Items Needed:

• Scrap fabric for front & back of your mug rug as well as the binding
• Scrap batting
• Embellishments of your choice.  In this case, I used an old miniature crocheted flower doily and a 4″ square of fabric

Instructions:

Choose the fabric and embellishments you want to use for your mug rug.  This mug rug is 7″ high x 10″ wide.  The front of this mug rug is a single scrap of fabric.  The back of the mug rug will be scrappy fabrics, leftovers from a charm pack (5″ squares).

Piece together the back of your mug rug.  I sew two 5″ squares together and repeat for the second set of squares.

This is the result of the charm squares sewn together.  It is a square but I need to adjust it so that it is the same (or a tad larger) than the fabric for the front of the mug rug.

I cut off 2 1/2″ from one end of the pieced backing fabrics.

Pin the 2 1/2″ strip to the end of the scrappy backing.

Then sew that 2 1/2″ strip to the end of the scrappy backing.

Now the front and back fabrics are ready for the next step.

A 5″ square of fabric was too large for the front of my mug rug so I cut it down to a 4″ square.

It’s time to add the embellishments!  I begin with sewing the little crocheted flower to the front fabric.  First, pin it in place.

  I really want this mini doily to stay in place through usage and washings so I ran a stitch all the way around the center of the doily as well as all around the edge of the doily.

Then pin and sew the scrappy square to the top fabric.  Raw edge applique is my specialty so I just ran a single stitch, 1/4″ from the edge, all the way around the scrappy square.  The quilting will further adhere the scrappy square to the mug rug.

The top of my mug rug is ready!  Now it’s time to make your quilt sandwich using the top and bottom fabrics with a piece of scrappy batting in the center.

Quilt as desired.  In this case, I used a maroon thread on the top and a black thread in my bobbin.  Because my top fabric was a plaid fabric, I made it easy on myself and just followed the lines of the fabric with my quilt stitches.  I did not quilt over the doily but I did quilt over the scrappy square.

After quilting, trim your mug rug of any excess fabric or batting and then square it up.

Now it’s time for the binding.  I did not have a 2″ x WOF strip available (remember – this is scrappy), so I sewed two strips together to make my binding.  To do this, with right sides together, place the top strip at a 90 degree angle to the bottom strip.  Then, draw a diagonal line from the beginning of the top strip across to the corner of the edge of the bottom strip.

Pin and sew the two binding pieces together on the line you drew.

Cut the corner off of the binding strips, 1/4″ from the line you drew and sewed.

I chose to press the seam open.  This project is so small that by pressing the seam in a single direction, it would have made for a lumpy spot on the edge of the mug rug.

Now, sew the binding on the front of your mug rug, making sure to miter the corners.  Finally, whip-stitch the binding to the back of your mug rug.  Congrats, you’re done!