I’ve been fighting some kind of virus for the past couple of days. That, plus more fibromyalgia pain, has left me feeling like I haven’t gotten much accomplished this week. But earlier today I remembered that I needed to get a mug rug made for a swap with my online quilting guild. So, I did what I always do: I logged into Pinterest. Can you guess what happened next? Uh-huh. An hour later and I still haven’t decided what I want to do!  Pinterest can be a big, black hole for me; but such a fun one, don’t you agree?

I joined the online guild about a year ago. Since then, I have participated in many fun swaps, but I think I have the most fun with the mug rugs. If you haven’t heard of mug rugs yet you must be living in the back woods somewhere with no internet connection! Or maybe you are just not a quilter. See, mug rugs are just another excuse to sew up something that can be done and gifted quickly. Instant gratification in a world that demands it! But what, you say, IS a mug rug exactly? Well, it’s a place to put your mug, of course; whether it be full of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or water! And so much more fun than a boring old coaster.

The sweet bunny above was made for a swap last spring. It was sew much fun! (And yes, I know I used the wrong version of “so”. That’s because that’s what we quilters always do!)

Here are a few more.

I love to add embellishments to my small works of art. I have several fun containers full of charms and buttons, crystals and shiny things!

Anyway, to get back on point—I finally found what I want to do after far too many instances of “Ooh, that one would be fun,” and “Oh, that one is sew pretty!”  This one is from a 2014 tutorial by Bernatex on their blog sewinlove. Isn’t it darling?

I love houses in fabric! I will even have a future post about it. I even have plans for a quilt-a-long of a house quilt if I ever get enough followers!

Of course, a swap means I have received some lovely mug rugs also. This is the one I got for last summer’s swap:

And, if anyone is interested, I am always up for more swaps! They allow me to use my creativity in a way that regular quilts don’t.

Also, a bit of housekeeping. I fixed my subscription link, so, if you haven’t received any of these posts in your email, then you are not subscribed. Please, go back and subscribe again. It should work this time!

See you soon!