Cat Mug Rug

The leaves are starting to fall, the mornings are crisp, and evenings are getting chilly. It's almost sweater weather! If you love fall, I bet you dream of warm mugs filled with cocoa, hot tea, fancy coffees, or hot toddies. I know I am. Cue the cat mat, rug mug, or coffee coaster; you decide the name of it. I want to share a cute kitty mug rug pattern with you all. Here is an easy, beginner-friendly sewing project you can whip up in an hour. It’s a great scrap-buster project too.

A mug rug will help protect your kitchen table from the heat of a hot beverage. With the holidays approaching, these would even make perfect gifts. Neighbors, moms, uncles, friends, and teachers will love them. They can also be great for kids. Add a hot cocoa packet inside a cute mug for an easy holiday gift.

I kept this post simple and short. Less time reading, more time for sewing. Let's go!

Supply List

• Large scraps of cotton fabric, or 2 fat quarters

• Batting. You can use quilting batting, Insul-Bright, Wrap N Zap, or fusible fleece

• Clips or pins

• Cat Mug Rug pattern 

• Sewing machine

• Air soluble pen

• Scissors

• Thread, ruler, etc.

• Cup of something hot to place onto the mug after it's sewn :)

The finished size is approximately 6.5" wide by 6.25" tall.

Choose your batting. Pictured: Insul Bright and Cotton batting

Front and back pieces.

Cut and Trace the Pattern

1. Print and cut out the PDF pattern with non-fabric scissors. 

2. Place the pattern onto the fabric and trace it with an air-soluble pen or other marking tool. Transfer the markings onto your fabric. Trace and cut 2 pieces of fabric. 

3. Cut out a piece of batting. (I prefer to cut it larger than the fabric because it will shift during sewing).

Pin Layers Together

Place the batting onto the table. Then, place the wrong side of the fabric onto the batting. Take the second fabric and place it right side facing down. You'll have a fabric sandwich now. The 2 pieces of cotton will be facing right sides together. Pin or clip the 3 layers together.

​Batting, fabric, fabric.

A note on batting: if you use Insul-bright or fleece, do not put your mug rug in the microwave. Fleece is polyester and will melt. Insul-bright has metal and will spark. If you plan on putting your coaster in the microwave, use cotton quilting batting or Wrap n Zap only.

Batting, then fabric right side up.

Place top piece right side down. It'll be a cat sandwich.

Sew it Together

You'll sew the mug rug using a 1/4" seam allowance. Start sewing at one of the marked spots on the bottom, don't forget to backstitch. Sew all the way around. Go slow around the cat ears, it can get tight. Backstitch when you get to the other marking. You should have a small opening for turning out.
Clip your threads.

Sew from one bottom end, backstitch, then sew around to the other side, backstitch. Leave a gap open for turning.

Clip Curves and Turn Out

1. Trim away the excess batting.

2. Clip the curves and trim the corners. Clip the sides and top of the cat head. Cut tiny triangles into the inner curved areas near the ears. This makes them turn out nicely without any bunching.

3. Grab a chopstick or blunt pencil to poke out corners and seams. Press nice and flat.

Tip: Use the chopstick in one hand to push the seam out, while using the iron in the other hand to press. This is the same pressing method I use to make my wide Rockabilly headbands.

Trim excess batting.

Snip into cat ear corners.

Clip curves.

Use a chopstick to push out corners.

Topstitch around entire mug rug to close the opening.

Finishing Up

Give the whole mat a good press. Top stitch the opening closed, be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. Or, you can top stitch around the whole coaster. Stitch using 1/8"- 1/4" from the edge.

You're all done! Now go brew a cup of something warm and tasty, and sip in style. Make one for each holiday or day of the week.

Extra Tips:

• Make a few different sets of these to give as gifts. Wrap them with themed ribbon or twine. Add a fun, informative tag to let the recipient know what they are. Using themed fabric can make it extra personal. If your sister-in-law is a nurse, use medical fabric. If someone is a book lover, use their favorite movie or some comic book fabric. 

• Add some rick rack to the front or seam for added color. 

• Piece together and quilt to use up tiny fabric scraps. 

