Showing posts with label Loudoun County Libraries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Loudoun County Libraries. Show all posts

Friday, April 14, 2023

Wine Coasters

 I had a lot of fun giving the mug rug class at my local library, Purcellville Library in Loudoun County. We got some of the fabric we used for the class at Web Fabrics.  They sell quilting supplies, among other things sewing related.  A lot of their business is online, hence the "web" part of the name.

They also sell pre-cut kits to make wine coasters.  These are similar to the mug rugs I have been making, as they are made with fabric and batting.  They aren't quilted so they are very quick to make.

The library is planning on buying some kits to use for a future class. 

Web Fabrics has even made a YouTube video demonstrating how to make them.  The fabric is woven in such a way as to allow you to place the base of a wine glass inside.  This means it can serve as a coaster and as a wine glass identifier, like wine glass charms.

I decided to make a coaster using their instructions and my fabric so I would know if I could teach a wine coaster class at the library.

     

In short, this is how you do it.  Cut six 5 inch square pieces of fabric. One can be fabric you don't particularly like as it won't be seen. Try to make the others fun and interesting.

Cut one 4 1/2 inch square of batting.  Fold 4 of the squares in half and then press. 

Place the boring fabric down first. The batting goes on top and the unfolded square on top of that, right side up. This will be the back of the coaster.

Put two of the folded squares on top with the raw edges facing out.  Weave the other two squares in, also with the raw edges out.

Sew around the coaster.  Clip the corners and turn the square inside out.

Use a chop stick or something similar to poke the corners out and press. 

     

Bring on the WINE!

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Mug Rug Class


 I love libraries.  After we moved to Purcellville, I made it a point to get a library card as soon as I could. The Purcellville Library is part of the Loudoun County Library system. Loudoun County has a lot of money available to put on some great programs.

I volunteer at the library one day a week. Mostly I shelve books or pull books to send out to other libraries. Sometimes I help set up or take down one of the meeting rooms for art classes.  I was asked if I had something I could teach.  The library owns 5 sewing machines and will be bringing in some from other libraries. (Yes!  You CAN check them out!)

Fabric baskets take too long to do in a two hour class. But over Covid I started to make mug rugs.  You can see many examples in other posts on this blog. They are small quilted squares to use as a coaster under a hot drink with room for a treat, like a biscotti or scone.

These are some of the ones I have made recently and I will be taking to the class to show as examples and demonstrate the steps used.

As you can see I like animals  especially horses.

I hope I get a good crowd.