Objective: Produce one finished quilted mug rug on the Janome Memory Craft 8200, combining all the setup and operating skills from Unit 1 into a single small resale item.
A mug rug is a mini quilt roughly 5 by 7 inches: a top fabric, a layer of cotton batting, and a backing fabric, all quilted and bound. It is the ideal first resale product because it uses every core skill you have already learned but forgives small mistakes. On the MC8200, set the machine to the straight stitch (pattern 1), center needle position, stitch length 2.5mm. Use the standard foot or the AcuFeed Flex dual-feed foot if you have it, because the three layers feed more evenly with it. Keep the speed slider in the lower third while you learn; the MC8200 will hold a steady slow pace so your lines stay straight. Lower the presser foot before every seam, and use the thread cutter button to trim between passes. The 'quilt sandwich' is built by layering backing wrong-side-up, batting, then top right-side-up, and holding it together with a few pins or basting spray. You sew evenly spaced straight lines across the sandwich to quilt it, then fold the backing edges over the front to bind it. Consistent line spacing and no puckers are what separate a hobby piece from one a customer will pay for.
Example: Cut a 6x8 top, a 6x8 backing, and a 6x8 piece of cotton batting. Layer them: backing face-down on the table, batting on top, quilt top face-up. Pin in four corners. Thread the machine and set straight stitch, length 2.5, speed slider low. Starting half an inch from one long edge, sew a straight line the length of the piece, backstitching at both ends. Lift the foot, shift the sandwich one inch over using the edge of the foot as a spacing guide, lower the foot, and sew the next line. Repeat until the whole piece is quilted. Trim to 5x7. Fold each backing edge twice onto the front and topstitch to bind. You now have a sellable mug rug.
Try it: Build and quilt one mug rug sandwich on the MC8200. Cut your three 6x8 layers, stack them in the correct order, pin, and sew at least five evenly spaced straight quilting lines using the presser foot edge as your one-inch spacing guide. Backstitch at the start and end of every line, use the thread cutter between lines, and keep the speed slider low. Trim to 5x7 when done.