A Free Gift for You

Hey, thanks. You have no idea how much your support has meant to us this year. We all know 2020 has been tough on small businesses, but you all have been crazy supportive. Our email subscription has grown by a thousand. Our Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Pinterest followers have more than doubled. We had record Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales. So, thanks. Really. From the very center of our hearts (the bottom can get kinda gooey) we thank you for a… (what’s an appropriate adjective for 2020?) surprising, amazing, persevering, challenging 2020. We made it. I honestly wondered in August. Truthfully, I considered getting a “real” job. I’m glad I pulled up my big girl britches and stuck it out.

We want to share a pattern with you. This is a Christmas Elf mug-rug; aka mini-quilt or hot pad. Click the download button below. It is paper-pieced, but don’t worry, I have a tutorial for you.

Originally, it was a cute little hot pad or mug rug, 6″ x 8″. But check out how fun he is in this Christmas table runner, 30″ x 20″. I’ve not sewn it up yet. I’ve pulled out my Christmas fabric tub to dig through my options, though!

Here is a video tutorial. Yep, that’s me. Keep in mind videos add 50 lbs and 20 years to your looks. My sweet husband, Michael, was my camera man. We’re taping in my dining room (oh, so professional) because my office/sewing studio was being repainted. It was also filmed a few Christmas’ past and was my very FIRST video tutorial. I was really nervous. I’ve added a title screen, but basically it is a video-newbie at her best.

Now, if you didn’t catch all that and don’t want to sit through the overly loud music again, here are a few easy steps.

1. Copy your pattern onto some foundation paper. You can use printer paper but Carol Doak’s foundation paper is so much easier to remove. You can also use Alex Anderson’s foundation paper and leave it in. It will dissolve after it is washed. Trim away the bottom portion of the pattern. You only need to paper-piece the hat.
2. Trace the lines and numbers on the back of the paper. This is to assist you in positioning your fabric.
3. Pre-cut your fabrics. I estimate an inch or more bigger than the space it will cover.
4. Start with number one. On the back side of the paper where you drew the lines, pin right side up the fabric piece so it covers the entire area by at least a quarter inch on all sides.
5. Position the fabric for number 2 right sides facing together on top of the fabric for position 1. Check the position. Imagine if you sewed on the line between 1 and 2 to make the seam, then as fabric 2 is opened, it should cover the entire area of spot 2 plus a quarter inch beyond. Pin to hold it in place, flip it over and stitch the line between 1 and 2 with a small stitch. I use 1.8 on my machine’s settings.
6. Finger press the seam open. Does the fabric generously cover position 2? No, seam rip and try again. Yes? Trim the seam to 1/4″ using a postcard to fold the paper over and an Add-A-Quarter ruler.
7. Before adding fabric for position 3, it is easier to pre-trim the seam allowance on the line between two and three before adding the next fabric. From the front, align the post card on the line between 2 and 3. Fold the paper back over the postcard. Butt the Add-A-Quarter ruler along the card edge and trim the quarter inch. Now you can easily align the fabric for position 3.
8. Continue in the same manner until you’ve covered all the pieces. Trim on the outside solid line and tear away the foundation paper.
9. Cut a background rectangle 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″. Trace the face onto the paper side of double-sided light fusible web. Follow your products directions. Stick to the wrong side of your fabric and trim out on the line. Trace the nose and mouth and then stick to the right side of the 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle aligning the face at the top edge of the rectangle. Heat set in place. I did a blanket stitch around the curve of the face.
10. Sew to the bottom of the hat and give it a good pressing.
11. Quilt and bind. You can add some rosy cheeks with fabric paint or crayon if you want.
12. What about the hat’s pom-pom? On one mug rug I traced a quarter on some fusible web and created a pom-pom from some chenille. On another, I sewed a jingle bell. A button, yo-yo or yarn pom-pom would be just as cute! Have fun finishing him up.

Now if you like the table runner idea, add a 6 1/2″ x 2″ rectangle of your background fabric at the top of every other elf. Add a 6 1/2″ x 2″ rectangle at the bottom of every other elf. If you like the shoulder detail, before adding the bottom rectangle to the elf, just cut a 1″ square of background fabric. Draw a line from corner to corner. Position the square to the upper corner of the body rectangle. Sew on the line. Trim off the extra bottom two pieces of fabric 1/4″ to the seam to reduce the bulk and discard the corner piece. Press the seam toward the background fabric. Repeat for the other shoulders. Add borders if you want to make it bigger. Quilt as desired, bind and enjoy!

Once a month we like to give a free download. We shoot for the second Monday or Tuesday of the month for a fun freebie. The last Monday or Tuesday of the month we’ll share our newsletter. Be sure to subscribe or follow us so you’ll not miss out!

Merry Christmas,

Lisa W. Norton and Lora W. Zmak