I finally managed to get the mug rug for partner #1 done after much stress, angst and swearing! 

It started off innocently enough – I got my inspiration from the Modern Dresden Plate in Block Party, by Kristen Lejnieks and Alissa Haight Carlton.  As it was a mug rug, I decided it needed far less sections, so I got out my trusty protractor and created my own circle and divisions, and made up a wee template to cut out the fabric.  Partner #1 had asked for white, orange and aqua, so I went for a white background, and emptied Mandors of any blue that had a vague association with aqua, and pretty much their entire range of orange…  I was so happy when it all matched up to make a perfect circle (I may even have had a wee squeal of joy) The centre fabric I already had on hand from my teardrop bag, and it went perfectly.   For the back, I did a wonky strip of each of the front fabrics (although the raindrop fabric ended up hidden under the binding – oops!)

All well and good until I got to the quilting.  Firstly I had to get new quilting thread, as the stuff I had (Gutterman’s Sulky) wasn’t very suitable, however I did get some King Tut’s at the quilt fair last Friday after advice from Jenna over at Sew Happy Geek.  Next I forgot to take it to my gran’s on Saturday, when I was planning to quilt it, and so it was left until yesterday. 

In the original block in the book, the centre of the circle was quilted in a spiral, and that seemed like a good idea, so I drew one on with a vanishing ink pen.  Now I thought this ought to be free motion quilted, so after a bit of practising, I gave it a go.  I was devastated to discover I had a few big loops on the back, that really couldn’t be left as was, plus a few rather wonky bits.  Unpicker in hand, I got rid of the offending stitching, and tried again with just a regular old foot, and hey presto it worked!  Next it was onto the spirals at the corner, and again, those were fine with the regular foot.  I was beginning to wonder about the ‘vanishing’ ink at this point, as it seemed to be bucking its usual trend of vanishing before I even got to use it…

Anyway, onto the binding, which was getting rather foutery trying to get it all nicely lined up, and which on the last overlap I ended up 1/4″ out (too much fabric) so had to unpick and do again.  That ink was still there after the front binding was attached, and also after the back binding was attached (I was really happy with my mitred corners on this at least!).  Not only was the ink still there, it seemed to be showing no signs of vanishing, and it was now 1am.  There was absolutely no way I could package this up to send in this state – what if it didn’t vanish while it was in the post?  I checked again when I got up for work this morning, and still there, and yet again when I got home from the gym after work.  ARGH!  I had had an epiphany after walking from the station though, and a little bath later, it was all gone.  Of course I now had a dripping wet mug rug…

Poor thing has tonight been bathed, wrung out, hair-dried, ironed and hair-dried again, and here it finally is:

And here are the final sets.  No the fabrics don’t co-ordinate in any way shape or form, live with it ;o)  Partner #1:

Partner #2:

And wrapped up ready to go – isn’t this paper fab?

In honour of it being Monday, I’m linking up to:

Sew Happy Geek {Sew} Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations