designs from the booklet

and made the same block from three different prints.

Here's the red one...

the yellow one...

and the gray one.

I lined them all up, framed with the creamy

Parchment Bella Solid for framing.

I chose to quilt this little runner with a small curlicue design.

As promised, the Bella Solids from this bundle

coordinate beautifully with Sweetwater fabrics.

I made a lime green star block for the back of the runner.

I love a reversible table runner.

The stars in the print pick up the star theme

of the blocks.

For a big finish, I chose several strips from the Project Sweetwater box.

I had a blast making this scrappy binding!

Time to enjoy my new table runner,

front and back!

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Kiss Me Quick, Valentine!!!

Hello, Friends!

If you're looking for a quick gift idea

from the heart, for someone who's sweet,

take a look at my Be My Valentine mug rug pattern.

This pattern is very versatile, which is great news.

This is an example of a clean and simple design,

using one single fabric for the front.

 I had all of the supplies on hand...

this mug rug started out as two 10" layer cake squares

from Sweetwater's "First Crush" line for Moda.

I used a charming label from Sweetwater,

to put into words exactly what I was thinking.

This mug rug will be a birthday present 

for my wonderful mom!

{Shhh...her birthday is right after Valentine's Day!}

It was so easy to add the label to the heart shape,

with some fusible webbing and a neat straight stitch.

I used some squiggly free motion quilting,

to add interest.

I love the contrasting red ric rac edging.

I came up with an even quicker version,

using two more 10" squares of First Crush prints.

See how easy???

I didn't even need to add quilting,

since the fusible fleece gives it a beautiful finish.

I had fun using some labels I've been hoarding

for way to long!

It's reversible, too!

For the Be My Valentine mug rug pattern,

I normally piece together a patchwork for the front. 

That's super fun, when there's time available.

I got this "kiss me quick" idea,

because the backs of the mug rugs

are just as pretty as the fronts.

I hope you'll be inspired to try some quick versions

of the Be My Valentine mug rug pattern.

Be sure to share them on Instagram

by tagging with @eamylove or #amymadethat,
or any other page.

And remember...

gifts from the heart are welcomed every day,

even beyond Valentine's Day.

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