QUILTsocial | Issue 03 Spring 2015

picking fabrics
Flowers are a breath of
fresh air in the spring,
and tulips, being one of
the first to bloom, can
be seen everywhere.
The yearning for this
flower inspired the Dancing
Tulip mug rug.
This mug rug was done
in spring colours purple
and yellow, which also
happen to be complementary
colours. Three
purple fabrics were used
from light to dark. The
lightest one is also used
for the background
and the darkest for the
binding.
Add in some yellow and
green for the flowers
to create a bright and
cheerful mug rug to
brighten any desk or
studio this spring.
TIP
To help determine the
value of the fabrics
take a picture of them
and turn it to black and
white – this will result
in a grey scale image
which shows how light
or dark the fabrics are,
making it easier to put
them in order from
light to dark.
skill level intermediate
finished measurements
9” x 12¼” [23 x 30cm]
materials
12” [30cm] fabric A (light purple batik) –
for rail fence block and background
4” [10cm] fabric B (medium purple batik) –
for rail fence block
6” [15cm] fabric C (dark purple batik) – for
rail fence block and binding
12” x 14” [30 x 35cm] fabric D (dark purple)
– for backing
12” [30cm] square fabric E (yellow batik) –
for flower
6” [15cm] square fabric F (green batik) –
for leaves & stem
12” x 14” [30 x 35cm] low loft batting such
as 100% cotton 10” [25cm] fusible web
such as HeatnBond Lite
Neutral coloured cotton thread for
piecing such as grey or beige
Orange/Yellow coloured thread for stitching
flower – variegated or solid colour
Thread for quilting rail fence area
instructions
Notes:
••
read all instructions thoroughly before
starting to cut and sew
••
all seams are ¼” unless otherwise specified
••
all pieces are sewn together with right
sides together unless otherwise specified
••
pin strips as needed
••
chain sewing will speed up the construction
process
••
press all seams towards the darker fabric
abbreviations
WS – wrong sides
WST – wrong sides together
WOF – width of fabric
Rect – rectangle
Sq – square
RS – right sides
RST – right sides together
cutting instructions
All measurements include a ¼” seam
allowance and are based on a 40”
WOF. Press all fabrics prior to cutting.
Fabric A
Cut ONE 1” x WOF strips sub cut in half for
2 – 1” x 20” pieces
Fabric B
Cut ONE 1” x WOF strips sub cut in half for
2 – 1” x 20” pieces
Fabric C
Cut ONE 1” x WOF strips sub cut in half for
2 – 1” x 20” pieces
Note: There’s no need to trim the selvedge
edges off on these strips.
Background – Fabric A
Cut ONE 6” x 12½”
Binding – Fabric G
Cut ONE 2½” x WOF (strip)
making the rail fence blocks
The rail fence block is made up of the 3
purple fabrics. The strips will not all be
the same length as fabrics are not always
manufactured at the same length. This
is okay as the strip set will be squared off
once it’s made.
TIPS
When sewing strips together, alternate
the direction in which you are sewing to
help reduce any distortion of the strip
set. For example, sew strips A & B in one
direction and then when you add C to A
& B, sew in the opposite direction.
When pressing long strips such as these,
set the seam then start in the middle and
press to one end. Return to the middle
and press to the other end – this will help
to reduce any warping of the strips.
1. Sew fabric strips A & B together. Make
two (2).
2. Sew fabric strip C to fabric B on the
unit from step 1. Make two (2). Each
unit will measure 2” x 20”.
3. Square off one end of each unit from
step 2 and then sub cut into sixteen
(16) 2” squares.
Three fabric strip sets sewn together
Q
the
Mug
Rug
Challenge
UILTsocial
.com
●
spring 2015
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