Quilt As You Go Mug Rug

Quilt As You Go Mug Rug Tutorial

This quilt as you go mug rug is a great way to use up fabric scraps while making something useful in the process. Mug rugs make quick sweet gifts and are a great way to protect your furniture, while enjoying a sweet cup of tea or coffee and a treat or two. The technique used to construct this mug rug is completely beginner friendly, there is no binding to finish. It’s a great way to try out ‘Quilt as you go’ as well as experiment with different stitches and quilting techniques using your machine. Not to mention is the perfect scrap busting project for all those odd little pieces we love to hold onto.

Let’s dive into our scrap baskets and get started!

NOTE: Please read all the instructions before commencing. It is recommended that 100% cotton batting is used. You are going to be doing a lot of pressing with a hot iron, anything syntenic will be melted and destroyed. It is also recommended that 100% cotton fabric is used. A ¼” seam allowance is recommended unless otherwise stated.

Finished Size: 6” (Tall) x 9” (Wide)

Supplies:

Assortment of fabric scraps.
(2) 7” x 10” pieces of 100% cotton batting
7” x 10” piece of fabric for mug rug back
3” piece of cotton tape or ribbon
Iron
Basic sewing supplies
Sewing machine

Quilt As You Go Mug Rug Instructions

Select the fabric scraps that you wish to use in your mug rug. They can be different sizes and odd shapes. Just square them up with a quilting ruler and trim to suit your needs as you are going. Give them a good press with a hot iron before beginning.

2. Place your first scrap somewhere in the middle of the batting and quilt it down. You can use basic lines, try free motion, or even experiment with the different decorative stitches on your machine. I use a Janome DC2050 and I love stitches 20, 34 and 41.

3. Choose your second fabric and place along one side of your first piece, right sides together. It can be whichever side you like but it’s important that they are roughly the same length. Stitch down using a ¼” seam allowance.

4. Open up and press. Quilt the second piece of fabric. You also want to make sure you are trimming any thread tails from the front and back of your work as you are going, to prevent a tangled mess.

5. Pick your third piece of fabric and add it to one side of the other two, right sides together and stitch down with a ¼” seam allowance. Again, it can be any side you want. If the bits of fabric you are adding are too long or off shape jut trim them down with a quilting ruler to suit your needs as you are going. There are no hard and fast rules with quilt as you go. It’s just important to make sure the bit of fabric you are adding has a straight edge and is the same length as the side you are adding it to so there will be no gaps left in your finished piece.

6. Open the piece of fabric up, Press with a hot iron and quilt as desired.

7. Place your fourth piece of fabric along one of the sides, right side down. Stitch along the edge using a ¼” seam allowance.

8. Open up and press flat with a hot iron. Quilt as desired.

9. Keep adding pieces of fabric in the same manner until all your batting is covered.

10. Square up and trim your patchwork panel so it measures 6 ½” x 9 ½”.

11. Take your cotton tape or ribbon, fold it half and baste in place 1 ½” down from the top of your mug rug.

12. Adhere your backing fabric to the other piece of batting (7” x 10”) using quilt basting spray and following the manufacturer’s instructions. Quilt as desired and square it up and trim it to 6 ½” x 9 ½”.