The April Showers Mug Rug Hop started yesterday. Today I get to share my creations.
When I joined this hop, my first thought was that I would digitize a design for my mug rug. So I tried several designs. I digitized an umbrella that looks pretty good.
But it wasn't what I wanted.
I digitized another umbrella
Still not what I wanted.
So I took the first umbrella and added some words to it.
I even made the mug rug - it says "April Showers water our lives"
It looks pretty good, but I didn't think it was what I really wanted either.
Finally, I had an idea that I liked. Rain, frogs and flowers--now that is April to the little boy that still lives inside me.
A close up of the design
And my finished mug rug makes me smile. The edges are rough and wonky - like I am. I didn't want to bind it, so I did it pillowcase fashion and sewed the edges rounded. The quilting is a design that Leah Day calls paisley, but it reminds me of drops of water also.
I think this will be a fun gift for someone.
For those of you that do machine embroidery, I will offer the embroidery file "Frog and Flower in the Rain" to six people. Ask in a way that makes me smile or even laugh out loud. Be sure you are not a no-reply blogger or I will pass on to someone else. Be sure to tell me the machine format that your machine needs so I can send it to you in your format. If you are a follower that will make me happy too, but it is not required.
Now if you want to know where all the other stops on this fun Blog Hop are located, here is a list:
MONDAY, APRIL 8:
Erin @ Sew at Home Mummy |
| Patty @ A Stitch in Time |
| Jenny @ Squawk That |
| Stacey @ The Tilted Quilt |
| Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio |
| Lisa @ In The Boon Docks |
| Julie @ Jolie Maxtin: the project girl |
| Beluah @ Sowing Stitches |
| Karen @ Bungalow Bay Quilts |
| Cyndi @ Stitch, Stitch, Stitch |
| DeAnna @ Georgia Girl Quilter |
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| TUESDAY, APRIL 9th |
| Gina @ Sew Much and More |
| Sharon @ Vroomans Quilts |
| Theresa @ Bumbleberry Stitches |
| Jennet @ The Feathered Nest Studio |
| Patti @ A Yankee in Queen Liz's Court |
| Gene @ Gene Black - Alabama Artist |
| Susan @ Susan's Scrappy Domain |
| Bente @ I Like to Quiltblog |
| Deb @ Quilting & Other Craft Therapy |
| Megan @ AnnieOak Designs |
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| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10th |
| Hayley @ Mrs. Pickles |
| Karen @ Sew Much 2 Luv |
| Mélanie @ Les passions de Cliodana |
| Cindy @ Quilt Doodle Doodles |
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| Jamie @ Busy Bee Quilts |
| Judy @ That Other Blog |
| Regena @ The Distracted Domestic |
| Amy @ Domesticity and other Ponderous Things |
| Denise @ My Whittle Adventures |
| Heather @ a Reformed Heath'n |
| Marica @ ~Englating~ |
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| THURSDAY, APRIL 11th |
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| Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures |
| Jill @ Apple Avenue Quilts |
| Cathy @ Cathy's Chatter |
| Quilter Kathy @ Kathy's Quilts |
| Marsha @ Quilter in Motion |
| Pat @ Life in the Scrapatch |
| Connie @ Shepody Mountain Crafter |
| Vickey @ Gingersnaps Quilts |
| Danielle @ A Geeky Crafty Life |
| Gwen @ Get More Done...Today |
| Rachel @ Sew Happily Ever After! |
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| FRIDAY, APRIL 12th |
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| Bobbie @ From This to That |
| Leslie @ Les Quilts |
| Kristen @ Meadowbrook |
| Lavonna @ ZellerWear |
| Lynn @ Thimblemouse & Spouse |
| Amy @ Sew Incredibly Crazy |
| Martha @ Living Life |
| Shawn @ Creative Inspiraciones |
| Rhonda @ Sunrise at Ravelly's! |
| Toye @ Quilting Adventures of a Ginger |
