It’s a Little Finish Friday here at Pieceful Thoughts. I finally have a finish to show you! I just want you to know that I’ve been so good lately, doing my best to stay on task with the projects that need to get done. I’ve hardly deviated – okay, I’ve deviated a little – but I’ve really been trying to behave.
Well, did you see Sandra’s Mug Cosies Pattern over at MMM Quilts? My daughter had been mentioning that her tea keeps getting cold, and she keeps having to come up to zap it in the microwave. So when I saw Sandra’s pattern, the proverbial lightbulb went off, I opened the door to my quilt room and two little squirrels came flying in. Imagine that!
Now if you’ve followed Sandra long enough, you will know she has a teaching background. And if you’ve followed me long enough, you know I tend to follow the rules, unless it involves improv – then all bets are off (wink). Well, I have a confession to make, Sandra.
I cheated.
Me, the rule follower. I cheated. Okay, not a big cheat, but a kinda cheat. I took a shortcut. There. Confession done.
I have been hanging on to this piece of free motion quilting practice for ever.
One side was this neutral vine print, the other a gold/cheddar solid. Those of you who know me well, know that I have issues with free motion – so here’s evidence that I do practice now and then. I may have just found motivation for more practice!
So here’s the cheat – I used the free motion piece for the mug cosies. I traced the pattern, cut it out, added a fun little ribbon toggle, dug in my “binding bag” for a binding that would match, and tah-dah – done!
Seriously, is this a cute pattern or what? It’s quick, too, and you know I like that. (Isn’t that mug gorgeous – one of my daughter’s lab mates made that for her!)
As if I weren’t rebellious enough already, another little squirrel whispered that I might need to make another cosy for those bigger mugs, we have in our cupboard. I checked, and he was right. So I just widened Sandra’s template a bit, and made this one with the gold/cheddar outside.
Okay, it looks a bit like a pumpkin in that color, but it fits, and that’s all that matters.
I hope you enjoyed my Little Finish Friday. In all seriousness, this pattern is so much fun to make. It’s a perfect little gift for someone who enjoys a warm sip of tea, coffee, hot cocoa – this would be ideal. Hop over to Sandra’s blog right here and grab the pattern – it’s free – Sandra is sharing a bit of holiday cheer with us. Thank you, Sandra!
Have fun. No cheating, though. Be good.
Linking up today with
Wendy
Cheating NO! A good use of a practice piece, most definitely! They look great!
Those are really cute, and I love the colors. I also have issues with FMQ, so that kind of cheating is OK with me. 😉 Has your daughter given them a try yet?
What a cutie and a nice way to use those practice pieces.
Hi Wendy! LOVE this Friday finish. And what a great idea for your DD’s tea. Cold no more! Plus, it is just the perfect use for your FMQ sandwiches . . . hmm. I’ll bet I have a few hanging around somewhere in the sewing room. Perfecto! I was thinking about making one for my boss. ~smile~ Roseanne
Hey, a finish is a finish, and you ended up with useful items! And cute to boot.
I made a couple tea cozies last year – I don’t make specifically for Xmas as I don’t wanted added pressure to get things done but I did get a couple something like this done last year.
At our house we call that “using your resources!” Your tea cozy looks like the perfect way to use a piece of FMQ practice. And it goes perfectly with your daughter’s mug, too! Nice finish, Wendy!
Very nice. I don’t see this as cheating at all my friend. It would be wasteful not to have used that practice piece. So, does it work well? I reheat my coffee constantly as I like it super hot. Very interesting idea…
Me too! Piping hot java – oh yes!
Love your rea cozies!!!
Soooo cute! Not a cheat, but a variation on a theme! Just like in jazz performances. And the pumpkin-y shape of the second one makes me think that making these in orange scraps next year in the fall would be so fun. Add a little green tab on top and gift it with some pumpkin spice chai mix for a super cute gift 🙂
Well, it turned out very cute. I wouldn’t call that cheating…I’d call it “innovation!”
Fabulous idea, Wendy! I can never throw away those practice pieces. I’d probably have two different pieces for mine since I use smaller squares. So one half would be one sandwich print and the other half and different sandwich print! Wild. Such a great idea to share too. Glad you had some fun in your studio.
Wendy that’s not cheating! It’s making us of a sweet little practise piece that was waiting to see what it would become when it grew up! I’m sure your daughter is enjoying her nice hot cup of tea now.
Perfection! Using up a practice piece and making the perfect little mug cozies!
Gosh, everyone expressed my thoughts exactly…plus it looks like a ‘real’ FMQ piece, not a practice piece IMHO!
These are adorable and good for you for finding a short cut! Love that ribbon you put on too! Have a safe and happy weekend!
And thanks for linking up to TGIFF!
These mug cosies are so dang cute! I read this post yesterday morning but haven’t a moment to respond until now. I could definitely see making some of these down the road. Thanks for the all the info! Take care, Mary.
Like white lies, a little cheating now and then can be a good thing. Love your mug cosies
What a great gift! I’m sure that Sandra will appreciate your efficiency and thriftiness in using what you already had.
That’s not a cheat, that’s a brilliant use of something you already had! I would dare say it could even be counted as a UFO, or at least the equivalent of using an orphan block. Very nice!
Brilliant use of an FMQ piece Wendy. Thank you so very much for making the pattern, for taking it in your own direction and for giving me a shout-out about it.