• Add piping to the outside. Go slow around the cat ears because it can get really tight on the inside corners. 

• Use 2 different fabrics to make it reversible.

A word of caution, these mats are made for beverages that are usually dark in color and can stain. I wouldn't recommend using white or really light-colored fabrics. Fabrics that are dark or heavily patterned work the best. Think of fabrics that will hide stains easily. 

Wash your cat coasters with cool water, gentle cycle, tumble dry low, or air dry. Give them a good press if needed. I keep one near the coffee pot as a spoon rest, too.

Cheers to cat mug rugs.

Enjoy the pattern! And, enjoy sipping a cup of something delicious while you use this cute cat mug rug on your desk or table.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and happy sewing! 

Annette

DIY Easy Sewing Machine Cover

Is your sewing machine looking a tad boring? If it's a newer sewing machine, the answer is probably yes. The newer ones lack style and color. If it's a vintage machine, the answer is probably no. It's already gorgeous and full of vintage flair! Either way, let's add some new life to your machine with a dust cover. They're easy to sew and you can make one for all of your machines.

Back in the early pandemic days, mask-making was a big thing in this house and my husband bought himself a Singer machine. I'm a Brother fan through and through but, he liked the Singer's grey color. Of course, it's been sitting for over a year, untouched, and needs a little makeover. It's going to get a new fabric cover!

Let's make an easy sewing machine cover. You'll learn how to get the measurements and sew one up in an hour. Covers add fun to your sewing space and they keep your machine protected as well. Dust be gone! Speaking of dust begone, we just changed our AC filters. YIKES! They were long overdue. This is a friendly reminder to change your filters if you have an AC. ;) Go now, I'll wait. 

Supply List

• 1/2 yard of fabric. Cotton, vinyl, canvas, denim, use whatever you want here.

• Matching thread

• Sewing notions: scissors, a marking tool, pins, etc.

• Ruler

• Serger for raw edges, or use a zigzag stitch if your machine has it

• Sewing machine

Grab some paper, a pen, and a ruler. You can use a tape measure but, the hard ruler makes it a little easier to get an exact measurement. 
​
​Measure all the sides of your machine. 

Measure the bottom length. Mine is 15".

Measure the height. Mine is about 12" tall. The bobbin pin sticks up. *Don't forget to add a little extra for knobs and dials on top.

Measure the side bottom width. Mine is 6.5" wide.

Measure the side top width. Mine is 4.25" wide.

Time for Math, (insert tears here).

Now it's time for some math. I don't do math so, hopefully, I explain this correctly. 

You'll be using a 1/2" seam allowance. So, you'll add 1" to each measurement number. (Each seam takes half of that inch.)

My machine is 12" tall by 15" wide. So, I'll add 1" to both of the measurements. 
12 + 1 = 13.  15 + 1 = 16. So, my final rectangle will be 13x16. But, we're not done yet.

Next, you'll add 2" to your height. This will allow the front and back to "roll over" the top.
The new measurement will be 14x16. These will be my front and back pieces. Cut 2.
* If your machine is extra deep, you may need to add more than 2" to the top height. 

The sides will need 1" added to your measurements.
My side measurements are 6.5" by 4". Add 1" to each and they'll be 7.5" by 5". *If your top is narrower than your bottom, use your ruler to connect the top and bottom lines to form a trapezoid (a pyramid with the top cut off). Cut 2 mirrored. There might be a left and right side due to the angles. ;)

I hope I explained this correctly. Math is not my strong suit, so send me a message or leave a comment if you need help. I'll try my best to help, but no promises. ;) LOL Others might offer help in the comment section too. 

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Bonus tip

Cut out your 4 fabric pieces. You should have 2 sides and 2 front/back pieces.
This is where you can have fun and make it your own. Cut out four different colored fabrics or use different fabrics for the sides. You could piece together different fabrics to make a quilted look, or add some embroidery to the front. The possibilities are endless. 
​
OPTIONAL:
If you do add embroidery or make a quilted one, you might want to line yours.
In this case, sew 2 covers the same size, pin right sides together, and sew along the bottom edge, leaving a 3" gap for turning out. Top stitch the bottom to close the gap and you'll have the embroidery stitches/quilting seams enclosed.

