A Mug Rug

Braid for a table runner

In my friend Rita's temperature quilt was a started braid for her temperature quilt and a length of braid in Christmas fabrics. I thought the started braid would make a good mug rug. I thought the length of braid would make a great table runner. I didn't know how to handle the started end of the braid so that it looked like the finished end.

When I'm stuck, I take the project to one of my small groups and ask for input. This project went to my Mavens group. Susan took a look at it and said that she would add more squares to fill it in. Not impossible, but fiddly. Pat said that she had just completed a similar table runner and showed me how she trimmed that end of the braid. It was a brilliant solution. I asked her to hold her hands in the "trimming" position so I could take a photo to remember the solution!

Mug rug back

I decided to try out my knowledge on the partial braid and make a mug rug. Cutting the end of the started braid worked great. I looked through my scraps to find a suitable backing and binding. I had a scrap of warm and natural batting that used when I layered the little mug rug. I quilted straight lines using a ruler and continuous curves in the squares using a neutral thread. 

Finished mug rug

I bound it and had a finish. It is headed to be in a basket that our small group is putting together for people to purchases tickets to win it at our guild quilt show. Rita would be pleased! Documenting this finish was goal number eight on my August list.