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While my mom was out here visiting last week we checked multiple things off the work-in-progress list. The Halloween pillows were one, and these mug rugs were another. I started them out at Kira’s house (before she moved to her new house) way back in 2018. I got the pattern over halfway written but then I came home and life got in the way and it never got finished. Thanks to mom, I can finally check one more thing off the list and you guys get to benefit too! Are you ready for a super cute new pattern?

I remember giving my parents such a hard time for how cold they kept the house cold during the fall and winter when I was growing up. Honestly, I still give them a hard time when I go for a visit. That being said, now I’m the one refusing to turn up the thermostat. It’s one of those wonderful moments when you realize that you are turning into your parents. My poor husband gets up to go to work and has to crawl out from under the covers into a house that’s set to 66 degrees. (Don’t worry; the little man gets a tower heater in his room to make sure he stays warm.) I can’t help that I love sleeping in a cold room and my husband doesn’t like paying for expensive heating bills any more than I do. It’s even more funny when life comes full circle though. Now my mom asks why the house is so cold when she comes to visit me.

Since it’s no secret that I prefer being cold to being hot I’ve found ways to warm up without turning on the heat. One of my favorite ways is to make a nice warm mug of apple cider or hot chocolate in the morning while the house is still chilly. It doesn’t hurt that this also gives me an excuse to pull out all of my ridiculously cute mugs. When Mom is here, (or in her own cold home) she likes to warm up a mug of what she calls hot chocolate and I call lightly brown milk. I’m sorry, but the minuscule amount of chocolate she adds to milk does not qualify as hot chocolate. Love you Mom!

Another thing I love about the changing weather is it gives me an excuse to whip up some of my favorite treats. I don’t know why but it feels like fudge is only a fall and winter treat so that first batch of fudge is always an exciting sign of my favorite season. Normally I make peppermint fudge but last winter while I was pregnant peppermint would give me horrible heartburn so I started making chocolate orange fudge and let me tell you, it’s delicious. Kevin usually ends up eating a square or two and then I eat the rest of the 9×13 pan by myself.

With all these treats and drinks floating around the house I don’t want to ruin my furniture with drink rings and crumbs. Enter the mug rug! It’s smaller than a placemat but larger than a coaster and just the right size to hold a drink and a treat. With more people working from home these days, who doesn’t need a drink and a treat handy at all times? I know I certainly do. It just makes life that much more enjoyable. In the unlikely event that you make a mess on your mug rug, no worries! Just trow it in the wash, ‘t’ll be grand! (My favorite line from “Leap Year.” Kevin and I watched the movie just before, and then on the flight to, Ireland when we were first married and it will forever be a favorite.)

These mug rugs use our “sew and flip” method to construct the front. You can choose to add an applique (a simple cat and bat are included in the pattern) or just feature your cute Halloween prints. Because we recommend using a layer of Insul-Bright® on the front and Warm and Natural® on the back, you don’t have to have the same quilting design on the back as you do the front. It also means the stitching lines for your applique won’t show up on the back of your project. It’s a great opportunity to try out some fun quilting techniques or ideas! Join the front to the back with a simple binding (the directions for binding are included in the pattern) and you’re ready to get snacking.

These little mug rugs are a great way to highlight some of your favorite Halloween prints and they would make a great gift! It’s even a Covid-friendly gift because it can be tossed in the wash by the receiver when then get it. Oh what wild times we are living in! We may have to get a little more creative with our celebrating this year but I would say these little mug rugs definitely qualify as a “treat” not a “trick!”

We also took this opportunity to make a video tutorial for how we do raw edge applique using cuddle fabrics. So if you’ve never appliqued with cuddle fabrics and you want to give it a try but are scared and don’t know where to start we’ve got you covered! Check it out on our youtube channel.

Wishing you all a happy, safe and healthy Halloween. And, as always, happy sewing!

 

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