Using the rotary cutter and mat for the rectangles.

Sewing Time

• Start by serging or zigzagging along the top edge of the front and back pieces only.

• Fold the serged edge down 1/2", then press. Topstitch 1/4" away from the edge. You're going to create a slit opening for your handle. *You can skip this part if you want. But, it's nice to have access to the handle when taking the machine to the repair shop or moving it to another spot in your sewing space. 

​Place both pieces RST (right sides together) and pin 2-3" from the sides, leaving the middle unpinned. You may need to adjust this measurement according to your machine. Sew from the side edge to the pins, only. Don't forget to backstitch.

The middle will be left open for the handle to pop out of.

Take a side piece, and fold it in half to find the center top. Make a little snip or mark with a pen. Do the same to the other side piece. 

Next, pin the side piece to one front/back Right sides together, by starting at the top. Put a few pins at the top, then go down to the bottom and start pinning upwards from there. This ensures your hem matches up. Next, you'll want to ease the curve of your corners. This may get wonky but, pin as well as you can. It doesn't need to be perfect.

​Sew, using a 1/2" seam allowance. 

It may be helpful to sew from one end upwards as far as you can go. Then, sew from the other end up and around the curve.  Puckers might happen, but this way felt easier to me. 

Snip the top on the side piece.

Match top seam to notch.

Pin at the top matching notch and top seam. Pin from bottom.

After one side is sewn, try it on the machine. Check the fit. Is it too long? Will the other side fit properly? Does it hang like a baggy bag? If there are any issues, fix them now.

• If it's too big, make the seam allowance larger. (Use 3/4"-1")

• If it's too small, unpick it and make the seam allowance smaller. (Use 1/4" instead)

• If it's too long, trim away the excess or make a deeper hem. (Make a 1" hem)

​Luckily the sewing Gods were on my side and I was fortunate for mine to fit perfectly. Yay, math was on my side, for once. 

If it fits perfectly, move on to pin and sew the other side piece. Go about it the same way you did with the last side piece. After it's sewn, give the seams a good press. Slip it over your machine and admire it for a few seconds. 

You're almost done. The hem is all that's left to do.

Serge or zigzag around the bottom edge. Fold up 1/2" and press. Topstitch and you're done. 


If the bottom is too short because math is hard, just add a strip of ribbon or pom pom trim. It'll look like you did it on purpose. ;)

Easiest hem ever, serged edge and folded over once.

My husbands sewing machine will be dust free now.

Hole for the carrying handle.

Ta-da! Now go give your sewing machine some flair and keep it dust-free. 

If you make one for your machine, tag me on Instagram @sewingtothemoon. I'd love to see what you create. Now, I am off to sew a new cover for my serger.

Happy sewing,
​Annette

How to Sew an Ironing Board Cover

Recover Your Ironing Board in About an Hour

Spruce up your dingy ironing board, it's simple and quick. There's one thing almost every sewist says, "I only iron when I sew." That rings true for me 95% of the time. I'm not a big fan of wrinkles so, I do iron the occasional laundry basket of clothes. However, my ironing board lives in my sewing space. Unless we have people over, it hangs out in sewing land.

There's nothing fun about pressing open seams on a musty crusty ironing board, am I right? I've bought countless pads for my board over the years. They've worked fine enough until they flatten and get ugly. It was time to make my own cover.

After going down the rabbit hole that is Google, I discovered people using felt blankets on their boards or Insul-Bright. You're going to use both for your new cover! No more wimpy covers that leave board indents on your project or, dare I say, laundry. 

Your new board will be thick and lofty, oh and it'll look cute too. Yay for pretty things. :D 
Are you ready to re-cover your ironing board? Let's do this.

Supply List:

1. 2 yards of pretty cotton fabric, you may end up with some leftover 

2. 2 1/2 yards of elastic, 1/2" wide at least 

3. 1 wool blanket (buy it new, thrifted, from a military surplus store, or an old one in the closet)

4. 2 yards Insul-Bright

5. Thread

6. Sewing Machine

7. Pins or clips

8. Iron and ironing board, of course 

Ironing boards come in all shapes and sizes. 2 yards for the fabrics should be more than enough. Measure your board length to be sure, don't forget you'll need extra for the seam allowances.

