I have a little mug rug...

And now a little holiday song for all you mug rug enthusiasts. 
Mug rug pictures are from the My Morning Cup! flicker group.

Mug Rug, Mug Rug, Mug Rug

(to the tune of Dreidl Dreidl Dreidl)

I have a little mug rug,

I made from fabric scraps.

Embellished with a pocket,

buttons,applique, rick rack!

Oh mug rug, mug rug, mug rug!

I made from fabric scraps.

Embellished with a pocket,

buttons,applique, rick rack!

My colorful little mug rug,
has space for gingersnaps

And when its quiet and pieceful,

Hot chocolate I will lap!

Oh mug rug, mug rug, mug rug!

I made from fabric scraps.

Embellished with a pocket,

buttons,applique, rick rack!

I have a pile of mug rugs,

one for every time of year.

Yes, I may be addicted

but so are my quilting peers!

Oh mug rug, mug rug, mug rug!

I made from fabric scraps

embellished with a pocket,

buttons,applique, rick rack!

So I was standing in the shower this morning when the first verse  and chorus for this song came to me.  I was singing away loudly.  My cat probably thought I was losing it.  What does this say about me?

Please feel free to share with other quilty bloggy friends for personal use only.
written by Colleen C. Yarnell all rights reserved 2010

Keep dreaming…Colleen

Vintage Sunday

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Kalli's not to excited though. Yesterday before the snow started I managed to get all the Christmas decorations out of my outside storage. The rest of the house is still being cleaned. But with snow all around I decided to decorate the den.

I have three artificial Norway spruce trees in different sizes.  The medium one I put on my hearth and I call it my vintage Christmas Tree.  The reason is the decorations were my Dad's when he was a boy.   I have lovely small to large colorful Christmas balls.

 Some still have thread on them where dad remembers tying them on the tree and others have scrap wire, and vintage paperclips.  The round white one above and the pear below represent fruit and are made from spun cotton fibers pained and glittered.

The bell is one of many I have small and large in red, blue, and purple jewel tones.

The horn actually works when you blow in it!  Don't you love the snowman and the reindeer?  The stocking was crocheted by a friend.

The plastic birds  on the left are my favorite!  I have then in the yellow and the white.  Their feet are made to clamp on the branch of a tree.  The tree topper is another bird made of plastic with a nylon tail.  It is modeled after the German hand blown glass ornaments. 

What is great is these are just some of the ornaments I have, and my Dad has even more.  They all look old and worn which is part of their charm.  I brought them all home on a plane from my grandparents one Thanksgiving- pre-911 security.  I carried on three well tied boxes along with my rolling suitcase and a tote bag.  I would never have made it today!

The rest of my mantle has a manger scene, angels collected from my Grandmother, and reindeer made from wood by my Dad. 

The stockings I made -one with Opus is for my late cat and the other is just one I made to hang on the other hanger.  I made everyone in my family patchwork stockings back in 1993 or 94 and they are hung at my mom and dad's.  Don't worry Kalli's is at m&d too.

BTW I am very proud of this fireplace screen.  There was an ugly black and brass screen  i removed it and bought the window with two other for $3 at an auction.  The moldings framing the window were found out the local habitat restore.  I screwed and nailed and whitewashed.  I love it!  Of course it is only decorative. 

This is a favorite area as it is next to the TV and three windows out of which are cedar trees, snow!, and birds at the bird feeder.  I love my den!  Merry Christmas!

 PS  Dont you love this folded paper moravian star?  I love to make these with kids!  I may have to do a tutorial.  You can find some good directions here as well.

Keep dreaming…Colleen

Saturday Surprise and a Bee-utiful project

About 11:45 today a most WONDERFUL surprise  fell from the sky.....SNOW! 

They had said maybe some snow flurries tonight...its not even 4:30!

It snowed the whole time I was hosting some quilty ladies at my church for round two of discussions for a new Bee that is forming from our quilt guild.  The large second floor picture window was perfect for watching the large flakes cover everything!

I just have to show you the absolutely FABULOUS jacket and matching bag that the lovely Carmen made.  It his her own design. 

She started with a men's red sweatshirt that her hubby didn't want.  She washed it to shrink and cut it up to create the right shape for her.  Then using scraps of reds from other projects she pieced 2" squares into strips that she foundation pieced the strips vertically onto the sweatshirt base.  She use a coordinating red pattern for the sleeves, hem, and cuffs.  With the leftover red scraps, some leather scraps, and a handle she already had, she created an incredible matching handbag!  What a way to Bee-creative! (the name of the new Bee BTW.)

Well bag to mug rug land-BTW Michael's had the cutest mugs with snowman/theme decorations and matching lid/hats!  Except I dropped the bag and now have to buy another one :o(.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Wednesday Wee project...Opps!

We learn from our mistakes.  Mistakes are a good thing.

Maybe if I keep saying it, it will make this mistake better.

Did you see it?  I am making mug rugs, my first ones, for my wonderful library volunteers.  And I was quickly cutting and sewing the two blocks together.  Did you see it yet?  Yes I sewed wrong sides together! 

On the plus side I got to try out a trick someone on another blog mentioned.  After you rip the stitches you use the round rubber end to 'erase' the little pieces of thread from the fabric.  Guess what?  It worked!

For the embellishment I used this really cute red stripe fabric from Joann's, ironed it to a fusible backing, and cut candy canes with my Big Shot.

Then I ironed them onto the muslin side.  You can see in my sample

I machine quilted each block with straight lines-vertical on the right and horizontal on the left(not over the candy cane).

  I may add some rick rack before binding but I'm still deciding.  I think I have to make about 7 or 8.  I need to count my volunteer list.  I will post a pic of the finished mats when I get them finished.

Keep dreaming...Colleen

Giveaway winner! and a challenge completed

So I did the random generator thing and picked #54! 

Yeah!!!!...????ohhhhh.  Colleen!



  There were only 53 comments not 55!  Opps!  My bad!

So I picked again, and drum rollllllllllll #30.....Joanna of Needle, Thread, Happiness is the winner!

Joanna said, "I learned about your giveaway on Linda at Stray Stitches' blog. The lapquilt you won is a great prize. And I am addicted to Christmas fabric. I love all of the collections, and especially love vintage. I'm posting your giveaway on the sidebar of my blog. "


If you you are looking for some stash busting ideas for your vintage Christmas fabric then check out the comments on the original giveaway post. I have made my on todo list.


So now for Amy's Creative Side-One Week, One Thing Challenge . I finished it! Yeah me! I machine quilted and put the binding on a lap quilt that is a gift for someone.

Which means I can't show you anything but this little snippet.

Here is a picture of it folded up with my current UFO boxes, first new modern quilt, the Christmas mix tape quilt I won, and the top quilt is the one I finished this week. 

Look back for a full picture after I give it to _______shhhh! Also another 1990's stash giveaway at the end of the month. I am thinking blues maybe or some novelty-there is that Mystery Quilt going on by Bonnie Hunter.





Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'