Just like with the Christmas in July and December Gift Boxes, it seems a little strange to be thinking about Christmas mugs in June, but it is indeed that time again. Every year for the last decade or so we’ve come up with a new “quilty” mug design to represent our annual Primitive Christmas event, and 2023 is no different. These delightful mugs have become so popular over the years that no matter how early we have the pre-orders available, we always end up selling out. I can’t say I’m surprised about that though. If you’ve never had the pleasure of wrapping your hands around one of these beauties, let me explain. They are large, sturdy mugs, decorated with beautiful glaze and a festive holiday-themed design with the collection year stamped on the side. Past designs have included reindeer, holly, a gingerbread man, candy canes, Christmas trees, Santa, and more! These unique handcrafted mugs are proudly made right here in WI, which is awesome for me since I think it’s extremely important to support other local, family run businesses like mine. They are high-quality works of art that are finished with 100% lead-free glazes. Not to mention, they are also dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe with handles that stay cool when microwaved!

Ready to check out this year’s design? Those of you who tuned into STITCH with Lisa last week Thursday were among the lucky first to see this year’s pick. After a bunch of brainstorming and discussion between Jess and I, we came to the conclusion that our theme collection could use some holiday ornaments in the mix, so that is exactly what we’re going with for 2023. What do you think?

Beautiful, right!? The signature ornament design features quilt blocks within, making this a great gift for fans of Christmas, coffee, and quilting alike. Color wise, the glaze is a very neutral, oatmeal color, sure to easily vibe with any décor.

As I mentioned these beautiful mugs are bound to sell out fast, so if you’ve been collecting them from the beginning and don’t want a hole in the series I highly recommend pre-ordering to be sure that you don’t miss out. That actually brings me to the next thing I wanted to talk about in regard to these mugs and how to get them. To make your gift-giving goals a tad easier to accomplish this year, Jess has ever so creatively curated six different gift box options to choose from including a Mug and Carmel Box, Mug and Wool Box, Mug and Pre-Cut Box, Mug and Cross Stitch Box, Mug and Fat Quarter Box, and a Mug with Everything Box. Just want the mug by itself? Don’t panic – you can get that too!

To give you an idea of what each box is like let’s go through them one by one. First up is the Mug & Carmel Box. You don’t have to be a quilter to appreciate this gift. This box makes it easy to shop for anyone on your list who likes sweets and coffee/tea. This box comes with a mug and 24 (appx 1lb) WI-made, delicious Vande Walle’s caramels (your choice of vanilla or sea salt – please specify in the comment area when ordering). The Mug & Caramel Box is available for $45.00.

Have ewe any wool fanatics on your gift list? Our Mug & Wool Box comes with six pieces of our signature hand-dyed Primitive Gatherings wool (including two reds, two greens, and two creams – textures may vary), a set of my custom designed Primitive Gatherings Needles, a Moda quilty zipper pouch, four Vande Walle’s caramels, and of course a mug. The Mug & Wool Box is $60.00.

If wool makes you itch and you’d rather stick with cotton, our Mug & Pre-Cut Box is for you! This box comes complete with a 5″ charm pack of my latest flannel line “Lakeside Gatherings,“ a 5″ charm pack of my new Christmas line “Joyful Gatherings,“ and a 2.5″ mini charm of my “Rustic Gatherings“ collection, along with four caramels, a Moda zipper pouch, and the holiday mug. The Mug & Pre-Cut Box retails at $60.00.

Next up we have our Mug & Fat Quarter Box. Also an affordable price of $60.00, this box comes loaded with six fat quarters from my new Christmas collection “Joyful Gatherings,“ (two red, two green, two cream – prints will vary), along with my custom designed Primitive Gatherings 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ Creative Grids Ruler (my favorite!), four caramels, a Moda zipper pouch, and the mug.

Of course we couldn’t leave out our cross stitching fans. The Mug & Cross Stitch Box will make any stitcher getting back into this old favorite happy as a clam. It’s also a perfect starter kit for someone who’s always wanted to try it but never made the leap. It features three skeins of Weeks Dye Works Embroidery Floss (red, white, and green), a set of my custom PG Needles, a piece of aida cloth, four caramels, a Moda zipper pouch, a set of our coveted floss drops, and your mug. …and yes, this box is also $60.00 as well.

As we were showing off these wonderful boxes during our LIVE show last Thursday, many of you expressed that you would also like the option for an “Everything Box” as well. As always Jess has delivered! She now also has a box put together that will include a bit of everything from each style box along with the mug. You will receive one pound of Vande Walle’s caramels, four Moda zipper pouches, your mug, and then all the other products you see in the other boxes!! They are available for $165.00 by clicking the link above. Thanks Jess… Christmas shopping for your stitching friends just got a-heck of a lot easier. I love it!

No matter which style mug box you decide to go with, you really can’t go wrong! Thinking you might like one for yourself? Simply send your sweetie the link to the pre-order page and voila! You’ve officially taken the guess-work out of it for them… How considerate of you! Like I said earlier, these boxes sell out fast every year no matter how soon we make the pre-order available, so if you want it delivered before Christmas, don’t wait! Pre-order now to be sure you get them in time for the big day. Each will come in a beautifully decorated box that you’re not going to want to throw away, complete with festive red or green crinkle paper inside. Pre-orders are expected to ship at the end of of October/beginning of November, 2023. Procrastinators will have another chance to order later this year once we sell out of the first batch, but those will NOT arrive in time for the holidays, so please keep that in mind. If you’d like to see Jess and I go through each box in depth you can always watch the replay of STITCH with Lisa Bongean by clicking the link below for a better view (start video at 48:55 for mug boxes)!

Well everyone, I think I’ve had about enough of computer work for the day. It’s another gorgeous afternoon out there and I can’t help but be distracted by the sunshine beckoning me from my studio window. On that note I think I’m going to call it a day here while nobody’s looking. Before I sneak out for the weekend, as usual I want to pay tribute to my loyal readers who comment on my blog each with with a couple of prizes. Big shout-out and thank you to Linda V. and Mary L. for your comments on the blog last week! We’d love to send you a prize to show our gratitude! You know the drill… I do not post last names or email addresses for your privacy, so if you think you’re one of the lucky winners I just mentioned, please be sure to check your email to claim your prize! You can also contact Heidi at heidin@primitivegatherings.us if you have not already received a prize confirmation letter from her. If you think you are a winner but have not received a prize confirmation email, be sure to check your spam folder – it’s not often but our emails will sometimes end up there)!!!

Alright friends! That’s all I have for you this week. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you all on Tuesday June 13th at 10:00 a.m. for the next exciting episode of CommentSold. Until then, take care! ~Lisa