Valentine's Mug Mat

                                 

Here's a quick project to stitch for your special someone for Valentine's Day.  This mug mat is larger than most, as it's meant to be shared by two.  Fusible appliqué means you can whip this up in time for the big day.

Spiral Heart Mug Mat

Finished Size:  6-1/2" x 11"

Materials

8" square of white*

8" square of red*

7" x 11" background fabric

8" square of fusible web

8" square of tear away stabilizer

7" x 12" batting

7" x 12" backing

1, 2-1/4" x WOF strip of red for binding

* Quilter's Rose by Stof used in sample project.

You can get the pdf template for the heart for free here. Make sure when you print the heart you choose "actual size" from the list of print options (no scaling). Please note that the design is already reversed for you, ready for tracing onto the back of the fusible web.

Directions:

Trace heart design onto fusible web. Note that the heart has two sections.  Fuse one section to back of red and one to back of white fabrics.  Cut out carefully.  Remove paper backing and arrange the two heart sections so that they are snugged up with no gaps in between.  I use a corsage pin to gently nudge the pieces into place.  Fuse to centre of background fabric. 

With stabilizer underneath work stitch around edges of heart to secure.  Sample shown uses straight stitching, but a narrow zigzag would add nice definition to the edges.  Trim stabilizer.

Add batting and backing, pin baste.  Quilt.  Sample shown is quilted around the outside of heart and echoed 1/4" away.  Squiggly lines are free motion quilted from the heart to the sides. Trim mat.  Mine is 6-1/2" x 11.

Fold 2-1/4" binding strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and press. Sew to front of quilt, mitering corners.  Flip to back and hand stitch in place.  

This entire pattern is available in a printer-friendly format as a free download at this link: https://payhip.com/sewkaren

Happy Valentine's Day!

Click here to download the free pattern for this mug mat.

Hearts Entwined

It seems a bit early to post for Valentine's Day, but realistically if you are making something, you need some lead time to get it done. You've only got a month left!  Last year I posted a tutorial for this cute mug mat:

Lots of you have acquired the free pattern through Craftsy, making it one of their top downloads. With her usual energy and creative spark, Jeanne Kaye Speight of Federicton has taken the design one step further and made this adorable wall hanging - kind of a his and hers.

Jeanne Kaye writes, "I loved the heart you designed, so I enlarged it, and did it in opposites for a wall hanging inside my front door for St. Valentine's Day.  Love it!  Thanks for another great pattern."  It's just sweet!  I am not sure how large Jeanne Kaye made her hearts, but I am sure we could ask if anyone is interested in knowing.  Thanks so much for sharing this,Jeanne Kaye - you rock! If you'd like to make your own spiral heart, the pattern is free here.