FREE PENNY RUG PATTERN!!!

I hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was very restful! But before I go any further with today's blog I have to share a picture of my kitty, Nicky.  Nicky loves wool, he loves balls of thread, he loves all my craft pens, he loves rolling in freezer paper, and most of all he loves yarn!  We came home to find him curled up in one of my daughter's knitting projects ... doesn't he look absolutely content!!! He is also a kitty who loves to sleep on his back with his feet in the air ... its hilarious!

I had a great surprise in the mail too! Valerie from the Wooden Acorn sent me, as a gift, a lovely feather tree.  I had admired the one on her blog that she had decorated! What a sweet lady to do this.  I hope you'll take a minute and visit her at her blog.  Anyway, I was inspired to design some ornaments for my new feather tree.  Of course, they had to be about cats!  I had some kitty buttons on hand and here is the first one I made.  I have another type of button that says "Meow."  I might make some of these to sell, too.!

And now for the free pattern I promised! This is my own little design I call "Snow Flurries" that I thought up this weekend.  I've listed my finished one on eBay.  All you need is some nice thick wool, some iridescent beads, and some snowflake buttons (I purchased mine on eBay and I'll list the store at the end of the tutorial) or you could stitch your own.

1.  First trace an 8" circle on freezer paper and iron it onto the wool you will use for your top layer and cut out.
2. Next trace an 8" circle on fusible web and iron it onto the wool you will use for your bottom layer and cut out.
3. Now for the penny circles ... trace eight 1 1/2" circles onto fusible web and iron onto your wool and cut out.
4. Remove fusible web from your penny circles, space evenly on your top wool layer and iron into place.
5. Sew penny circles to top layer using DMC perle cotton thread (No. 8) using a blanket stitch.
6. Sew snowflake buttons onto penny circles.
7. Sew beads onto buttons and around buttons.
8. Now its time to add the bottom layer of wool! CAREFULLY, iron the front and back pieces of wool together being very careful not to scorch or melt the beads or buttons.
9. Now, using a double thickness of DMC perle cotton thread (No. 8) finish your penny rug by sewing the front and back pieces of wool together using a blanket stitch!
10. Carefully, iron out any wrinkles and use a lint brush to pick up any strays threads or wool bunnies and you are finished and ready to display your penny rug.
11.  Please feel free to use this pattern for crafting and selling, but remember it is copyrighted by Cat Tales and please give me credit if you sell this product on line. You are not permitted to sell this pattern.
12.  If you would like to purchase the snowflake novelty buttons at the site I did, please contact me!

I hope you will send me pictures of your finished penny rug!!!!  Happy crafting and give your kitties a treat for me today! :)