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| MONDAY, APRIL 15th |
| Cathy @ Cate's Linens |
| Nicola @ Sunshine Reflections |
| Martina @ Sunshinequilting |
| Judith @ Frimart |
| Anita @ Anita's quilts en handwerken |
| Linda @ Sew Nicely |
| Kris @ krislovesfabric |
| Laura Ann @ The Fuzzy Hat Quilter |
| Carol @ Just let me Quilt |
| Selina @ Selina Quilts |
| Mary @ Crooked Gulley Art Quilts |
| Marisa @ Passion et Couture |
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| TUESDAY, APRIL 16th |
| Cathi @ Quilt Obsession |
| Jane @ Jane's Fabrics and Quilts |
| Heidi @ Nutz4Redwork |
| Cherry @ Cherry'sPrairiePrimatives |
| Christine @ Quilt Monster in my Closet |
| Vickie @ More Stars in Comanche |
| Pauline @ Stekje |
| Jan @ Jan's Art Friendzy |
| Nissa @ Nissa Made Stuff |
| Robin @ As Sweet As Peaches |
| Lyndsey @ Sew Many Yarns |
| Eleni @ That Other Blog |
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| Wednesday, April 17 |
| Jen @ Quilter in the Closet |
| Marjorie @ Marjorie's Busy Corner |
| Elita @ A Pieceful Perspective |
| Green @ So Sew Green |
| Mara @ Greco Mara |
| Wendy @ Why Knot Kwilt? |
| Gmama Jane @ GrandMama's Stories |
| Debby @ Debby Kratovil Quilts |
| Britt-Inger @ Hill Valley Quilter |
| Connie @ Freemotion by the River |
| Beth @ Words and Stitches |
| Kathy @ iHeartSquishy |
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| Thursday April 18 |
| Merry Gay @ Merry Gay in Stitches |
| Mary @ Sew Maybe I Can |
| Joanne @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt |
| Linda @ Buzzing and Bumbling |
| Mary @ NeedledMom |
| Sherry @ Peanuts Patchwork |
| Fredrika @ Feltfree på Åsly |
| Shauna @ Welcome to Shauna's World |
| Sharon @ Dancing thru Threads |
| Madame Samm @ !Sew WE Quilt! |
They are all great, but I love what you went with - for the reason of the child within us all!
ReplyDeleteTenho certeza que vou beijá-lo e este sapo vai ser o meu príncipe.Você vai enviá-lo para o Brasil,minha casa é acolhedora...Parabéns pelo trabalho criativo.Vejo prêmio se aproximando...da sua casa.tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThis is just plain fun! Thanks for sharing your creativity and talents with us today.
ReplyDeleteI love your mug rugs! Your last one with the frog is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love your froggy mug rug, just 2 cute! I am a follower, but don't have one of those new fangle embroidery machines, darn. Sew glad you joined the hop Gene and thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLovely mug rugs. The frog makes me smile too.
ReplyDeleteGene,
ReplyDeleteThat is one happy little frog perched under the flower 'umbrella'. :)
thanks for sharing!
Beulah
Lovely ideas, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad your froggy found a place to stay dry!
ReplyDeleteGene I love your little froggy he is gorgeous. We have frogs here that also love the rain!
ReplyDeleteGene. Great designs! Both are awesome; so glad you shared not one but TWO!
ReplyDeleteGene, your frog is perfect! I can see why you kept going until you got there. It has such character.
ReplyDeleteMooi!! En goed gevonden van de kikker!! Mooi gedigitaliseerd!!
ReplyDeleteTo the wee child in all of us, i still love frogs...your mug rugs are hopping good
ReplyDeleteOh I love your little frog on the mug rug!
ReplyDeleteI love your inner child. I on not have a working embroidery machine so please don't count me in the give-away.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the mug rugs. I use an embroidery machine but we do our own designs.
ReplyDeleteThat's just too cute; love the frog!
ReplyDeleteYour two umbrellas were lovely, but your frog and umbrella flower are just too cute..love it! Having a little purple in it made it even better. :O) I enjoy machine embroidering on my Bernina (ART) and would love your cute little frog.
