You deserve this... A Mug Rug

Thursday was my guild's monthly meeting and we had a mug rug swap.  How fun.

I decided on a wonky star on linen-type background - not entirely sure exactly what is that fabric.

It was my first time making mug rug and, well, I didn't get the memo about the size... it's kinda large... a smallish placemat, really...

I hand quilted around the star, machine quilted straight lines in various directions.  You can see the machine quilting better on the back side.  I love that retro coffee fabric by the way, but what the heck do you do with it, other than putting it on the back of a mug rug?

 
Once I was done with the straight diagonal quilting, on a whim decided to free motion "you deserve this".  It's very subtle, you have to look very closely to see it, not by design, but because I used very thin thread. In other words, you deserve this, but no need to shout it out loud!

We all deserve a little coffee break, don't we?  Or tea.  Or wine.  And given the size of this rug, there is room for a little snack on the side.  Chocolate cake? Crusty bread and stinky cheese?  Carrots and hummus?


Anja of Anja Quilts picked my  mug rug.  As for me?  I got this colourful beauty made by Sandra.

It's already being put to good use:

Sadly, there is no room for a big snack but I think I have room for a piece of chocolate...

Linking up to TGIFF hosted by MR at Quilt Matters. Yes, M-R, I am probably stretching the definition of a "finish" but I like to live on the edge.

Motivation

Do you sometime struggle to get the motivation going?  Love sewing but can't seem to make time for it?

I "forced" myself down to my sewing room after a two week hiatus.  One week away and one week just thinking "I should be sewing right now" and somehow not making it happen. But as I entered my (messy) room and saw all the bits and pieces of pretty fabric, and it really wasn't hard.

On the program today, finishing my scrappy mountain blocks:

I am still undecided about the layout, but after looking at my pictures of this post, I wasn't quite feeling the "allover scrappy".  I needed some "order" to tone down all that scrapiness and that movement.

So I started sewing pairs together.  It still leaves me with several layout options:

Option 1

Option 2

 

Option 3

Option 4

I am glad I took these pictures because I just could not make up my mind from looking at the design wall.  Now, I can probably eliminate 1 and 4 because I am not fond of the vertical lines they create.    It's between 2 and 3 with a slight preference for number 2.  A little scrappy, a little order... it has the right balance for me.

Going back to my initial theme... One of my favourite running quotes is "the hardest step for a runner is the first one out of the front door".  This is not unlike quilting for me.  If I make it to the room, chances are I will get into the zone and have a wonderful time, whether it is actually sewing or just playing with fabric.  The hardest 20 steps are the ones that separate me from my kitchen to the sewing room door.

Do you run into motivation dry spells?  How do you get over it?

Could it be...? Yes, It's Another Finished Quilt!

It's March 1st and I have a third finished quilt for 2015!  Truth be told, the last stitches of this baby were put in at my guild's monthly sew-in yesterday, February 28, but I took the pictures today, so I will call this a March finish!


The inspiration for this quilt came from Amy at Diary of a Quilter.  I saw her quilt a couple years ago and without following a pattern, I started making blocks on paper foundation to use some scraps.  For the longest time, I had 10 blocks stashed away in a drawer.

Then in January I finished the remaining blocks, pieced the top, sandwiched and quilted it, and attached the binding.

I am especially happy with the quilting, though I need to figure out a better way to turn the corners with the feathers!

Second time doing feathers!

For the back, I used a bright orange print that I got in the flat folded, discount section of my LQS for a ridiculous price.   No one else saw that gem...  It's been in my stash for a while, waiting for the perfect project.   Isn't it great?

No shortage of snow to use as background here...

I love looking at the quilting on the back.  even though the fabric is busy, the light yellow thread I used really highlights the quilting!

For the binding, I chose an orange gingham-type print.  I have used it once before to bind a quilt and sadly, that is pretty much the end of it :(

I saved the hand stitching for my recent trip to Ontario, knowing I was going to be spending some time in an airplane...  I only had one side to do when I dropped by my guild's sew in to hang out with my quilty friends.

Quilt roll before the wash...

 

 

Quilt roll after the wash

Only today, when I looked up the link for Amy's original quilt, did I realize she had also used a bright orange backing and some lighter orange for the binding...  I guess great minds think alike.

Snow half way up the fence... This is late Winter in Eastern Canada

Today was a perfect day for pictures.  Still tons of snow, lots of sunlight, and a temperature just below zero (Celsius).

So the only two thing that are left to do on that baby is to find it a home and a name.  What should I call this, and where should it live?  It is the right size for a baby quilt (approx 40"x40"), but I find it a little too stiff.  One of my guild mate remarked that it could be a table topper.  What?  I guess she is right, but It would never occur to me...



Hope your month of March is off to a good start!

Linking up to Let's Bee Social hosted weekly by Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts.