Easy Fall Quilting! Mug Rug Coaster Pattern

Hello Friends!  Happy first day of fall!!!  Until the weather gets cold here in Tennessee (halloween time usually!) I have a really hard time thinking about beautiful colored leaves and pumpkins.  But this year I worked really hard to do some fall sewing in September!

My plan was to make a full size quilt… but lets be honest here.  Making a full size quilt is super time consuming and September means I’m wrapping up a busy summer in my flower farm so I knew I needed a project that was going to be a much quicker finish. 

I made a table runner with the Cozy Up line of fabric by Corey Yoder.  I used a pattern called Gingham+Pumpkins (you can find the free pattern here) and then I made some of my own changes and I just love how it turned out.

But today I wanted to focus this post on a quilting project for the beginner quilter and I have a great tutorial for that very thing.   I’m a big fan of quilted mug rug coasters that I keep on all my tables around my house and they are especially fun if they are seasonal.  What makes this project so great is that it is simple (literally anyone can do it) and it is a very quick finish.  One of the hardest things about quilting projects for all levels of sewing is that they so often do not get finished.   Think of your mug rug as a tiny, adorable miniature quilt!  

Lets start with a set of quilted patchwork “mug rugs”.  These are a fantastic size and can be used for a large mug of hot cocoa, or a little dessert plate with your favorite treat!  

Necessary Supplies (for one mug rug):

• Nine different fabric scraps at least 3 inches square
• Four same fabric scraps measuring at least 3 inches x 8 inches
• One fabric backing at least 9 inches square
• Quilt batting at least 9 inches square
• Clover Rotary Cutter(60mm) – Art No. 7502
• Cutting Mat – Art No. 7520
• Clover Flower Head Pins – Art No. Q2506
• Gold Eye Chenille Needles (no. 20) – Art No.234/20
• Perle cotton embroidery thread size 8
• Clover Water Erasable Marker – Art No. 516
• Clover protect and grip thimble – Art No. 6025
• Bordeaux ultimate scissors 170- Art No. 4941

Instructions:

Step One:  Gather your fabric scraps and make sure they are ironed so that they are easy to cut!  The great thing about this projects is that you don’t have to get too worried about your fabric matching.  Choose the fall colors that you love and lets get going!

Step Two:  For each mug rug you make, use your rotary cutter and ruler and cut your fabric to the following sizes:  

• 9) 2.5 inch squares of differing fabrics
• 2) 1.5 inch by 6.5 inch and 2) 1.5 inch by 8.5 inch strips of the same fabric
• 1) 8.5 inch fabric for backing
• 1) 8.5 inch quilt batting

Step Three:  Lay out your mug rug in a pattern of  three rows of 3 little squares, forming a block of nine squares.  Don’t overthink it!  Just quickly lay them out!

Step Four:  Sew them together using an exact 1/4 inch seam.  I like to sew mine row by row.  For example, sew all three squares together in row one.  Then repeat for row two and row three.  Do NOT sew the rows together yet.  

Step Five:  Once you have all three rows sewn you will iron the seams BEFORE sewing the rows together.  Here is how:  turn row one over with wrong side facing up and iron it so that the seams are all go to the right.  On your second row, iron your seams going to the left.  On the third row, iron the seams going to the right!  There is a reason for this, trust me!  

Step Six:  Now you will sew your rows together.  Place row one with right side facing up.  Place row two on top of row one with right side facing down.  You will match the seams together and pin.  Since the seams are going in opposite directions then they will match up very well, almost locking into place.  Pin them carefully at the seams. 

Step Seven:   Now you will sew the  two rows together with a perfect 1/4 inch seam.  Repeat with row three adding it to row two.  

Step Eight:  You’ve created a “nine patch block”!  This is a common quilt block that all quilters love!  Iron your block carefully with the long seams going in the same direction.  If you have cut your squares to a perfect 2.5 inch and sewn your seams in a perfect 1/4 inch then all your seams should fit perfectly together.   This does take some practice and some slow sewing in the beginning.  However, do not get stressed or overly concerned if everything doesn’t come out perfectly.  This is how we learn!  