ReplyDeleteNice mug rugs.
ReplyDeletevery nice Gene!! I just love the frog under the flower....
ReplyDeleteYour frog is just darling and I also like the umbrellas... I hope they will also become mug rugs. Thanks for sharing today. I don't have an embroidery machine so please leave me out of your great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteYour mug rug is so cute...thank you for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteGene what a great way to celebrate April showers. I think your final art rug is wonderful. It would do us all a bit of good to remember the little boy or little girl inside of us...my grandson loves frogs. I hope you enjoy your day.
ReplyDeleteLove the frog!
ReplyDeleteMakes me smile too!
ReplyDeleteHooray! Gene is participating this round. Love those frogs, and the umbrella but no embroidery machine here but it is sweet of you to offer it as a giveaway to those who do!
ReplyDeleteI think we are going to need those umbrellas here in AL, come mid week.
I love the frog shielded by the flower - rock on!
ReplyDeleteThe frog makes it all special! My sister and I would listen to frogs at night when we were children. It was our lullaby. Now I live in the desert and I really miss frogs! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIf you're feelin' froggy, I would love that little design. My boys were just out last night catching frogs in our yard. They found two unsuspecting little frogs, named them, "fed" and "bathed" them and then, reluctantly let them back out into the wild. My husband and I laughed because we are sure the frogs hopped on back to their families and insisted they had been abducted by aliens!! Thanks for the cute mug rug!
ReplyDeleteI like your final choice. The frog and flower is so cute. Although I am a follower, I don't have an embroidery machine. I will have to pass on this.
ReplyDeleteLove both of your mug rugs! No embroidery machine here, either, but thanks for the giveaway. Love your froggy.
ReplyDeleteYou found my frog and what a great place he is now living. Loved your mug mat. I also embroider and just love frogs.
ReplyDeleteThese are just the cutest designs.
ReplyDeleteJudy
Wonderful work Gene!
ReplyDeleteI liked your umbrellas, the second one reminded me of beach umbrellas and I am not ready for that yet! Your frog under the flower umbrella made me smile this morning. I love those types of pictures.
ReplyDeleteYour design is wonderful.....makes me smile. Great job.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to have a guy here among all of us ladies! And what a great job you did on all your projects, but your frog is REALLY cute!
ReplyDeleteGreat job with your design process! Love the frog.
ReplyDeleteLittle Froggy is too cute. I love that he's sheltered from the rain. I'm a Janome gal and use the JAN format.....just sayin'!
ReplyDeleteLove that frog, it touches my heart today because it reminds me of my son's imaginary friends "the fogs" which traveled everywhere he went in little "fog cars" behind him when he was 3 or so...he can say his "rrrs" now, btw! Thanks for sharing your creativity with us today!
ReplyDeleteVery cute!!! I am a frog gal too. There are certainly a lot of frogs croakin' out there these night. I am a PES stitcher.
ReplyDeleteLove the embroidery. I would love a copy. I use a pfaff and I believe it is a vp3 format. Thanks for sharing and for the opportunity on the draw
ReplyDeletebonnielarson58@gmail.com
I am a follower. Love your blog
ReplyDeleteHi, Gene! You did such a great job on your mug rug design! (The artist in you certainly shows!) I don't have the machine for machine embroidery, but if I did I would be so pleased to have your design. Someone will be very happy!
ReplyDeleteHi Gene. Your design is too cute. I really love it. Growing up with brothers, I happen to like frogs,too.Yours made me smile. Great job. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteRibbit Ribbit...adorable!
ReplyDeleteLove your statement...rough around the edges like I am!
Absolutely awesome Gene! I especially love the little froggie!
ReplyDeleteYou did a fantastic job on all of them - thank you so much for participating in our hop!
