Playing with little tree

I have started playing with the little trees from the "Little Tree quilt-along" this week. I thought I would trial the method with a larger tree that I was planning to use in a Mug Rug for a swap on the craft forum. My partner asked for green so it was perfect for the tree. I used Ariane's Crafts method of a triangle in a square to make my tree and it is very easy to follow and comes out nicely.
My tree is bigger than the "original" quilt, it measures 5' x 6.5' unfinished or 4.5' x 6' finished. The triangle in a square was a 4.5' square finished or 5' unfinished. The bottom strip is 2' unfinished and the trunk was a 2' square unfinished. I had this lovely bear fabric that I used for the trunk as if a teddy was sitting at the bottom of the tree.

To finish my mug rug, I added some strips of green fabric to the right of the tree, increasing in value and width (starting with a 1.25' and finishing with a 2' strip). And because I didn't my tree to be on the border of the Mug Rug, I added a very tiny strip of dark green to the left side of the tree.

For the backing I had fabric from IKEA which I thought was in keeping with the theme and colour scheme.

Quilting was in the ditch for the strips and echo-quilting for the tree. (I'll try to get a better picture soon as this is too bright and doesn't show the quilting, although it is visible on the picture above of the backing!)

Et voila, a finished mug rug that I had fun making and I also like how it turned out if I can say so myself! Second OPAM in the same week-end, I am on a roll!
Hope my partner likes her little rug. This was my first attempt at Mug Rug so far but I enjoyed it very much and am thinking it could make a great present.
Now I can make more trees, smaller size for the quilt-along as the assignment for the first week is to sew half of them by Friday. Better get going.
Celine