Mug Rug for St. Patrick’s Day

A mug rug for St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect cozy place to rest your morning coffee (or afternoon hot toddy) and celebrate this fun holiday. This mug rug measures 6″ x 9″, so it also works as a small wall hanging to hang above your coffee station or bar cart. Make a mug rug for St. Patrick’s Day for yourself and one for a friend, and gift it over a cup of morning joe.

MUG RUG SUPPLIES

• 8″ x 10″ rectangle of high-quality felt, such as Sulky Felty™ 
• Sulky Stiffy™ Stabilizer
• 6″ x 9″ rectangle of insulated batting, such as Insul-Brite™
• 8″ x 11″ rectangle of backing fabric, such as quilting cotton
• Sulky Feeling Lucky Machine Embroidery Palette (includes 10 spools of 40 wt. Rayon Thread and 6 St. Patrick’s Day-themed machine embroidery designs in 3 sizes)
• 60 wt. Sulky Bobbin Thread
• 30 wt. Sulky Cotton Blendables® Thread
• Organ® Needles: Size 75/11 Embroidery & 90/14 Universal
• Sulky KK 2000™ Temporary Spray Adhesive
• Clover® Wonder Clips

MUG RUG EMBROIDERY PREP

Load the chosen design into the machine. The featured Top o the Mornin design size fits in a 9×10 hoop, but was resized to approximately 5″ W x 7 3/4″ H using the machine screen. Direct the machine to add a design perimeter basting stitch to the beginning of the stitching sequence, if possible.

Hoop a piece of Sulky Stiffy Stabilizer.

Install a size 75/11 Embroidery Needle into the machine. Thread the needle with the first thread color in the design, according to the color sequence chart. Wind a bobbin with Sulky 60 wt. Bobbin Thread.

Put the hoop onto the machine. Stitch the first step, which is the perimeter basting stitches. (If your machine doesn’t allow for perimeter basting, alternatively mark the design perimeter onto the stabilizer before hooping and skip this step.

BEGIN THE EMBROIDERY

Remove the hoop from the machine or move the hoop to the “trimming” position. Spray the back of the felt rectangle with KK 2000, and then place it onto the stabilizer, fully covering and centering it over the basting stitches.

Place the hoop back onto the machine or return it to the stitching position.

Embroider the design, clipping jump threads with each thread change.

When embroidery is complete, remove the hoop from the machine. Clip any final jump threads on the right and wrong side of the felt.

Tear away the stabilizer from the design wrong side.

MUG RUG FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY – CONSTRUCTION

This is a very simple mug rug with no additional piecing or binding strips. If desired, add more fabrics and/or quilt the piece prior to this final step.

Trim the mug rug top to 6″ x 9″, centering the design as desired.

Use KK 2000 to secure the insulated batting rectangle to the mug rug wrong side, matching all edges and corners.

Place the backing fabric wrong side up on a flat work surface. The backing should be 1″ longer than the mug rug top on all sides. Spray the wrong side with KK 2000.

Center the mug rug right side up on the backing, sandwiching the batting between the layers.

FAUX BINDING TECHNIQUE

Fold the backing fabric lower edge 1/2″ toward the right side, abutting the edge with the mug-rug lower edge.

If needed, use more KK 2000 to secure the fabric.

Fold the edge another 1/2″ around the mug rug raw edge; use more KK 2000 to secure and/or Wonder Clips.

Repeat to fold the backing fabric upper edge to bind the mug rug upper and lower edges.

At each corner, fold the edge at an angle to align the outer fold with the adjacent mug rug edge.

Use a Wonder Clip or more KK 2000 to secure. Double-fold the mug-rug side edges per the upper and lower edges, mitering the corners.

Install a size 90/14 Universal Needle. Thread the needle and bobbin with 30 wt. Cotton Blendables Thread. Choose a blended green or rainbow variety for a decorative accent.

Stitch along the faux-binding fold to secure the faux binding to the mug rug right side. If desired, experiment with decorative stitches to secure this foldline for even more interest and decoration. (Be sure to practice the chosen stitch before stitching the final piece to ensure desired results.)

Give the mug rug to a friend with a bag of your favorite coffee and some Irish whiskey. Or keep it nonalcoholic and grab a fun mug for gifting with the mug rug.