Erin
Its a cute mugrug.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Frederika
Your flower umbrella and frog mug rug makes me smile. Thank you for sharing. I do not have machine embroidery capabilities, so please do not include me in the giveaway. Have a happy quilty day ... :) Pat
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet froggie!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour mug rugs are wonderful. Love them all
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Always like to see some embroidery especially by machine cuz that's my thing. I never bind my mug rugs no time for for such stuff pillow case turn is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteSo cute! I love seeing what can be created with embroidery machines... I don't own one but I can see how fun they must be.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun to read about your process. Great results!
ReplyDeleteI love the frog sheltering under the flower! Too cute. I don't do machine embroidery so do not enter me for your giveaway. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say how totally cute that froggy is! I may be a little partial since my mom decorates her kitchen with frogs :) Thanks for sharing! (I don't have an embroidery machine, so don't include me.)
ReplyDeleteYour mug rugs are awesome and I love the frog/flower! It is very fun and the frog is just too cute! Thanks for participating and inspiring us today!
ReplyDeleteOh froggy, you ate just darling !
ReplyDeleteI like all of them, the last one is so fun. Thanks for sharing. vickise at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI like your mug rugs Gene!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
I knew your mug rug would be great and it so is. I would really love a copy of your design because it sure beats our youngest grandson turning me into a frog all the time with is magic wand. Look I really like frogs but being constantly turned into one isn't fun cause I can only croak and not talk when he does it. Really guess I'm lucky it doesn't really work.
ReplyDeleteLove the frog, rain and flower. They remind me of the times I have been in Alabama to visit family, lots of flowers, frogs and rain. Very fun for a girl who grew up in the desert climate of So.Cal. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove your little froggy mug rug! Very nice design, great work!
ReplyDeleteCute frog! thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteNice mug rugs. Glad to see you are keep your family quilting tradition.
ReplyDeleteYour frog design made me smile! It reminded me of my son when he was young and used to catch the little tree frogs and put them on his sisters. I would love to have this design to make him a mug rug of his own. My machine uses .art format. Thank you again for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI am a machine embroiderer.I use PES format. I have a Babylock Ellisimo. I love it.Would love to have your design if it is still available. Thank you for your generosity. Great designs...Love the mug rugs. And believe it or not I love frogs. I have this huge old toad garden stature. I actually need to repaint it as the green has faded so much over the years. I follow yoru blog via Blogloivin
ReplyDeleteWhat adorable mug rugs Gene...love the little frog!!! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteLove the frog and flower Gene that is a great mug rug, do you have one with a turtle? HA, HA, I have PES format and just had my machine service so I would love it.
ReplyDeleteLittle froggy on a rug winked his eye and said with a shrug I would sure like to eat a tasty little bug! I don't have an embroidery machine but i do have a California mom that has a birthday coming up and she would love it! ( *if* I win I will figure out what she needs )
ReplyDeleteI love what you say abaut quiliting - Life is like a patchwork quilt. You can make yours bright bold and exciting or you can try to copy your neighbor's pattern. It's brilliant
ReplyDeleteI see that you love what you do :)
Gene, I love your froggy mug rug! The umbrella is also sweet, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove what you came up with. I don't have an embroidery machine so you don't have to put me in the drawing, I just wanted to comment.
ReplyDeleteYour mug rug is beautiful. You did a nice job!
ReplyDeleteMarisa.
I just leave a comment, but I want to let you know that I following you via GFC and bloglovin. I love your blog! My day to participate in this blog hop is on April 15, I hope that you will visite me.
ReplyDeletehave a nice day.
Marisa from
http://passionetcouture.blogspot.ca/
Beautiful mug rugs! Love the kid in you Gene. Thanks for sharing...Judith, Texas
ReplyDeletegorgeous mugrugs lovely motifs!
ReplyDeleteSo very adorable! It made ME smile! Thanks for blog hopping right on in with your artistic inspiration.
