Reene tried to make me look at the date today, because it had just scared her, but I told her I’m sticking my head in the sand and that’s that… So this week I ended up making a tree skirt for a photo shoot. Yep, I have nowhere to leave a tree on a longer term basis, and I won’t be here for the big day anyway, but I had to make a skirt for a temporary tree. As you do… But I did get started on my gran’s present, so I’m not entirely ignoring the big day, right? Right?! How are you doing? Go on, make me feel better/normal ;o)
Finishes This Week:
I decided to draft my own pattern for the tree skirt. I started with a Cori Dantini Merry Stitches panel I’d got from the Stitch Gathering, then added to it with some other fabrics from the line and pondered. Having pondered for a bit, I decided that the easiest thing to do would be to feature the girls from the panel with a simple patchwork around them (albeit with some extremely OCD mental rules about the fact that no two prints in the same colour could be next to each other, and no two colourways of the same print could be next to each other)
I divided the skirt up into 6 panels, grabbed my protractor and a flip chart pad, and made a template for the sections. I cut the batting bigger for each bit, and part pieced, part QAYG’ed the sections, then used the template to cut them to size before joining them with a simple zig zag stitch. I’d thought about using traditional QAYG joining techniques, but then decided I didn’t want a solid strip between each section, and since it isn’t being used as a quilt, I wasn’t too worried about it being rent asunder! I backed it with an offcut of a sheet I’d used for another backing previously, and bound it with pre-bought bias binding.
I had a slight fan girl moment when Cori Dantini herself liked the progress pic on IG, especially given the dinginess of the lighting in that particular photo!
Yes, I really do have the wonkiest fake Christmas tree on earth, but since the entire thing, including decorations, cost me just under £10, I can’t complain too much!
In Progress This Week:
Funnily enough, the present for my gran also uses a Cori Dantini panel. I’ve hoarded this one for a couple of years now, but I realised it was the perfect colour way for my gran’s living room, so it was brought into the light of day. A while ago I made my gran a cushion from some faux suede type stuff, as she wanted something for her chair that was big and comfy, but would stand being sat on repeatedly. A few months later she asked if I would make her an antimacassar from the same fabric, however I knew it would be entirely unsuitable for the task, since it isn’t washable.
I’ve been mentally debating this on and off ever since, but it came to be back at the end of September that what might work was a plain one out of Essex yarn dyed linen in leather for her chair, with a co-ordinating panel for the back of her sofa. This was where the Beauty Is You panel came into play. Unfortunately I didn’t grab the other prints from the line, as I came to it rather late, but I raided my stash and came up with a range of prints from other lines that I thought would work.
I used some magic numbers to come up with a ‘pattern’ and got to work on the piecing. I quilted it with a range of fancy stitches I found on my machine, and my next step is to add the backing, which has some velcro attached clingy stuff so it won’t slide off her leather sofa.
To Be Worked On This Week:
Finish gran’s pressie
Sort out my left foot that a pot of screen printing ink fell on
Bake some cookies for the neighbours
Linking up with Lee and the gang:
I bet your gran will love it. The colours are perfect for the Cori Dantinie. I would have been giddy with excitement having a designer 'like' something I'd made – well done! Juliex
Oh how I love those Cori Dantini panels. Both projects with them look great!!
I love how you're showiing off Cori Dantinie fabrics with your colourful patchwork. How cool that Cori saw it. Your Gran will love her gift, Isn't it great to used some decorative stitches.
Ooh lots of lovely stuff!
The panels are very cute. I'm sure your Gran will love it.
So… A week to go… This is where I sit back smug in the knowledge that I'm not making any xmas gifts 🙂
Good luck getting everything finished. Though I'm sure you don't need it
Me head is firmly stuck in the sand too!! The tree looks like it might topple with that star on top but at least it has a very pretty skirt to land on 😉 Your gran's pressie looks fab too!
your makes are lovely – though i'm a bit confused why you needed the tree skirt? did you need to have a temporary tree?! and Cookies for the neighbours?! not YOUR neighbours? lol
no worries, I'm as crazy stressed as you to get things sewn etc. etc. 2 more gifts I want to make and one is kinda major + gift bags! yikes. Take care!
You're doing fine, keep that head firmly in that sand 😉 We don't have a tree or any decorations, our dog walker must think we're odd when she comes to collect Hank. We're never home for Christmas either and I only like the real trees, and they're bad for the environment and bad for households with puppies and bad for walking around in bare feet.
YOur tree skirt is lovely. You need a tree even if you are not home on the day. I gives the lovely feeling of Christmas through the house.
Gran will be thrilled I am sure. Grans are always thrilled when a special grandchild gives them something they made.
Hugs Kay
I still haven't got decorations on my tree or the cards hung up. I also haven't finished the only two handmade presents I'm making this year. Arghhhhh!
That Reene's a right pain 😉 Your tree skirt looks fab as does your Cori Dantini patchwork 🙂
I love that word, antimacassar. Nice stitching and beautiful fabrics. I have finally accepted that it is time to make the to do list and get moving.
Your tree skirt looks beautiful – such ag reat way to use those cute Cori Dantini prints!
Your tree skirt is gorgeous! I only discovered Cori's work through you, and I'm now the proud owner of a few of her prints ;o)
I'm in love with the orange in your WIP and the fancy stitching over the seams! I ran out of time to make a tree skirt this year .. I shall just stare longingly at yours instead.
Handmade for Gran, you will be awash with Brownie points 🙂
hehehe, I like your wonky Christmas tree and tree skirt! I get a little OCD like you when planning layouts, but you have much better followthrough. 😀
Golly I wish I knew what an Antimacassar was! I was hoping it was cheese, but that's just me.
Gran sure is a lucky girl!! I adore the antithingy alot!!!
What a great idea to make the panels, then cut them to size! sigh, having a brain that thinks like that would have saved me a whole lotta time, cussing and late night calculations on a recent project.
Just to make you feel completely better about sewing Christmas project so near the due date, I am not planning on even starting mine until January 5th!!!
oh! ps, was your foot broken?? I sincerely hope not. XX!
Nice makes x hope your foot's better by now. (Injury or are we just a funny colour?)