This whole project takes about an hour. You'll be pressing those seams open on a pretty new cover in no time. 

Let’s Get Started

Start by removing your old cover and after you've washed it, stuff it inside this floor pillow. ;)
​Use the thin foam piece as a cutting guide for the wool and Insul-Bright layers. If you don't have one, just eyeball it. This is an easy project, and it's all about winging it here.

• Cut 2 layers from your wool blanket

• Cut 1 layer of Insul-Bright batting

I cut the wool and Insul-Bright pieces one inch larger around. Set aside.

The bumpy piece was the thin foam that came with my ironing board. I used it as a template for cutting the Insul-Bright and wool. I cut the new layers about 1" larger all around.

Insul Bright and wool layer.

Place the 2 wool layers onto the board, then the Insul-Bright layer on top. Iron over the layers to smooth them out. Look at those wrinkles. Yikes!

Drape your cotton fabric over the board. You'll want it to hang 4" all around. Give everything a good press, sliding your iron back and forth over all the layers. 

Drape the fabric over the board.

Roughly cut around the board, leaving 4" for turned under.

Cut your fabric, it doesn't have to be perfect but, make sure your edges are smooth and not jagged. I'm speaking from experience. ;)

Fold it in half and even out the shape.

Fold the fabric corners onto themselves to create curves. Pin. Do the same thing for the nose of the board as well. Then, pin the long edges 1/2" under.

You could pin the whole cover under 1/2" or not. I found pinning helped but, it's up to you.

Sewing Time

Take your fabric cover to the machine. You're going to sew with a 1/2" seam allowance. Use a 2.5 or 3mm stitch length. It doesn't have to be perfect, the seam will get covered.

Sew using 1/2” seam allowance.

Now, grab your elastic. You're going to sew a zigzag stitch over the seam you just sewed with the elastic on top. 
Pull the elastic taught with one hand while gently pulling the fabric behind the machine with the other hand. Use a zigzag stitch and sew. You want to pull the elastic tight enough so it will make the cover fit nicely and snug over your board.

Sew the elastic on with a Zigzag stitch. Place the elastic over your raw seam edge and sew, pulling the elastic as you go.

The zigzag stitching isn’t perfect, but nobody will see it except you. The elastic covers the raw edge of the folded seam.

You will have something that looks like mine up above. If not, grab that seam ripper, grab a cup of tea, and start ripping. 


If your fabric doesn't fit snugly enough, clip a piece of elastic and attach it on the underside along a long edge. Clip. Then, pull it toward the other side to get a snug fit. Clip or pin. Take it to the machine and zigzag over both ends. You may have to slide it on and off the board a few times to get a perfect fit.
​
My old cover came with elastic straps that fit like this, except they had a button. That's where I got the idea. I added two elastic strips under the cover. One at the nose and one at the bum. ;)


Yay!! You just made a cute ironing board cover and it will work much better than any store-bought one. 

Add a crosswise piece of elastic to tighten the fit. This will sag over time due to the steam. Add a new piece every year or two.

Maybe I'll like doing laundry again with my new, pretty ironing board cover. Nah, probably not!

I've wanted to recover my ironing board for a while, and I'm so happy I finally did it. With the multiple layers, everything presses nicely and quickly too. 

Are you excited to make your ironing board cover? Or is it something you'd rather not make? I'm curious, so tell me in the comments below if it's something you're excited to make.

​
Thanks for hanging out with me today. Now go sew something fun. :D


Happy ironing,
Annette

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Looking for something else? Click through the posts below.

Have a ton of fabric scraps? Want to use them up? Sew a floor cushion.

Are you new to sewing and want to jump right in? Read this Budget-Friendly sewing post here.

Is your machine not working properly? It might need a quick cleaning session, find out how here.

Do you love vintage style and want to incorporate it into your everyday wardrobe? Grab this easy free pattern for a vintage headscarf. 

Do you have chickens? Yes! Well, you need an egg apron. Grab the free pattern and tutorial here.