English Paper Piecing (EPP) is gaining traction as part of the slow stitch movement, but making a full-size EPP quilt is a long-term commitment. Thinking of an introduction to EPP, but not ready for a big relationship? For a weekend project that will teach you the basics of EPP and that you can use every day, start with how to make an English Paper Pieced mug rug. This project starts with traditional hand piecing that you can take with you anywhere, then finishes on the machine for quilting and a simple edge treatment. You might just fall in love!

Here is how to make an English Paper Pieced Mug Rug.

One (1) Mug Rug

How to Make an English Paper Pieced Mug Rug

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Get a taste of EPP with this small Mug Rug project, hand pieced with a machine finish. Here's how to make an English Paper Pieced Mug Rug.

Materials

Fabric to cut twelve (12) 2-inch Diamond Shapes (Charm Pack and Jelly Roll-Friendly)
Backing Fabric (approximately 10 X 10 inches)
Batting (approximately 10 X 10 inches)
2-inch Paper Piecing Templates (12)
Fabric Glue Stick
Piecing Thread - Neutral Color or to Match Your Fabric
Quilting Thread - for Quilting and Edge Finish
Thread Conditioner, such as Thread Magic (Optional)

Tools

Sewing Machine
Walking Foot, Edge Stitch Foot (Optional)
Iron
Pressing Surface
Rotary Cutter and Mat
Acrylic Cutting Template with Seam Allowance for 1-1/2-inch Diamonds. I use templates with 3/8-inch seam allowance. (Optional)
Quilting Ruler
Wonder Clips
Hand Sewing Needle
Needle Threader (Optional)
Thread Snips
Fabric Marker (I used a heat-erasable pen. Always test marking tools to be sure that the marks disappear as they should.)
Thimble (Optional)

Instructions

Gather your tools and supplies as listed above. I chose 6 coordinated charm squares for my fabric and a neutral thread for piecing.
Position acrylic template on fabric and cut with rotary cutter. Templates are available with either a 1/4 or 3/8-inch seam allowance. I prefer 3/8-inch. I folded each 5-inch charm square in half to cut 2 diamonds at a time. (If you are not using an acrylic template, trace one of the paper pieces on the wrong side of your fabric, add seam allowance and cut with scissors or rotary cutter.)
Cut a total of 12 diamonds.
Here are my cut diamonds laid out in a hexagon pattern with a center star.
Center a paper template on the wrong side of a cut diamond.
Add glue to one edge of the paper piece, then fold fabric over the paper.
Repeat for all four sides of the diamond. Don't worry about the dog ears - they will disappear later.
Arrange the diamonds for your star points, then whip stitch by hand, right sides together. I use Wonder Clips to hold the pieces together for stitching and a thread conditioner to prevent fraying.
On the back, see how the center dog ears nest around each other, making a nice flat intersection for all those seams.
Add the outside diamonds to complete your hexagon. Again, we will take care of the dog ears in a minute.
Remove the paper pieces and give your hexagon a good press.
Gently unfold the outside edges you have just pressed. Can you see the fold well enough to use it as a stitching line for your sewing machine? For extra visibility, I used a ruler and heat erasable pen to mark my edge stitching line.
Admire your beautiful piecing and those perfect EPP points!
Smooth out the backing fabric, wrong side up. Center batting on backing. Center EPP hexagon on batting, right side up.
Pin baste for quilting and audition thread.
Quilt as desired. I outlined each diamond with my walking foot, using the 1/4-inch mark on the foot to guide me. You may prefer to hand quilt.
After quilting, stay-stitch on the outside line that you pressed/marked in Step 12. Skip this step if you choose a traditional binding.
Trim through all layers just outside the stay-stitched line for machine-finishing the edge. If adding binding, trim even with the cut edge. Dog ears gone - ta-da!
Almost done! Here is my EPP mug rug with all 6 sides trimmed and ready for edge finishing by machine.
Zigzag stitch around the outside edge of your mug rug. (These stitches will cover the stay-stitching line from Step 13.) I shortened my stitch length to .8 - audition stitches on the edge scraps you cut away in Step 14 to find the adjustment you like on your sewing machine. An edge stitch foot helped me place my stitches where I wanted them. Or add a traditional quilt binding.
Here is the finished English Paper Pieced Mug Rug!
Another view of the EPP Mug Rug:
And with a snack:
Finished English Paper Pieced Mug Rug
Another view of the EPP mug rug
Final image for the EPP mug rug

Notes

For more information on EPP Basics, see Tips and Tricks for English Paper Piecing for details.

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