Mug Mat Swap Information...

Brynwood Needleworks - Mug Mat Ideas

Thanks for your response to the Mug Mat Swap I proposed yesterday. We will definitely do the swap, and based on your responses, it will be in March. March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) will be the mailing deadline.

Brynwood Needleworks - Mug Mat Ideas

I thought I'd share more images of some of my mug mats to inspire you to think about how you'd like to make yours. I love making mine with scrappy, coordinating fabrics, and then I add vintage laces, printed tapes, or other trims. I avoid buttons in the main section of the mat so that the recipient won't have to worry about cups tipping over because of the uneven surface.

Brynwood Needleworks - Mug Mat Ideas

I also like to incorporate portions of stitching or quilt blocks. I also do surface sewing to hold the layers together (I always have three layers...top, batting and back). I've been asked if I intend to share a tutorial on my technique. The answer is yes!

In fact, if you go to the top of my blog page, you'll find a "Free BW Patterns & Tutorials" button up there. Click on that, and then you can scroll down for two different tutorials. (Click on the name of the item, not the photo.)

One is for a photo tute I posted to my Flickr page showing my favorite technique for creating my mats. If you click on the first photograph, you'll not only see the photo, you'll also be able to read my instructions under the photo's captions.

The second tutorial is also a Flickr photo tutorial for my "White Wing Dove Mug Mat", and it includes the template to make the dove shape. (Both are free tutorials, so you're welcome to them, whether or not you join our Mug Mat Swap - but I hope you will!).

Brynwood Needleworks - Mug Mat Ideas

 

You can even choose one of your favorite fabrics and showcase the fabric on part or all of the front of your mat.

Now that it's certain that we're going to do a swap, here are a few housekeeping items as we move toward our exchange date. These are things I'd like you to think about:

• I will need your name, address and email information to correspond with you outside the blog, and to transmit your partner's information to you. I may post partner lists on the blog, but not your private information. It will not be shared with anyone except your swap partner.
• What's your favorite color or theme? Your swap partner will need an idea of what you like to make your custom mat. When I assign you to your partner, I will share that information with them, and their information with you.
• Yes, you may add a few goodies to your package when you ship the mat. If you want to share a local candy, or something that represents where you live, that would be nice. Nothing expensive, please. These are just little things...a tea bag of your favorite tea, a postcard from your state, or a treat. You'll need to make sure that whatever you include doesn't "leak" onto your mat, so separate ziploc bags are a safe precaution. You could choose to include a notion or two that you especially love...vintage buttons, ribbon... You get the idea.
• Remember, you're committing to send a mug mat to your assigned partner. It would be sad (and not nice) if your partner sent a mug mat to you, but they didn't get one in return.
• I'll ask that you each take a photograph of your swap packages before you send them out, and then email them to me. Once everyone has their package in the mail, I'll do a wrap up post here on my blog. I think it will be fun for everyone to see all the beautiful creations I know are going to be made.

Sign Up Deadline will be February 1st. You have plenty of time yet to decide to participate, and I'll assign swap partners the first week in February.

I'm going to make a few mats of my own, and once our Swap is complete, I'm going to take the names of all the participants and draw one or two names to receive mats and gifts from me. So, please email me or comment on this or yesterday's post if you'd like to get in on the Swap. I'm catching everyone's notes, and replying to all of them to acknowledge your addition to the roster. 

This will be so much fun! Of course, the more, the merrier! I look forward to seeing all the cool mats that are created for our event.