Step Nine:  Once your nine patch block is carefully ironed we will attach the narrow border strips to each side.  Starting with the 6.5 inch length pin it to the top of the quilt block, right sides together and sew it with a 1/4 inch seam.  Do the same on the bottom with the remaining 6.5 inch length.  Press both seams flat.  

Step Ten:  Repeat step nine by attaching the 8.5 inch strips to each side.  Press again so that your quilt block is nice and flat.  The strips that you have just attached create a nice border to the block.

 

Step Eleven:  Using your rotary cutter and a ruler, carefully trim the edges of you mug rug so that everything is square.  There should only be little tiny strips that need to be trimmed.  

Step Twelve:  Lay your mug rug front on top of the backing fabric, right sides together.  Place those layers on top of your quilt batting.  Carefully pin all the way around, making sure all three layers are pinned. 

Step Thirteen:  Slowly sew a 1/4 inch seam all the way around the edge of the three layers.  However, leave about three inches in between where you start and stop so that we can turn the right sides out.  This is very important!  

Step Fourteen:  Carefully cut each each corner off at the diagonal, being extra careful not to cut through the seam line.  This helps the corners push out nice and crisp.

Step Fifteen:  Turn your fabric right side out with the batting ending up in the middle of the two fabric pieces.  Push the corners out very carefully.  

Step Sixteen:  Iron the mug rug thoroughly, turning the raw edges to the inside of the opening and iron that firmly.  We will sew that closed later.

Step Seventeen:  Now you can determine how you’d like to quilt your mug rug.  You can either hand quilt it or you can quilt it with your sewing machine.  Either way, you will mark your quilting lines the same.  You can use either the Clover hera marker or the erasable ink pen to mark your lines.  I’m using the hera marker.  It just leaves a nice crease in the fabric that will be my sewing line.  I’ve chosen to quilt my mug rug in the diagonal with an X in each square.   NOTE:  If you choose to the use the erasable marker, all you’ll need to do to remove the line is to spritz it with water when you’ve finished quilting.  The line will disappear!  

Step Eighteen:  Hand Quilting Instructions:   It is such a simple and fun way to get your feet wet with hand quilting!  Thread your needle with your embroidery thread and knot the end of it.  Simply pull your needle from the back of the mug rug, pulling your knot through the back layer.  Hand sew along each marked line.  All that is required here is to try to keep your stitches as consistent in length as you can.  It’s okay if they are long to start.  There is no rule to this!  Sit in your comfy chair and make it relaxing as you see your quilting take shape.   

Machine Quilting Instructions: If you want a very quick quilting finish then machine quilting is the way to go.   Simply sew along your marked lines.  

NOTE:  The only reason I prefer hand quilting over machine quilting is because I love the puffy finished look of hand quilting.  But that is also simply preference! 

Step Nineteen:  Now we will sew a quilting stitch all along the outer edge of the mug rug, closing in the opening as we go.   If you have chosen to hand quilt, then do this finish stitch by hand.  If you have machine quilted, then finish this with the sewing machine!   Your mug rug is finished!  

NOTE:  Don’t be afraid to modify this mug rug to suit the size you want.  I made four very small coasters, just big enough to hold a cup.   The joy of a little nine patch pattern is that you can make your scrap squares as small or as large as you’d like.  For these little coasters, I cut my squares to 2 inches and chose not to add a border.  The finished size is 4.5 inches square.  Very simple and fast!  

This morning when I got home from my very early exercise class and as the sun was slowly rising, I enjoyed using my little mug rug for a half of a left over cupcake!  (Who else eats an amazing home made cupcake for breakfast after a BootCamp class?! )  

These mug rugs are such great gifts… tie a few together with a piece of twine and they are just adorable!   I’ve gifted mug rugs for so many occasions and they are always a hit!

All the sizes are so fun! 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and I really hope that you will make yourself some mug rugs!  Be sure to share your project with me on Instagram by tagging me @redfeedsack with your finished mug rug!

~ Dori ~