Mug Rug!

Today I was inspired to make my first Mug Rug after seeing one on Craftsy.  The one on Craftsy was a fall one with a couple of pumpkins.  It was cute, but I wanted to try for one that was not seasonal and I could use anytime at my desk at work or in my sewing room.

I also think that small projects like this give you an opportunity to experiment and practice your fundamentals.  

My experiment on this little project was putting a roughly 1/8" seam around the edge before binding it.  I have been wondering for some time now if that would make the binding easier to fold over when doing my hand stitching on the back.  I think that it did make a difference on this project and I will probably use the technique again in the future.

I actually think you could get away with not binding this and just doing a 1/4 inch seam around the edge.  However, lately I have been on a big "frame everything in white" kick, and this project was no different!

Here is a shot of my finished project.  Start to finish...maybe a 45 minute project.  This (to me) makes it perfect for gift giving!  I am itching to try a square one with an applique monogram......I feel another project coming on!