My Bucket Basket

Bucket Basket

Last Christmas, my sister Amy, of Amy Made That! blog,    gave me a charm pack of "Hollywood &  Vines" fabric ,   by 3 Sisters (Moda).  Isn't it gorgeous?!  (It's vintage!)

And, as a bonus....  It came in an adorable tin box!  Nestled inside were  26 gorgeous five-inch blocks.

Hollywood & Vines   by 3 Sisters

Amy gave me a challenge to see what I would create with these charm blocks, using this elegant and dramatic fabric!

I decided to  make my blocks into a Bucket Basket!   This is a free pattern, by Very Shannon  {HERE}   I love the curves in this basket bag.  And, I "happened" to have the perfect 3 Sisters fabric , to use for the lining and handles!  (Reason #1 for having a good fabric stash!!)

Bucket Basket   by Very Shannon

 I adapted the pattern: sewing 3 rows of four charm squares, rather than making a middle section of contrasting fabric, for the front and back panels of the bucket basket.

This Bucket Basket finished up at a size of :  12"H  x 14"W x 5 1/4"D

My Bucket Basket       by Susie's Sunroom

                  

    

And here is the gorgeous lining....

Did you notice something else that I made, out of the remaining 2 charms squares of the Hollywood & Vines?        

Yep!  The last 2 charms squares were perfect for making a Cathderal Window Pincushion!

I used the tutorial at My Go-Go Life blog , by Kim !!   {Here}  Kim has great photos to go with her instructions!

Cathedral Window Pincushion    by Susie's Sunroom

                                   

I am pleased with my projects, using these 26 charm squares of Hollywood & Vines !!

How did I do on your challenge , Amy?

My projects

                                             
                         

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:    Finish It Up Friday  @  Crazy Mom Quilts   and
                         Let's Bee Social  @  Sew Fresh Quilts  and

                          Can I Get A Whoop Whoop! @  Confessions of a Fabric Addict  and
                        Fabric  Frenzy Friday  @  Fort Worth Fabric Studio

A North Woods Christmas Tree

A North Woods Christmas Tree

A few months ago, I won a beautiful fabric panel :  North Woods { by Kate Spain for Moda !}  Thank you, dear Lara, at Buzzin Bumble blog!! 

North Woods fabric by Kate Spain   

After laying out my panel, and looking at it for days, an idea came to me.  Could this cute Scandinavian style  table topper be converted into a tree skirt for my little tree?   The diameter was just a bit small... at 32" across.   I did not want the green leg-ends of the tree stand to stick out from underneath the skirt.


Here is the tree that I wanted to make a Christmas Tree Skirt for...

My "up year-round" Pencil Tree.... with my Apple Picking Tree Skirt
Quilt Design by Lori Holt    blogged here

I ran through various solutions in my mind,  and after talking to my mom, she suggested I could make little cream fabric pouches around each leg- end.  Like the pedals on her piano...which had a velvet pouch around each pedal to prevent scratches.   Eureka!!

The printed table topper

It was fast and fun to  quilt the topper, using my favorite Aurifil #2021 50 weight thread and my walking foot, to make diagonal lines.

It was SCARY to cut into the topper, but I knew it would turn out to be sew cute!!***

**** Don't look at the below  picture if you get queasy cutting into quilts!!****

Cutting the slit into the center of the topper

I sewed up four red ties, 4 little cream booties, and  some cream binding.

Binding clips are sooooo handy

And before I knew it,  my North Woods Tree Skirt was all done!!

North Woods Tree Skirt and center ornament !

You can see how it perfectly fits my pencil tree!  Do you see the little cream booties peeking out under the tree skirt?  

My pencil tree and North Woods Tree Skirt 

It was fun and quick to make the ornaments from the panel, too!  I added some ribbon to the center that was cut out, and it became the first ornament!!

Birds, pears, hearts , stars and Christmas trees came after!

Cutting the backing for the bird ornament!

Bird ornament

Have you noticed this beautiful Star of Bethlehem ornament?  My beautiful friend, Esther, gave that to me!!

I quilted a little around the fun Kate Spain Doodle Designs from the panel, too!
Scandi cuteness!!

Pear ornaments

Tree with hearts and Christmas tree ornaments

My tree is slowly filling up with these Scandi ornaments!  

I may have to  finish them up in January, if I don't have time to make them all  before Christmas.   I like to machine sew and stuff them, and  then leave the handstitching (of the stuffing holes)  to do while I watch tv with my hubby in the nighttime.

Thank you , Lara, for my lovely giveaway gift !  I will think of you every Christmas!

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:        Can I Get A Whoop Whoop !  @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  and
                           Fabric Frenzy Friday @  Fort Worth Fabric Studio     and
                            Finish It Up Friday @  Crazy Mom Sews   and
                           Let's Bee Social  @ Sew Fresh Quilts   and 
                           TGIFF   @ Sparrow In Flight   and
                          Finished Or Not Friday  @   Busy Hands Quilts  and
                            Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew @ Celtic Thistle Stitches