Two wise birds

Summer Bird House Mug Rug Pattern

I am often asked how I find the ideas for my mug rugs.  Some just come to me and I make them straight away (Summer Birdhouse Mug Rug is one such pattern).  

Others take hold a little more slowly and that is exactly what happened with my Two Owls Mug Rug from my Animal and Pets Mug Rug pattern book (also available in paperback via Amazon).

Two Owls Mug Rug

 

I was driving home from work through a beautiful little village, called Southwick (pronounced Suth-ick), one dusk at the beginning of summer when a large bird flew across my car and up into the bough of a tree a short way ahead. 

(picture courtesy of the Barn Owl Trust)

It was my first encounter that year with an owl and it made quite an impression.  So much so that I search the boughs at the edge of the village when I drive through though I never have not seen the bird again. 
 
The next encounter came whilst I was in the Lake District this summer.   It was here that I picked up a packet of paper handkerchiefs which were adorned with owls. 

I didn’t think much of it until four months later when I was strolling down the greetings card aisle looking for a Thanksgiving Card (not a hope in England!).  A card caught my eye – two owls perched on a branch looking at one another. And then further along I spotted a little handbag diary decorated with owls. 

It was then that I remembered the owl tissue and then the bird on the bough of the tree.  Too many hints to ignore so I got to work to create a whimsical mug rug that is suitable for grown-ups and children alike.   I hope you like the end result as much as I do.