11.18.2014

Quilted Mug Rug for a Cafe Mocha-aholic

Our next family member's birthday is none other than my sweet mother-in-law, who is known to everyone as Granny.  We'll be celebrating her 81st birthday with her when we go to the Lowcountry for Thanksgiving next week, but in the meantime the card needed to go out and it did not feel right to send it 'empty'.  A quilted mug rug was just the thing to include.
Please meet 'Granny' and her beloved dog Suzi.  This soon to be 81 year old woman, all of 5', is a ball of energy and loves her independence.  Granny drives to her local mall every.... single... day for a cafe mocha... extra hot with whipped cream.... then brings a decaf coffee home to drink later in the day. 
My initial design included embroidering the words 'Cafe Mocha' on my machine.
Lately I've been been experimenting with Instagram and the photo uploaded this morning showed the high-tech tools used to design this mug rug pattern.  I needed a small rounded corner, what can I say?!  Does anybody else love those Dr. Pepper Bonne Bell LipSmackers?!  :)
Anyway, this is what it became. 
Finished size measures 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".  Tiny machine stitched blanket stitches edge the cup with a satin stitch for the 'whipped cream' topping.  The entire outline was straight-stitched with the wisps of 'steam' free motion quilted.
The year '2014' machine embroidered for posterity.
The back shows the simple quilting.   If I'd thought ahead I could've done a simple turn the back over for the binding.... but I didn't.  So this was another skill building time applying the binding.  I thought the polka dots were fun.
So her card is ready to be mailed and I feel much better now!
And her birthday present?  What do you give an 81 year old who loves everything chocolate and sweet?!  You bake ahead lots of chocolatey goodness and freeze in serving size portions so she can pull a goodie out of her freezer to eat while she drinks her decaf coffee she brings home each day that now has a pretty mug rug to rest on.  :)

7 comments:

  1. Cute little mug rug and a very loving and thoughtful gift. Your mother-in-law is obviously very special to you.

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  3. Oh, for heaven's sake! I MUST learn to proof-read before hitting the publish button! Let's try again.

    What a simply lovely (and personal!) mug rug for your MIL. I just know she will be tickled when she opens her card and finds the little surprise. So thoughtful and caring of you. Your MIL may be very special . . . but so are you!

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  4. What a lovely, thoughtful gift and practical too. The mat says so much more about how much you love your mother in law than just a card. I love the idea of a gift of frozen single portion treats to go with her daily coffee fix. It's often difficult to think of gifts for our more senior loved ones but your gift sounds perfect. Love the photo of your mother in law and her dog she looks a lovely, warm, bright lady it adds so much more to your post seeing who the gift is for. Thank you for sharing

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    1. It took me a while to realize she loved those homemade frozen cake and pie slices more than any other type of gift I could give her..... so now I go on a baking spree before her birthday, and any other time we'll be seeing her, and that's her 'gift'. She is like a little kid looking at all the marked frozen bags as she puts them in her freezer! Such fun to see! Thank you Tracy.

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a note.~Lisa