2009 HUG SWAP!!!

SWAP SIGN UP CLOSED NOW!!




It's the day to share what Vicki from Tozz's Corner and I (Jenny of Elefantz) have been planning for months! We held off this swap until after I moved, then Vicki broke her wrist, then our theme of Roses for the swap ended up being the theme for Helen Stubbings Angel swap...it seemed that for a while there the swap was not going to happen. But finally we can announce it! \o/

Welcome to the 2009 HUG SWAP!!

The main purpose of this swap is to make it a beautiful but inexpensive swap, especially for those who are unable to participate in other swaps due to postage costs overseas or due to items being large or heavy (also expensive to post). This swap is a size that can be posted in a mid-size envelope - much cheaper posting within countries and overseas, as it can post as a letter.

There are a few rules to this swap.

1. You must post your partner 2 items - a Mug Hug, and a Mug Mat. They can lay flat when packed, and fit in a medium sized envelope.

2. You must not post anything else in the parcel! This is very important. Remember, many people cannot afford to add extra items or pay large postage so this way no-one feels bad if they cannot add extra items.

3. Do NOT sign up for this swap if you do not think you can get the items made and posted by September 25th. We are aiming for an October 5th delivery date.

4. You must show the HUG SWAP button on your blog. Simply cut and paste the button photo from the top of this post, save it to your computer, upload it to your blog THEN link it to either mine or Vicki's blog.

You have until September 4th to email myself or Vicki and sign up! :-) You must give a valid email address, home address, phone number and your real name along with a link to your active blog. These will be kept confidential - they will only be shared with Vicki and I, and your swap partner.

On the draw date Vicki or I will email you at your nominated email address and once you have replied to that email we can confirm your involvement and you and your partner's name will be up on both our blogs in the participators list under the Hug Swap 2009 button.

So sign up, start sewing and have fun!
The pattern on the Mug Mat is the Number 6 Block of Vicki's On My Heart BOMs and can be downloaded HERE from her blog.

My Mug Hug design is HERE to download.

NOTE: You do not have to use our designs for your Mug Hug and Mug Mat, you can use anything you like, but please stay with the theme of HUGS.
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To help those who may not have made anything like this before I thought I'd do a short tutorial on the Mug Hug I designed. :-)

1. My fabric background was 3 3/4 in x 9 in. I spray basted a piece of wadding (you could use fusible Pellon or similar) to the back after I had traced the design in the centre. Once you have done that you can do the embroidery.

2. Trim the wadding from the sides...

3. Pin the ribbon lengths to the side of the embroidery...then stitch in place (you can see the stitching on the final mug hug photo)

4. Cut a piece of backing fabric slightly larger than the mug hug front. Lay the right sides of the backing and the mug hug together, making sure the ribbons are kept well away from the edges, and stitch a 1/4 in seam around, leaving a small opening to turn through. Trim the corners, and cut back any overhang of the backing fabric, then pull the mug hug through the opening to the right side.

5. Slip stitch the opening closed, and press.

6. Now dress your mug! :-)

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I have stitched Vicki's angel design from her On My Heart blocks to the centre of a 6 in square, with the same wadding as the mug hug. The finished size will be a 5 1/2 in square mug mat.

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This is the actual colour of my set...the top photos came up very pink for some reason.

I hope you'll join in with the swapping fun!!

Hugs
Jenny
xxxx