I agree they are beautiful Norma and love the design of the mug rug. I've just started dyeing and look forward to trying some more techniques when I get time and space. Craftsy courses look promising.

Susan you quilt looks fun we have to see more!

It's hard to keep up here, but I'll give it a try.

Limbania, I loved to see all the goodies you have received. They are all special. You feel the love and compassion from each of them.
Lorchen, you have a story about dragons, that we need to hear .

Lois, we have a deal about mug rugging in August
Susan, just say when you want to add me to your list. No pressure here. Your stitching looks wonderful. Sure good enough!

Thank you all for your nice comments on my work. You might begin to see that in this exchange I work in a series for the first time in my life: the shape of the rugs. I have a few practice pieces on my table and find it very interesting to think what more can be done in this little frame. I send you some rattail with the rug so you can try the technique too, when I do some tutorial on the edging.

Susan, no I don't teach dyeing unless someone asks me how I do this or that. I taught it to myself with good help from Ann Johnston's books and the website of Paula Burch. Now you have wonderful classes on Craftsy. Last year I took some classes from The Quilt University. First time ever I took a class on dyeing and it was great. Everyone does it just a bit different, so I feel I have many strings to play on now.
The most difficult thing to deal with in this cold climate is setting the colors so you are sure they are colorfast. That's the challenge.
Last year was dedicated to give me more education, so I also took some classes on QU on painting and stamping on fabrics. I like solids but I like to have the possibility of decorating them with prints/stamps. The toolbox is growing

Such fab goodies, Limbania! And a beautiful MugRug on top! I must confess, my absolute favorite is the dragon.

Sue, you are teasing us. That QA project is looking fabulous... I want to see more!

Limbania..the mug rug is so bright and pretty ! Isn't Norma's dye work beautiful ?
And the fancy work on the card is quite the thing !! I'm so glad our collective hugs
are bringing you some measure of comfort ! tho it be small !

Susan, That was a tease! Makes me think it might be 4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie.

Limbania, What lovely goodies you have recieved.

Keep stitchin', girl !! We'll still be here when you're done !!

I want all of my LL MR friends here to know that I think about you many times a day, especially when giving my back a break from stitching & take the time to read and see all the beautiful mug rugging going on. I'm starting to dream about the day my Quilt Alliance quilt is done so I can stop worrying about every little stitch and wondering if it is "good enough".

Lorchen, your dragons are awesome! Now, there has got to be more of a story behind the dragons because there are two different colors in Limbania's post. Are these done by hand and were they in a show? Such lovely work. Don't kick me from across the pond, but I do know that some of our machines will do such intricate cross-stitching now, it's sinful, but, the stitches don't match up so well on the background fabric as yours appear to do.

Norma and others, I'd love to "play" with everyone, but am afraid to add more names until I get my first round started. I can't see the first round done until sometime in June. Norma, do you teach fabric dyeing? Lovely fabrics.

Here's a sneak peak of my QA project before quilting, stray threads & all.

Congrats on your beautiful mug rugs Renata and Marilyn! Beautifully made Norma and Jane!!!

Last but not least, for now...

Thank you so much Norma!!! I absolutely love everything about this mug rug. Color, fabrics, design, etc., etc., etc. And what a fantastic card too. After being so achy and other unpleasantries this last few days, since chemo #5, your mug rug made me forget all about it. We (kids and DH) were all uhing and ahing. You are very talented!






I look forward to the tutorial on how you finished your mug rugs.

Have an awesome weekend everyone!

Here are other gorgeous goodies I have received in the last couple of months. Thank you Nancy, Wendy, Renatta, Rita, Rosemary, Maureen, Marilyn and Pam. Love them all. Each of them had put a smile in my face and warmth in my heart, while I'm going thru this hard time. I'll treasure them always. There was also some yummy chocolate in beautifully colored wrappers, needless to say, they're gone. My kids, DH and I loved them.

Got this beauty on the mail a few days ago. Not a mug rug but, I thought you might enjoy seeing it. In the begging I couldn't figure out whom it was from. Royal Mail but, the name didn't sound familiar. And just suddenly, right before finishing opening the envelope I thought, Lorchen!



Sure enough. And here it is...



Double click on the photo to see the beautiful decorative stitches.

Needless to say I love it!!! Thanks a lot Lorchen!

Soon enough. I want to play some more but I got a bunch of stuff going on right now and I am up next for the Chinese Whisper Challenge. I may have to wait until after Aug.

Lois, I will make a tutorial, but I'm very busy the next 3 weeks, so it must wait till after then.

After that I'm available for exchanging more mug rugs if anyone wants to play

Reetzbobeetz wrote:
That is my exact routine. I wait for that tipping point. When things reach a certain state of disorder my creativity wanes then nothing much gets done. On the other hand, sometimes there is a spurge of creativity and when I emerge from it I find myself wondering where all the mess came from. I've been told "creativity is messy" and I believe it. I haven't figure out how to keep order as I go, but I keep trying.