The Merry Mug Mat Tutorial
Christmas is coming! It will be here sooner than we know!
It’s time to begin sewing Merry Mug Mats for when family comes to visit during the holiday season! And, if you made the Cozy Christmas Quilt, then add Lori Holt's Vintage Christmas pattern book to your scrappy fabric leftover* to make one of these as a fun gift.
The children, grandchildren and even aunts and uncles will enjoy having a cup of coffee or hot cocoa and a cookie or two on these cheery mats. They are just big enough to use and keep the mess at a minimum- which gives you more time to sew Christmas presents on your Featherweight!
Product list for Merry Mug Mats:
- Merry Mug Mat Fabric Kit (pattern book optional)
- Vintage Christmas Pattern Book (if you don't already have it)
- Leftover scraps from Vintage Cozy Christmas quilt
- Featherweight Cookie Cutter (because, of course!)
- Sew Handy Sticker Set by Lori Holt
- Scissors
- Sewline Air Erasable Roller Ball Pen
- Aurifil Thread 50wt Cotton
- Quarter Inch Foot
- Walking Foot, Even Feed
- Glass Head Pins, Blue Super Fine
- Cutting Ruler, Creative Grids 1/2"
- Cutting Ruler, Singer Featherweight Creative Grids
2 1/2" x 6 1/2" (with self-grips) - Cutting Ruler, Quilter's Select 2 1/2" x 12"
- Rotary Cutter
- Quilter's Wood Clapper
- Cutting Mat
- Mini Wonder Clips
I picked out some of my favorite tools to get started. The Sew Handy Stickers were a lifesaver in helping keep track of so many little fabric pieces! And the little blue scissors work like a dream.
I chose to make the Twinkle Lights, Stocking, Under the Tree, and Mitten quilt blocks to use for my mug mats, but there are so many different blocks to select from, enjoy picking your favorite!
*Leftover scraps from your quilt may vary from those photographed below.
Gathering my choice of fabrics, I followed the Merry Mug Mat directions in the Vintage Christmas pattern book by Lori Holt.
Cutting the pieces out is always an enjoyable exercise for me. It brings a quiet pleasure. Make sure to measure twice and cut once!
Chain piecing makes it go so much faster!
As I sewed, little by little, the patterns all came together.
It was remarkable to see them take form, and if you want to get even more creative, you could embroider special names on the top of the stocking or on the gift! (You would want to do this step before you add the batting and backing.)
I loved using the valuable wood clapper to press the seams as they were sitting and resting while I was assembling the next part.
And of course, using the mini wonder clips was like having four hands!
Once each quilt block was assembled, I layered it on top of a scrap of batting and a piece of fabric backing. I quilted each block as I wanted. I did vary the binding color on all four, so they were all different. But you could make them all exactly the same if you wanted them all to match. Click here for April's step-by-step binding tutorial.
Add any finishing touches desired and get the cookies out of the oven and put the hot cocoa on!
The Featherweight Shop’s Favorite Healthy
Hot Chocolate
Creamy, delicious, and nostalgic. Feel good about sipping down a cup of this kind of hot cocoa yourself or share with the children in your life! They will love it!
This hot chocolate recipe needs only 4 ingredients, is dairy-free and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. It's a perfect treat for a cold winter’s day and can be ready in just a few minutes! Serve it on a Merry Mug Mat that you lovingly sewed on your Singer Featherweight!
Wholesome Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or light coconut milk (from a can) or a combination of both
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cacao powder
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of sea salt
Easy Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Whisk on medium heat until nice and steamy. Pour into a mug and serve warm.
Suggested Toppings:
Whipped cream
Marshmallows
Shaved chocolate
A sprinkle of cinnamon
Crushed peppermint stick
This hot chocolate can be made in your slow cooker for a big batch! Quadruple the recipe so that it serves 8. Whisk together in your slow cooker and allow to warm for 1-2 hours before serving!
Adults only additions:
amaretto liqueur
butterscotch schnapps
peppermint schnapps
The Featherweight Shop’s Favorite Gingerbread Cookie
(Tip: If you put a hole in each cookie and bake them a little bit longer, they will become crisp enough to tie with a little Featherweight Shop ric rac to decorate your Christmas tree!)
5 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 ½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (16 Tablespoons)
½ cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 egg
Make The Cookie Dough
Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes. Add both sugars and beat for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the molasses, beating until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture in 4 additions and beat just until combined, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a flowered surface. Form the dough into a smooth mound and divide into two equal portions. Shape each into a disc and wrap separately with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 400°. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove one dough disc at a time from the refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes. Roll out to a thickness of about ¼ inch.
Cut Out And Bake Cookies
Dip your Featherweight Cookie Cutter into flour just before using. Carefully transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheets. Gather up scraps. Reroll and cut out additional cookies. For best results do not reroll scraps more than once. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake the cookies until lightly browned on the bottom, 6 to 10 minutes, watching carefully.
Remove from oven and let cookies cool. Decorate as desired or leave au naturale.
Serve and enjoy!
