Living Room Olympics (and a Bears mug rug!)

I am generally not a sports person.  Unless you count the Olympics.  I really enjoy watching both track and field and gymnastics in the summer games.  And I don't mind watching figure skating in the winter games.  I have fond memories of recreating both gymnastics and figure skating in our living room as kids.  We used to skate around the rust-colored shag carpeting in our socks, commentating along the way.  "Wait...is it?...yes, a triple sow cow!!"  Gymnastics were even more entertaining.  We would do "flips" and other amazing feats without actually leaving our feet.   Points were deducted for balance checks, but the crowd would go wild as we stuck our landings, arms held proudly in a high V position.   Olympic gold.

When my hubby recently asked me to sew him something, I was beyond thrilled.  I know he just did it to be sweet and supportive of my newfound addiction; what a sport!  He asked me to make him a Chicago Bears mug rug, quilted with orange thread.  So specific--I love it.  A mug rug is basically a smaller-sized placemat; just the right size for a mug of coffee and a little snack.  I don't know when or why these things became popular in the sewing/quilting world, but you can find tutorials for them all over the internet.

I found a sweet deal on some Bears fabric at Hancock's (down here in St. Louis...sorry, Rams??), and got right to work.  I sort of let my imagination run wild with this one.  You'll see what I mean...

Hold the bus...what are those things in the corners???

Oh, that's right...FLAMES.  Quilted flames.  Now, what inspired me to quilt with flames?  No idea.  Although, I think I made some connection with the Bear...in my mind, he looks like he should be breathing fire, but I don't know how they ended up in all four corners instead of coming from the Bear's mouth.  One little side note: It is a well known fact that my hubby does NOT like flame decals.  He gets a grimace on his face anytime we see a car with flames on it, or flames up the side of a pant leg or sleeve.  Which begs the question even further: What on earth was I thinking?  It did make for quite the reaction, though.  "Flames?!"  But then he decided it didn't look so bad if you held it farther away.  Da Bears...a la mug rug.  I'm holding out for the Bears to have a great season (not a football fan in the slightest), just so I can say, "Man, those Bears are on fire!!" as I hold up the mug rug.