ReplyDeleteOh dear me. Gene, I just got a Brother Embroidery machine, PE-&&0 and I couldn't tell you what "format" it uses if My life depended on it. To say I have a HUGE learning curve on this little puppy would be an understatement. I have pretty much mastered letters and that's about it. I finally had an ah ha moment yesterday when after making 8 mug rugs with my daughter's photography business' name on each one and the thread kept breaking...I decided to call my dealer. His first question was What kind of thread are you using? He didn't have to say another word. I had ordered a great "deal" on machine emb. thread from an Internet store and blah blah blah...the *great* deal turned out to be a Big Bust! I changed my thread and put in some Isacord..Voila!..no more breaking!! So note to self, buy Good Thread, NOT the best deal. Geez, I have sooooooooo much to learn in this machine embroidery department. Wish I had you to bounce my problems off of!!
ReplyDeleteLove your cute little frog, Gene
Blessings
Gmama Jane
There was nothing wrong with your first 2 umbrella's but the frog is priceless. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteYour frog and flower design made me smile. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI loved your little umbrellas but the frog & the flower were really cute too. The frog mug rug definitely made me smile. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThe frog under the flower is perfect! I wish I had an embroidery machine so I could make my own frog. Ribbit!
ReplyDeleteI liked both umbrellas. But the frog was priceless! Looking at him just makes me smile. ( I don't have an embroidery machine.)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore your frog mug rug. It made me smile the second I looked at it!
ReplyDeleteLovely little frog! Thanks for sharing your mug rug!
ReplyDeleteSo cute. Your designs are great. Thank you for sharing them with us.
ReplyDeleteYour mug rug is adorable and it made me smile to.
ReplyDeleteLove your little frog,he made me smile. I have one that lives somewhere outside my bedroom window and I know it's Spring when I hear him singing about how happy he is to be alive.
ReplyDeleteLove the froggy, he's adorable. Will skip the giveaway, I sadly do not own a embroidery machine =\
ReplyDeleteHearing how you came up with your design was interesting and it turned out wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteHearing how you came up with your design was interesting and it turned out wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteI like all of your designs, especially the little frog. Adorable.
ReplyDeletelovely work thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteRibbett!!! A frog and an umbrella. Who'd a thunk it!!!! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYour final design is so sweet. It reminds me of a book I read to my grandkids about rainbows and a little bunny under a flower.
ReplyDeleteI'm not in the draw, since I don't have an embroidery machine, but I wanted to let you know that I love your mug rug! Padsworth swears it is the spittin' image of his cousin George, who (last we heard) was residing in Alabama...did he sit for the portrait? Heehee!
ReplyDeleteGene! I thought the umbrella was cute, both of them in fact. Then I saw the frog! So adorable. That would make me smile every time I saw it.
ReplyDeleteI am not in the draw either since I do not have an embroidery machine, but good luck to everyone who does.
wonderful mug rugs...
ReplyDeleteYour umbrellas are sweet, but your frog & flower are absolutely adorable! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteEven though I love it, I don't have an embroidery machine, so don't include me. :-( Good luck to those that have one!
Very cute embroidery!
ReplyDeleteVery cute froggy rug. Love the design process creative people travel through - and very little ribbit, ribbit.
ReplyDeleteI just love it. Great work on your digitizing! Machine embroidery is so much fun! Thanks for sharing.!
ReplyDeleteI love your design and your mug rug. That little frog is too cute! He looks like his mouth is open waiting for a bug!
ReplyDeleteIf I should be lucky enough to win, my format is PES. :)
Lovely. Thank you for sharing with us!
ReplyDeleteThe flower is so sweet to keep the frog dry. Love it. I would love the design to make a mug rug for my daughter who adores frogs or to put on a shirt for her birthday(she will be 25). It would make her smile. My machine is a brother and uses PES designs.
ReplyDeleteYour frog made me laugh! Don't enter me in your giveaway, but I just wanted to thank your for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Gene! What a cute mug rug! I love the final design. It's so cute! I don't have an embroidery machine but wanted to say Great Job! :-)
ReplyDeletecute mug rug
ReplyDeleteYour frog and flower makes me smile too! Great job! I don't have an embroidery machine :-(
ReplyDeleteOooh that little frog is just adorable - love the way he is sheltering under a nice flower. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete