Today we are having some fun with the apple core process.  This is a great little project to expose you to the process of making your own template and then sewing something small and super simple with them.

The apple core mug rug is perfect for giving to others during the holidays or a house warming gift.  The fake binding helps make it sew up even quicker.

You can choose to use holiday colors — really of any holiday!  Or just fun fabric combinations.  As long as the fabrics have contrast, they will work just fine.  The blocks are quilted super simple and a whole bunch of these can be sewn in an afternoon.

Materials Needed:

fabric for the apple core

apple core template- don’t have one?  You’ll find a tutorial on how you can make one yourself an apple core template here

batting- 6″ X 6″ for each mug rug

backing- 7″ X 7″ for each

Apple Core Mug Rug Tutorial

1)  Cut our 2 light and 2 dark apple cores, using your template

2)  Find the center of one end and one valley and pin together

3)  Pin the ends together

4) Sew along the end

5)  Repeat with other 2 light and dark pieces

6)  Lay flat the pieces and iron the curve

7)  Take the two pairs and match the center seams.  Pin in place

8)  Iron open and trim the squares to 6″ X 6″ – the curved sides will be cut off

9)  Layer the batting behind the top.  Center on top of the backing.

10)  Quilt with your machine around the curves

11)  Fold the backing to the front and iron to set

12)  Fold the outside edge again and sew in place

13)  At the corner- open the fold, and then fold at a diagonal.  Then fold the next side twice as before and continue sewing

Continue around the whole little piece.  If you’d like your mug rug to be a bit bigger, then join two blocks before you add the batting and backing.

For quilting, I kept it simple.  I stitched 1/4″ from the seams on either side.  Only on the curved seams.  If you’d like you could do more quilting or even some hand quilting in the larger spaces.

This has been part of something super fun… it’s a Merry Mug Rugs time!

Here’s the line-up of super talented sewists that are sharing their Merry Mug Rugs with you over the next two weeks!

Make sure you stop by Ellison Lane every day to find out what the newest tutorial is!

Ellison Lane 

Fabric Mutt

Owen’s Olivia

Clover & Violet

Patchwork Posse

Sew Lux

Petit Lyons

Bryan House Quilts

Modern Sewciety

The Sewing Chick

Family Ever After

LR Stitched

Random Thoughts Do or Di

So Sew Easy

Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle 

Between Quilts

QUITE the line-up! 

Now that you’ve made it to the end of this post, be sure to enter to win the great giveaway from Southern Fabric! To enter, head on over to Ellison Lane. Giveaway open until December 14!

You can give yourself an early holiday gift!

Have you tried the apple core technique before?  Have any hints or tips for us?