I was tidying up my fabric scraps and found this almost perfect square with 2 blue birds and 2 squirrels. On a whim, I turned it into a mug mat. I played around with the decorative stitches on my machine. I corrected the wonky line on the middle right but forgot to update the photo!

I decided to make this one a circle so I ironed a piece of freezer paper to the square. It sticks but doesn’t ruin the piece. I found the center, drew a circle and cut it out.

It’s now a circle, approximately 5” in diameter.

To bind the circle, I cut the binding strips on the bias. It makes the binding stretchy and easier to go around the circle edge. I ended up going with a green binding but used the same process.

Reverse side of the mug mat.

Birds and Squirrels

5” Diameter

January 2025