Pattern Description:
This is a quilted Holiday Mug Rug Tutorial designed to feature a pieced Christmas tree and a snowball block.
The design utilizes various fabric scraps and allows for personalization, such as adding words or fussy cutting the center block.
Construction involves drawing diagonal lines for corner units and pressing seams toward the tree fabric to make the tree “pop out”. The finished size of the mug rug is 6 1/2″ x 9 1/2″.
Materials Needed & Measurements:
The finished size of the mug rug is 6 1/2″ x 9 1/2″.
Materials Needed:
- Assorted fabric scraps for the mug rug
- 9″ x 12″ piece of batting
- Backing fabric
- The author mentions using Pellon Thermolam for batting in one example, noting its stability and thermal properties.
Pieces to Cut:
Snowball Unit Pieces:
- (1) 5″ square (snowball center)
- (4) 2″ squares (snowball corners)
- (1) 2″ x 5″ rectangle (bottom of snowball unit)
Tree Pieces:
- (1) 2″ x 3 1/2″ rectangle
- (1) 2″ x 4″ rectangle
- (1) 2″ x 5″ rectangle
- (1) 1 1/2″ x 2″ rectangle (tree trunk)
Tree Background Pieces:
- (2) 2″ squares
- (2) 2″ x 2 1/4″ rectangles
- (2) 2″ x 2 3/4″ rectangles
- (2) 2″ x 2 1/2″ rectangles
Instructions for Making the Holiday Mug Rug Pattern:
The finished size of the Holiday Mug Rug is 6 1/2″ x 9 1/2″. These instructions guide you through assembling the pieced Christmas tree and snowball block design.
Preparation and Cutting
To begin, gather assorted fabric scraps for the mug rug, a piece of backing fabric, and a 9″ x 12″ piece of batting. The source notes that Pellon Thermolam is a good batting option for stability and thermal properties.
You will need to cut the following pieces:
- Snowball Unit Pieces: (1) 5″ square (snowball center), (4) 2″ squares (snowball corners), and (1) 2″ x 5″ rectangle (bottom of snowball unit).
- Tree Pieces: (1) 2″ x 3 1/2″ rectangle, (1) 2″ x 4″ rectangle, (1) 2″ x 5″ rectangle, and (1) 1 1/2″ x 2″ rectangle (tree trunk).
- Tree Background Pieces: (2) 2″ squares, (2) 2″ x 2 1/4″ rectangles, (2) 2″ x 2 3/4″ rectangles, and (2) 2″ x 2 1/2″ rectangles.
Step 1: Constructing the Snowball Unit
Create the snowball block.
- Take the four 2″ snowball squares and draw a diagonal line across each one.
- Pin the 2″ squares to each corner of the 5″ square.
- Stitch just to the right of the drawn line.
- Press the resulting seams towards the outer corners and trim.
Step 2: Constructing the Christmas Tree Unit
Make the tree unit.
- Draw a diagonal line on the tree background squares and rectangles.
- When pairing background rectangles with green tree rectangles, place the background piece on top so the top edges align.
- Draw the line from the top corner to the bottom intersection point.
- Pin the pieces so the raw edges are even and stitch just next to the drawn line. The background pieces are specifically paired with tree pieces as follows: the 2″ x 2 3/4″ background goes with the 2″ x 3 1/2″ tree piece; the 2″ x 2 1/2″ background goes with the 2″ x 4″ tree piece; the 2″ square background goes with the 2″ x 5″ tree piece; and the 2″ x 2 1/4″ background goes with the 2″ x 1 1/2″ trunk piece.
- Press the seam towards the tree fabric. This method is recommended as it helps the tree “pop out a bit”.
- For efficiency, the tutorial suggests drawing all diagonal lines and pinning all pieces together before chain piecing. Each resulting tree rectangle should measure 2″ x 5″.
Step 3 & 4: Assembling the Mug Rug Top
- Step 3: Arrange and stitch the tree rows together.
- Arrange the tree rectangles in the correct order, positioning the tree unit, snowball unit, and the remaining 2″ x 5″ rectangle.
- Stitch the tree pieces together.
- Press the seam attaching the tree trunk unit up towards the tree. The other tree seams can be pressed either way.
- Step 4: Join the two halves.
- Stitch the snowball unit and the 2″ x 5″ rectangle together. Press this seam down towards the rectangle.
- Stitch the two final halves (the tree section and the snowball section) together. It is important to nest the lower rectangle seams and pin them before stitching. Press this final seam to either side.
Step 5: Quilting and Finishing
Layer and quilt the mug rug.
- Layer the finished top, the batting, and the backing fabric.
- Quilt the piece as desired. Examples of quilting techniques used include stitching in the ditch along the tree and snowball, free-motion quilting around motifs or words, outline stitching, and adding diagonal lines.
- For the binding, the source notes that the backing fabric can be wrapped around the edges to form the binding, optionally utilizing a Quick Easy Mitered-Binding Tool. Traditional binding is also an acceptable method.
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