Pattern Description:
The Glass Half Full Mug Rug is a free pattern featuring a design of daisies held in a blue-tinted mason jar, intended to be inspirational and cute.
The small project incorporates several techniques, including simple piecing, applique, embroidery, and quilting.
It uses fusible raw edge machine applique and bias stems made with a 1/4″ bias tape maker. Quilting involves straight line grids and echo quilting.
Materials Needed & Measurements:
- Fabric: Needed for the background, mason jar, daisies, and stems.
- Applique Supplies: Fusible material for raw edge machine applique (used for all applique shapes except the stems).
- Stems Supplies: Material suitable for creating bias stems.
- Notions: A 1/4″ bias tape maker (used to create the bias stems).
- Thread: Matching thread is used for top stitching the machine-finished binding. Thread is also needed for sewing, zigzag stitching around applique shapes, and embroidery.
- Batting/Backing: Needed for quilting.
Instructions for Making the Glass Half Full Mug Rug Pattern:
Pattern Preparation and Core Techniques
The first step is to obtain the free Glass Half Full pattern. It is crucial that the pattern is printed out at actual size, with no scaling.
The mug rug design features a blue-tinted mason jar holding daisies and is meant to be full of positive inspiration and cuteness.
The construction of the project will involve three main techniques:
- Simple piecing.
- Applique.
- A little bit of embroidery.
Applique and Stem Assembly
The project utilizes specific methods for attaching the design elements:
- Fusible Applique: For the main shapes (the mason jar and the daisies), fusible raw edge machine applique is the recommended technique.
- Stitching Applique Shapes: Once the applique shapes are fused, stitch around them using a narrow zig zag stitch.
- Creating Bias Stems: The stems are created separately and are the exception to the fusible applique rule. Bias stems are used, which are made utilizing a 1/4″ bias tape maker.
- Stitching Stems: Secure the bias stems using a straight stitch.
- Adding Detail to the Jar: To create the effect of visibility through the blue-tinted mason jar, continue the straight stitch used on the stems into the vase area.
- Embroidery: The project is completed with a little bit of embroidery. The embroidery and applique steps take some time, but the overall project is small.
Quilting
The quilting process for the mug rug is described as simple.
The finished piece should be quilted using two complementary techniques:
- Straight line grids.
- A little echo quilting.
Machine Finishing the Binding
The binding for the Glass Half Full Mug Rug is completed entirely by machine.
This technique involves three steps:
- Attach the binding by stitching it onto the back of the mug rug.
- Wrap the binding from the back to the front of the mug rug.
- Top stitch the binding close to the folded edge using matching thread. This technique results in a clean finish that looks good on both sides.
Download Free PDF:
