Sunday, July 16, 2017

Christmas in July - My Turn

Even though it's hot outside, we're celebrating 
Christmas in July!

12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop
Confessions Of A Fabric Addict

Thanks to Sarah - Confessions of a Fabric Addict - for organizing this hop. It's fun to see all the posts and get lots of holiday ideas.

And, in case you haven't seen it already, Sarah is hosting a
Christmas Quilt Along. 
Sew for a few hours each day of the hop, and you'll end up with an awesome quilt that measure 60" x 60".
What a deal!   
Sarah, you are awesome!

And, be sure to leave comments with every stop you make along the hop because there are a bunch of prizes! 

Free Spirit Fabrics
has donated THIRTEEN prizes to give away.  

There are six design rolls
six layer cakes
and one fat quarter bundle of
Tula Pink's new holiday line,
Holiday Homies!

Check out Sarah's post HERE for information on how the prizes will be awarded

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In case you missed a day or two of the hop,
here's a complete list of the participants.

Friday, July 14th

Saturday, July 15th

Sunday, July 16th
Everyone Deserves a Quilt - You are HERE!

Monday, July 17th

Tuesday, July 18th

Wednesday, July 19th

Thursday, July 20th


Friday, July 21st

Saturday, July 22nd

Sunday, July 23rd

Monday, July 24th

Tuesday, July 25th

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I enjoy making tree skirts and table toppers, and like to give them as wedding gifts. When I do that, I try very hard to make the skirt/topper reflect the couple and their style. This year, I've made a tree skirt for a couple who live in a log cabin that they built themselves. (It was gifted last week, and they loved it. Yay!)

I did not use traditional Christmas fabrics, but rather some "woodsy" looking fabric. I like how it turned out and think it fits the log cabin concept pretty well.

Although I like the already-gifted tree skirt, I made another one in more traditional colors and fabrics too. 


I used this same pattern and adapted it for one of my Desire to Inspire projects last July. (I fussy cut the truck fabric!)


This is a very simple tree skirt/table topper, and since you have a few options regarding the shape, it's easy to make more than one and have them each look different.

This is a long, picture-heavy post.
Sorry, but I just don't think I have it in me to write up a tutorial that is short. I've been told that I write blog posts, just like I talk. I'm just going to smile about that comment because I know it's true.  😊 

Project Statistics
Finished Size - approximately 40" x 40"

Seams to Sew - 27 
(a fun fact to show you how quickly this comes together)

Fabric Requirements

     Background Fabric (cream in sample) - 1 yard
    
     Star Fabric # 1 (floral in sample) - 2/3 yard
    
     Star Fabric #2 (green in sample) - 2/3 yard
    
     Binding - ***
This will be determined by the corner options you choose. There will be some bias binding used for the tree skirt, but don't let that scare you. I've included a math lesson for determining the binding amount needed, but I'll also just tell you the amounts you need. I just want to show you how I did it so you can refer back to this if you ever need to figure your own binding amount.

Let's get started!

Cutting
Background Fabric - Cut 3 strips, 11" x WOF (width of fabric)
     Sub-cut these into the following:
          4 - 11" x 11" squares
          4 - 10 1/2" x 10 1/2" squares (set these aside)

Star Fabric #1 - cut 2 strips, 11" x WOF
     Sub-cut these into 4 - 11" x 11" squares

Star Fabric #2 - cut 2 strips, 11" x WOF
     Sub-cut these into 4 - 11" x 11" squares



Piecing the Blocks
Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the 4 - 11" background squares and 2 of the Star Fabric #2 - 11" squares.


With right sides together, match up one 11" background square with one Star Fabric #1 square.

Sew a seam, 1/4" from each side of the drawn line


Cut on the drawn line and press seams open. Repeat one time. You will have 4 of these half square triangles (HSTs)


Follow the same procedure and with right sides together, match up two 11" background squares with two Star Fabric #2 squares (not the ones with the diagonal line).

Sew a seam, 1/4" from each side of the drawn line. Cut on the drawn line and press seams open. You will have 4 of these HSTs.

And finally, with right sides together, match up the two remaining Star Fabric #1 and Star Fabric #2 squares.

Sew a seam, 1/4" from each side of the drawn line. Cut on the drawn line and press seams open. You will have 4 of these HSTs.

Trim each half square triangle to 10 1/2" (Yes, I know that you could have cut the squares 10 7/8" and not have to trim, but I am much more accurate this way.)


Tree Skirt/Table Topper Layout
Lay out the blocks according to the picture below


Sew the blocks together and press seams open, pinning as needed. (I usually only pin where I want to ensure that my points match up. See pictures below.) 


If you encounter some rippling when putting blocks together, you can often apply a little heat to help with that. The heat from the iron kind of makes the fabrics stick together, thus making pinning and sewing easier.

 

When you approach point intersections, be careful of where you sew in order to preserve your points. I am lining up the intersection as I approach it and make adjustments as needed.



I do pin when sewing rows together, and I like to add one horizontally at the end of the row to help avoid shifting while I'm sewing. Can you see the red pin along the right side?


I like to sew the top two rows together first and then the bottom two rows.



Then I sew the center seam. Notice how I've pinned these two units together to be sure the top remains square and accurate.




I do like to pin along the edges at the beginning of the seam as well, just to be sure that my rows line up correctly.


The top is complete!



I'm happy with the points!




Layer and Quilt

No matter if you are going to keep this a square tree skirt or table topper, layer and quilt as desired. (Yes, I quilt this before cutting the hole in the center or up a side for a tree skirt. It makes it much easier to quilt and prevents stretching.) I quilted radiating lines in the star points and a small meander in the background.



It's time to trim!

Trim as usual, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance from each of the star points.


After trimming, the project should measure approximately 40" square.


Trimming for the octagonal table topper or tree skirt will include additional steps. Those instructions and pictures are provided after the binding info.

Corner Options

To determine if you want to make a square tree skirt/table topper, or make it octagonal, fold the corners over to see which you like best. If you like the octagonal version; skip forward, past the binding information to see how to cut/trim the corners.






I'll provide the binding information for all the options, so don't let the fear of having to figure out the math influence your decision. 😀  I recommend bias binding for the tree skirt because of the hole in the center. As I said, I'll provide all that information and even show you the math in case you want to double check my figures.

To make a square table topper, you'll need 172" of binding fabric (40+40+40+40+12=172"). Depending on the usable amount of fabric you have, you will need 4 or 5 strips of binding fabric. There is nothing unusual here, so go ahead and bind as usual.

To make an octagonal table topper, you'll need 148" of binding fabric.
(20+14+20+14+20+14+20+14+12=148") 


You'll need 4 strips of binding fabric.
(148" divided by 40" = 3.7 strips, round up to 4)

See Binding Irregular Corners at the end of this tutorial for help with attaching this binding. 

To make this a square tree skirt, cut up the middle of one side and cut out a 4 3/4" hole from the center, following the instructions below.

I made a template for my center hole and used chalk to mark what needs cut. I've labelled my template (with terrible handwriting!) and made a small hole in the exact center so I can properly align it to the tree skirt to get an accurate center hole.



I always double check my chalk line before cutting! Half of 4 3/4" is 2 3/8" and I'm right on the mark. Yay!


To cut up a seam, I choose a seam to cut, line up my ruler and use a rotary cutter to cut up to the circle.



I then trim the circle with scissors.



Even though it's square, you'll need to make bias binding for this tree skirt. That will allow you to sew the binding around the circle and have it lay flat and not curl or cup upwards.

Here's the math to determine how much bias binding you need. (I make my bias binding from cutting a square and then cutting strips from that.)

Measure all sides, both sides of the cut up the middle, and the circumference of the center hole.
(Circumference of a 4 3/4" circle = 15" as determined by the following math formula: circumference = pi (3.14) x dia. (4.75) - 14.915", rounded up top 15") 


Based on the sketch above, here's the math worked out for you:

40"+40"+40"+20"+18"+15"+18"+20"=211"+12" (to account for diagonally piecing strips and turning corners) = 223" bias binding needed.

To determine the square size to cut: multiple the binding amount needed by 2 and find it's square root. Then add 3" for sewing strips, turning corners, etc.

     223"x2 = 446    
     Square root of 446 = 21.118 (round up to 22")
     22"+3"=25" square

If you're making the octagonal tree skirt, you'll need to trim the corners so you can determine the length of those sides. See below (after all the binding information), for an explanation and pictures on how to trim these.

Back to binding for the octagonal tree skirt: you'll need a total of 199" of bias binding (see sketch and math below - I rounded up to 200"), which means you'll need a 23" square.


Here's the math
     3 sides are 20" = 60"
     4 corners are 14" = 56"
     split bottom is 10" each = 20"
     split has 2 sides 18" each = 36"
     circumference of the hole = 15"

     60" + 56" + 20" + 36" + 15" = 187" + 12" = 199"
          (rounded to 200") bias binding needed

     200" x 2 = 400" which has a square root of 20"
          20" 3" = 23" square needed



That's enough math! Let's get back to the project.  😌



Trimming the Corners
When trimming the corners to make the project octagonal, you want to be sure to leave a 1/4" seam allowance at the star points or you'll have chopped off points. In this first picture, you can see the chalk line I drew to show you what will be cut. Can you see the 1/4" seam allowance that is left at the star points?


Line up a ruler so that it extends 1/4" beyond both star points. This will help increase accuracy in cutting.




Make the cut across the corner. Do this to all four corners.


Here's the octagonal version of the tree skirt/table topper. Follow the cutting instructions provided earlier to make this a tree skirt. The center hole is the same size, and you'll cut up one seam as explained earlier. 

Now you're ready for binding!


Binding Irregular Corners
Binding irregular corners is not difficult. It's basically the same technique as regular binding, but the trick is in the folding of the corner.  

Starting on a long (20") side rather than a 14" corner, sew down binding, using a 1/4" seam allowance. (Remember that you trimmed the corners to 1/4" from the points, so this 1/4" seam allowance is important to keep nice sharp points.)

As you approach a corner, stop with the needle down and flip the binding strip up so that its raw edges create a straight and continuous line with the raw edge of the quilt. Crease at the fold. It is important that the raw wedges create a straight and continuous line.


Open the fold and mark it with chalk or some other marking utensil.


Sew up to the mark. Backstitch and remove the quilt from the sewing machine


Turn the quilt and fold the binding as you did before, creating a straight and continuous line with the edge of the quilt. 


Fold the binding strip down, aligning the raw edges as usual. This creates an odd angle at the fold, but that's ok. Sew down the raw edge as usual, and continue around the quilt, following the same procedure each time you come to a corner.


This is what the corner will look like from the front. 


Continue all around the quilt and finish the binding as usual.

You are done!



Thanks for visiting and please let me know if you need any help with making your own tree skirt or table topper.

If you make one (or three 😉), I'd love to see a picture!


Remember to visit the hoppers each day and leave comments so you can be entered into the awesome giveaway.

187 comments:

HeatherK @ A Reformed Heath'n said...

So cute! Looks easy, too. Thanks for sharing!

Nancy J said...

Your turn, mine is on Day 9. And guess what, I write like I talk like I blog, too!!! LOTS. Never too many words or pics at all. Love your tutorial, fabrics, and all the details to make this, a wonderful way with words and photos to make it all so streamlined. And your fabrics for the gift, what a super choice, I am sure it was so appreciated, and will be used a lot. On a table in summer with an umbrella, round the Christmas tree, or on a coffee table as a wonderful centrepiece. Greetings from Jean,way down in New Zealand .

3Dogbones said...

Wonderfully done, as usual!

eileen said...

A great tutorial, you explain things really well...now onto doing it, and making a few gifty tablerunners! Thanks for the tutorial!
ekmvalencia@gmail.com

Kate @ Smiles From Kate said...

That's a lovely tree skirt, I have never made one before, I always thought they would be really complicated but you made it quite straightforward. Thank you so much for the tutorial on irregular corners too, Something else I haven't done. Great post, thank you for sharing.

Mary said...

I think I'll make one for gift. Thanks!

Sherry said...

Thank you for the great directions. I write like I talk also....LOL

Having the pictures makes it very easy to understand the binding...I have been wondering how to do "weird" corners with binding.

Charlene S said...

First time I really understood how to make a tree skirt. Thanks for a wonderful tutorial.

annemarie said...

Wonderful tutorial and wonderful pattern - I need a new tree skirt so this is perfect. Thanks for sharing.

BizarreQuilter said...

ooh! Great tutorial! Thanks so much for sharing!

Allison said...

Thank you for the great pattern and tutorial. I would never have known how to deal with the binding. Your directions are very clear and helpful.

pajtr said...

Thank you for a wonderful project! This will be a great gift, as either table topper or tree skirt! (Versatile pattern!)
Your directions are SO clear, precise, and SO easy to understand and follow!!
*Thank you!!*
(And, yes!... Your fabric choices were perfect for a log cabin home!)
Pat T.

Judy said...

I will make a topper instead of tree skirt. Thanks for patt and idea. Thanks for sharing.

rosemaryschild said...

Your gifted tree skirt & the colors for the log cabin-very nice! The octagonal shape really adds some class! Thank you for sharing, Susan

ledamewood said...

Awesome tutorial, thank you.

Debbie said...

Great project and tutorial. Thanks for sharing.

Gene Black said...

I appreciate your detailed tutorial. I would rather have too much info than be left wondering "what do I do here?"

Linda Smith said...

Beautiful. And thanks for all the details. Great gift idea. The lucky recipients will think of you every year.

Karb328 said...

Pretty!great tutorial, thanks.

Karen said...

I love your tree skirt/table topper. I love having table toppers and your directions look amazing. I know some people don't like directions that are long, I like your said, but I love having all the pictures and written directions. Thanks for all the work that went into this!

piecefulwendy said...

What a quick and fun tree skirt. Thanks for the tute on the circle and cutting up the seam. I have a quilt top that I want to do that with, and you just helped by answering a few of my questions! Thanks!

Meloney said...

Thanks for the tree skirt pattern. I appreciate how to bind it. I tend to get frustrated with the corners, but this looks so simple now.

Linda Williamson said...

My niece is getting married in October and this is a wonderful idea for a gift. Thanks for sharing. I'm off to look at my Christmas stash

Leslie K. said...


Thanks for the tree skirt tutorial. Both of my daughters need a new tree skirt so I see a few of these in my future!

Patty said...

Great tutorial.

DMC said...

very good directions

Michele T said...

Every year I say that we need a tree skirt.... your tutorial is perfect!!! Thanks!!

...by CJ said...

Great tutorial and tree skirts. Thanks for sharing!

Vicki in MN said...

Beautiful tree skirts and wonderful tutorial, thank you!

kt said...

Great tree skirts/table toppers and tutorial--thanks for sharing!

Kathleen said...

Great tree skirt!

Kathy H said...

Looks great. Thanks for the tutorial. I don't mind long ones, I usually understand them better. I need to make a tree skirt for my daughter and I think this will work out perfect.

ThreadCatcher said...

I appreciate the detailed tutorial. Thanks for sharing.

Jan Snell said...

Looks good. I wish I had seen this at the beginning of July as I have just finished a crazy quilt tree skirt for my daughter. I could have used your tips but muddled my way through to completion. Thanks.

Pamela Arbour said...

Thanks for the tutorial. I need to update my tree skirt!

swooze said...

I haven't had a large tree for awhile. I'll have to figure out how to downsize this for my table tree.

Unknown said...

I'll definitely be making one of these.

Renegade Quilter said...

Such a great pattern. Thanks for sharing.

Patricia said...

Great tutorial. I love tree skirts.

Hilachas said...

Pretty tree skirts! I'm glad you said they are "simple" to make since I so simple very well. Thanks.

Ashley said...

Thank you for creating and sharing this detailed tutorial! Quilted tree skirts aren't something I've seen before. I like the idea!

Nancy L said...

I appreciate your detailed tutorial. Sometimes I miss a point on a project and have to go back and try to figure it out, but with yours, I think I can make it. Thanks!!

Material Girl said...

Very nice! I think that I will try this using all those Christmas fabrics that I just had to have! I love the shape and the larger pieces. I'm glad it's a wordy tutorial. I noticed that you reminded us to leave that 1/4 inch when cutting off the corners to make it an octagon. Thank you,thank you- I have cut off my points at this point before. Off to pull fabric....

Jean said...

Thanks for the information on binding corners for this project.

Grandma said...

Very pretty table Topper or tree skirts, great tutorial, thank you
patsystitch@gvtc.com

Carol C. said...

Thank you so much for the great tutorial -- this is definitely on my list to make!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Super tutorial with great photos - well done! I don't put a tree up, but my daughter might like one of these. Thank you for sharing.

cjmont said...

these will make terrific early holiday gifts for my adult kids.

Rebecca said...

I love this square regardless of the size it is made.
Thank you for the details in the cut out...

Tu-Na Quilts said...

Thanks for the tip on binding those odd angles. I've always been frustrated with it but now you've made it look easy. Great tutorial and great idea to make these as wedding gifts. kthurn(at)bektel(dot)com

Jayne Honnold said...

I happened upon this Christmas in July blog hop while browsing my blog list. How have I missed you! I'm an Ohio gal, too. So, the comment about writing like you talk - there's not a thing in the world wrong with that; why, your tone is just as easy-going and pleasant as can be. I suspect that is why so many have loved your tutorial - they can understand your thorough instructions! Me, included. Count me among your new followers. ;)

Patty said...

This is a cute tree skirt but would also be a good idea for a matching table topper. Thanks for the pattern as octagon is my favorite shape.

Jayne said...

Lots of great ideas. Thank you for the tutorial

Vicki H said...

I love your detailed tutorial. How can I go wrong when I make this tree skirt. Thanks.

Loris said...

This is wonderful! Thank you so much for all the instruction and pictures! It's a beautiful tree skirt. I need to make one :-)

Brenda said...

These are so pretty! I like the woodsy one!

Dawn F said...

Thanks for showing us how to make that. It is a great gift idea for a wedding!

BeachQuilter said...

I like details and pictures !! I need a tree skirt for myself this year.

Beth said...

What an outstanding tutorial! Thanks for walking us through it.

Brandy said...

Picture heavy posts are the way to go! LOL Thank you for the tutorial, I have an aunt who decorates 30+ trees for Christmas and we've been working on tree skirts for her for the last couple years.

~Brandy

maggie fellow said...

wonderful, informative tutorial - cute project - thanks

Heather said...

I'm planning to make another tree skirt this year for my daughter, so I'm saved no your instructions for a later date. Thanks for the tutorial!!!

Dorothy H said...

This is one I will keep for a quicky x-mas gift! Thanks.

Gloria C said...

I need a tree skirt this year so especially appreciate this pattern! I appreciate the detailed tutorial too!! thanks! Cotten.gloria@gmail.com

Susan said...

Thanks for the detailed tutorial. I like the star idea for a tree skirt and will be giving it a try.

Pam @ Quilting Fun said...

Love this! I am making one or two! And I love your idea of the wedding present!

Barb Neiwert said...

You make this look so easy! Thanks for the tutorial.

Sewgirl said...

Wow! That's a lot of work to write up that tutorial. Thanks so much, nice project too!

B_gabriele@hotamil.com said...

Fun pattern. Directions seem easy to follow!

Susan said...

That is a lovely tree skirt! Thank you for sharing the tutorial!

Rochelle aka Bella Quilts said...

Here I am, married 46 years and still no tree skirt. I'm not sure if this will be the year I do it. But I like yours and have bookmarked the pattern. I like the idea of the large squares and the having the corners cut off. Thank you.

VA said...

When we moved out, my mother made tree skirts for my siblings and me out of crocheted granny squares. I plan on making quilted tree skirts for my three boys (one down, two to go). This looks like a great pattern for my next one--thanks for the helpful directions!

Paige said...

Fantastic tutorial and great pictures too! Thanks for sharing! My day is Friday!

Debbie Darlington said...

My dining room table is in need of some bling! Thank you for the reminder that OTHER fabrics can be used for Christmas gifts! The personalized tree skirt was an excellent gift, so fitting as you said, to the log cabin.

barbara woods said...

I finally got around last year to making me a tree skirt, great giveaway

Julie in GA said...

I love the idea of giving a Christmas tree skirt as a wedding gift, and your pattern is terrific! Thanks for the great tutorial.

Renea said...

Very pretty tree skirt. thanks for the tutorial.

Anonymous said...

lovely tutorial very clear and lots of pictures as with me being a bigginer i find helps a lot, thank you for the blog hop

Nona said...

Great tutorial. I need a new tree skirt.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Great tutorial! Pictures make a big difference! Nice tree skirts!

Tami Von Zalez said...

Picture laden tutorials are always helpful. Popped by from the hop.

Sharon Brown said...

What a fun tutorial! This will be a great gift, either as a table topper or tree skirt. I hope I can find the time to make myself a tree skirt. Thank you.

Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting said...

Great photos of your finished tree skirts!!!

Bonnie said...

Really neat project. I was thinking of giving our granddaughter some Christmas decorations for her wedding shower gift. May have to add a tree skirt. Thank you for sharing.

Tonya said...

Great tree skirt. After 36+ years I am in need of a new one and this really fits the bill. Thank you!

The Joyful Quilter said...

Thanks for participating in the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop AND for providing a tree skirt tutorial!!

tac73 said...

Thank you for this great tutorial! I need to make a few of these for gifts.

Anonymous said...

Oh, just what I was going to search for: a Christmas tree skirt pattern and tutorial! I plan to make one for Christmas!
nikilsend(at)outlook(dot)com

Nina said...

thanks for the great tut and great head start on Christmas projects!

Jeri said...

great tutorial for such a multi-purpose block.
Jeri Oldtisme@aol.com

wendy said...

Beautiful tree skirts and great tutorial! Thank you!!

Sharon Tucker said...

Great tutorial, and every word was necessary!! Now I feel like I can make a tree skirt! Thank you

Nancy A: rangerer@sbcglobal.net said...

I like your idea of making the skirt out of non-Christmas fabric. Thanks for the tutorial.

Patti said...

Thank you, thank you! I've been wanting to make a tree skirt for so long and now that I have a pattern I'm forced to do it! Thanks for sharing!

Lisa England said...

What a great gift idea! Your tree skirts are all lovely, it's great that you showed so many different looks from a single pattern.

Jan @Cocoa Quilts said...

I love this post. You have so many pictures which helps with each step in the process. I may need to make one for myself.

apple blossom said...

lovely tree skirt tutorial

Darlene said...

Nice tutorial. This is a great gift idea for newlyweds.

Anonymous said...

Thanks. I've always wanted to make a tree skirt and just wasn't sure how to do it. I appreciate the details and all the pictures, and I'm thankful that you took the time to do it right. dezertsuz at gmail

PuppyPaws said...

Really like the woodsy version

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Joanne,
What an awesome tutorial for your tree skirt. I think that is a fabulous idea to give newlyweds - it is something no one else gives them, they would never think they need right away, and is totally unique. A great idea. Thank you for sharing with us. ~smile~ Roseanne

Bonnie58 said...

Thanks for sharing. I have been planning on making some tree skirts and now I have great incentive.

Anita Jackson @ Domestic Felicity said...

Wow! Great tutorial! Thank you!

bdieges said...

I have been looking for a tree skirt and this is perfect.

Jody said...

I've been planning to make a tree skirt for a few years now, and it still hasn't gotten done. Maybe this will be the inspiration I need to finish the project. Thanks for the tutorial.

Myra @ Busy Hands Quilts said...

Such lovely tree skirts! Thanks for the tutorial.

Marie said...

There's nothing better than big block quilting! LOL Definitely going on the to do list. Thanks for the tutorial

Sandi1100 said...

Thanks for showing how you make your Christmas tree skirt/table topper. I really like them.

June D said...

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing the steps to making this tree skirt. I have been working on learning how to make bindings with different angles - haven't done the marking the spot to stop sewing tip yet so this will be adding to my next attempt!

Lori said...

these are so pretty. thanks for he great tutorial

cindy m said...

This is absolutely beautiful!!
lstangl482 at aol dot com

Lesley Gilbert said...

Loving my visits to all the different bloggers on this tour and seeing what everybody is making :)

Susan said...

I like your tree skirt and I appreciate all the description and photos in the tutorial. It really helps a beginner like me. Thanks.

Karen said...

I appreciate your detailed instructions. Thank you so much!

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Great tutorial! I hope you made an ornament out of the center circle, those perfect points in the center should be celebrated!

Jollygirl said...

What a great gift idea for newlyweds!

Sarah Craig said...

Awesome tutorial, Joanne! I love that you put in the math (always a chore for me!) and the instructions on binding irregular shapes. Thanks so much for all you put into this!!

Laura said...

Love your tutorial and all the effort you put into it. So many details. Thank you.

Judyk said...

Great tutorial, thanks.

Suze said...

Joanne, What a great tutorial! No wonder I follow you and you are in demand as a sub. Also, this could be modified a tad and used as a table topper!!!!! Thank you for a wonderful tutorial. I'm a visual learner so I love that it's picture laden.

Diantha said...

Thanks for the detailed tutorial.

Carol W said...

Fun project!

Unknown said...

What a great tree skirt or table topper idea. Thanks for sharing.

Kathy E. said...

These really are beautiful! I like the idea of using them as table toppers. The center is a perfect spot for a festive candle or floral piece. What a lovely gift to give your friends.

drquilter said...

Love how you fussy cut the truck fabric! What a great gift - thanks for sharing!

Kathy said...

I need a new tree skirt. I think I will make one. Thanks for such a great tutorial.

sewlost said...

Great tree skirts. I love step by step tutorials. Thank you so much.
Swoot @att.ner

Patty said...

Fantastic tree skirts and I love the personalized wedding gift idea. Your tutorial is very helpful as well. Thank you Joanne!

Pamela R said...

While I did make myself a more elaborate tree skirt a few years ago, I it is fun to change this up some years so this would be a perfect pattern to get out of my more traditional groove. Thanks. pjrquilter at msn dot com

Shelley E said...

A lovely project and a great tutorial. My tree skirt has seen its better days and you post has inspired me. Thank you for sharing.

Delissa said...

This is something I definitely want to attempt this year. Oh and it is freezing here in Australia so seems like a good time to sew Christmas items. Thanks for being a part of the blog hop.

shoshu said...

thank yhou for being so "long winded"!!! what a great explanation for the math of binding and also for binding funny shapes!!! thank you

GranChris said...

This would be a great present for someone. Thank-you for the tutorial.

Quiltsmiles said...

Nice tutorial for this tree skirt design, thanks for sharing Joanne.

ejaneemerson@yahoo.com

Sandra J said...

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful tree skirt.

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Very nice, and so is th tutorial,..lol

Briarose said...
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Briarose said...

trying again thank you for the detailed tutorial

sewlost said...

Great tree skirts. I love step by step tutorials. Thank you so much.
Swoot @att.net

Christine said...

I like how your tutorial starts with a solid piece and removes the center circle rather than try to match edges to create the circle. Thank you. momoftana at yahoo dot com

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

What a great idea

Jocelyn said...

Great project. Thanks for the tutorial!

KatieQ said...

Thank you for the very detailed tutorial. I think that the square, before trimming the corners to make an octagon, would made a cute baby quilt

MissPat said...

What a great tutorial! I no longer put up a tree and don't have a table suited for this size, but I love your design.

Janice Holton said...

Great tutorial! Very detailed instructions. Nicely done!

mary c said...

Great idea and fantastic tute! I think this would be a great start to my Christmas sewing projects! maryc76904 at yahoo dot com

Jeanna said...

This is an excellent tutorial and I appreciate all of the photos and how detailed you are with the instructions. I'm bookmarking this post and will try to make one in a couple of months.

Needled Mom said...

Thanks for the fabulous tutorial. They would make the tree extra festive.

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

Ha! A girl after my own heart. I love long, detailed tutorials so you go for it girl! This one was awesome and I'm putting it on the top of my gift list. Thanks! jennifer.fulton@inquiringquilter.com

Peggy said...

Love your tutorial. Very easy to follow.
Thanks,
Peggy
peggy_verdongibbs@att.net

Michele said...

Your tutorial was well written and your tree skirts turned out very nice. I'm sure a lot of people will now be adding this to their "To Do" list.

Anonymous said...

Your tree skirt is beautiful and simple, and your tutorial is awesome. Thanks!

Please click on the delaineelliott above for my email link.

Danice G said...

Very pretty. I also love tree skirts. Thank you for the tutorial. It is the simpliest pattern I have seen for a tree skirt :)

Tirzah said...

BEAUTIFUL TREE SKIRT READINGTIRZAH AT YAHOO.COM

Beth B said...

Your tutorial makes it seem possible to make a tree skirt. I have an issue with my four-footed baby; I can't keep him away from the tree...

macraw said...

Great tutorial - love it!

Barb said...

Very nice tree skirt--Thanks for the directions!
barbkaup(at)(yahoo)(dot)(com)

suzanprincess said...

Very thorough tutorial, and I like the idea of quilting first and then cutting the opening. Thanks!

Chiska said...

Thanks for the great tutorial! It's going on my list of things to make. Thank you!

DebbieM said...

Wow, what a great tutorial! I'm going to try to do one of these for myself as my tree skirt has seen better days and besides, I don't have a quilted one yet! Thank you.

Gloria said...

I would never have thought to quilt first and cut the opening second. Or the need to use bias binding. Thank you for both those tips.

Sandra Walker said...

I knew I recognized your name and the truck fabric! I was June's challenger last year! Thanks for the tree skirt tutorial - looks great in all the fabrics but Henry Gkass is best ;-)

Cecilia said...

I love your tree skirt! Thanks for the great tutorial.

Anonymous said...

Very nice tree skirt pattern. This is definitely one I would like to try. Thank you for the tutorial.

Amy said...

Beautiful tree skirts and a wonderful tutorial. Love it.

Anna brown said...

Tyty this I'd saved live doing tree skirts too.... happyness04431@yahoo.com

Lindah said...

How pretty! And a very clear tutorial. Thank you!

Kay said...

I always tell myself that this will be the year I make a tree skirt, thank you for a great tutorial. x

Anonymous said...

So easy! I need to try this. I love lamoyne stars

Kelly O. said...

I need a support group to help cut the middle out of a quilt--nerves!! but this looks fabulous!

mangozz said...

Very nice tree skirt. Thanks for the tutorial.

Donna W said...

Fantastic tree skirt. And would make a great table topper or wall hanging without the center cut out.

helenjean@midgetgemquilts said...

i always intended to make a tree skirt but never have. so thank you for such a detailed tutorial

Leanne Parsons said...

They're all beautiful, but the one with the fussy cut trucks is my favourite! Thanks for including info on how to bind irregular corners...I've always avoided them because I wasn't sure what to do :)

Maximumcreations said...

Very lovely, thank you for the tutorial. This a,great idea for using up some of those bigger scraps of holiday fabrics I have on hand.

Maximumcreations said...

Very lovely, thank you for the tutorial. This a,great idea for using up some of those bigger scraps of holiday fabrics I have on hand.

Jen said...

I love all of your photos in your tutorial. I am tempted to give this a try this year. You make it look do-able! Excellent job. I really love the fabrics you chose for the couple in the cabin. It is beautiful!

Janet said...

Pretty! Thanks for the detailed tutorial.

jann said...

Thanx for the very clear tute! Lots of very much needed information.

Chantal said...

What a beautiful project. I am going to use your tutorial to make one for my son and daughter as they have both graduated and moved into apartments this year. Thank you for a wonderful tutorial.

MonaR said...

Very, very nice tutorial. I'm excited to learn some new tricks and your explanations are so clear and concise. Thanks!

Moira said...

Thanks for sharing the project!

Sarah J said...

You wrote such a thorough and clear tutorial-- thank you (the irregular corner binding is super helpful!)! I would love to make a tree skirt someday.

Christina said...

A beautiful yet simple tree skirt. I love it. Thank you for sharing!

Karen in Breezy Point said...

Super tutorial--these would make wonderful gifts!!

Cathy L Wilson said...

Beautiful pattern and very clear instructions! I have to try this one day!

Lori Smanski said...

this is wonderful. thank you for the great tutorial. perfect timing as i need one for this year.

quilting dash lady at comcast dot net