Apple Picking Tree Skirt

How About Them Apples....

I bought this super cute pattern, Apple Picking Quilt,  by Lori Holt, a long time ago. 

Apple Picking Quilt   by Lori Holt  { here }

Last week, I bought a bag of Ginger Crisp apples for my mother, and remembered that I had this  Lori Holt apple quilt pattern in my files.

So, I dug into my laundry basket of fabrics that I had pulled to together for making my Farm Girl Vintage Quilt.  ( FGV quilt  block patterns from the book, "Farm Girl Vintage" by Lori Holt.)   You can see my quilt Here. 

This is what I made....

 A Green Apple 

These 12 inch blocks make up so quickly!

A Red apple

Adding on a third scrappy apple

Before I knew it....

Whiskers is heading over to the quilt top to check out all of the apples

As I was making the apple blocks, I realized that this would make a really "delicious"  tree skirt  !

Inspiration:   I saw a video by Rob, at ManSewing, with Violet Craft, on how to turn an unfinished quilt into a tree skirt  {here }

The finished quilt came out to be 33 " by 33 " , after adding some sashing to the four sides.  

I made the quilt sandwich,  and quilted straight lines, at 1.5 " apart, both horizontally and vertically, using my walking foot.

Then it got hard.... 

I became REALLY nervous when I had to cut out the center circle, and the line out to the edge!!  I held my breath and used my special ( very sharp) Gingher Dressmaking shears, and cut!   Success!!

Next, I  sewed  up 4 ties, and pinned them on to the opening, before sewing on the bias binding.

The ties are pinned 

 I machine sewed the bias binding to the front of the tree skirt.  The binding was then hand stitched to the back side.  

Oops... after reading  checking out the pattern, I realized that I should have embroidered the seeds to the apple blocks  before putting the front and back together!  Carefully, I  stitched the apple seeds without thread coming through to the quilt back .  It was slow going, but worth the effort. I  like the addition of the seeds to the cut apples!   ( Note to self:  make a note on the pattern to embroider seeds right after making the quilt top !!)

Embroidering the apple seeds

And here is the finished " Apple Picking Quilt" tree skirt for my pencil tree!

My "Apple Picking " tree skirt    Susie's Sunroom

Before: The Apple Picking Quilt ...After: the Apple Picking Tree Skirt  ! 
by  Susie's Sunroom

I love the little patchwork apples!

I am so happy with my new little tree skirt!

I wonder how long it will be until it is covered with little black kitty hairs?!  LOL

Don't be afraid to cut into that small quilt to make your own tree skirt!

Next on my "To Make" List-   make a Christmas Tree Skirt before December.  (  I won't be  limited to tree skirt patterns to find what I like!)

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
                      Finished Or Not Friday  @ Busy Hands Quilts     and
                         Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts   and
                           Fabric Tuesday   @ Quilt Story  and
                          Finish It  Up Friday  @ Crazy Mom Quilts

Christmas Fun

Sewing Fun  for Christmas

It's never " too early " to get something made for the holidays, right?!

Today,  some fabulous new  paper pieced patterns for the winter season are being released by Janeen, of Quilt Art Designs!!  It's all in the latest edition of that fun pattern-filled  digital magazine , called " Paper Piecing 1/4 " . "   ( Oct-Dec 2016 issue #11 available here )   Click  HERE on this  link to see what  delightful patterns are in this  issue!

Issue #11  Oct - Dec 2016  {here}

The first block I made up from this new issue #11 :  Candy Cane Pencil

Paper pieced Candy Cane Pencil block    designed by Quilt Art Designs
from the new issue #11 " Paper Piecing 1/4" "  magazine

I had fun laying out and playing with this cute candy cane pencil block... I think I may sew up a cute QADesigns Christmas mini quilt with some Christmas blocks from  prior  PP 1/4"  digital magazines!

I machine embroidered the "Merry Christmas" on the  green fabric

There's a smaller candy cane with a bow ... an older pattern

There's some cute possible layouts here! 

I'll show you how I end up using the Candy Cane Pencil block , after it is all done!

Another block from the new magazine:   Cat Helper


What a cute pattern !!  I made mine into a big pillow!

Cat Helper block... made into a pillow

Of course, my own little Cat Helper had to check out the new pillow!!

Hmmm,  that kitty looks familiar.... 

I made a covered zipper for the pillow back. I love this holly and bells fabric... I am a ringer in our church's hand bell choir!  

Back of pillow

I had  such fun making these holiday blocks!  Maybe you , too, will find something you can enjoy making before the holiday rush !

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:    

                        Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew   @ Celtic Thistle Stitches   and 

                         Can I Get A Whoop Whoop ! @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  and

                           Let's Bee Social  @  Sew Fresh Quilts  and

                           Finish It Up Friday  @  Crazy Mom Quilts   and 

                           TGIFF  @ Celtic Thistle Stitches   and

                            Fabric Friday Frenzy  @ Fort Worth Fabrics Studio  and 

                          Finished or Not Friday  @ Busy Hands Quilts

Pattern provided by QAD Publishing

The "Sew The Rainbow" Quilt Finish

 "Sew The Rainbow" Quilt

I am so excited to share my finished "Sew The Rainbow" quilt with you!

Sew The Rainbow quilt -
Pattern by Kristy at Quiet Play 

Quilt Details:

Pattern-  Sew The Rainbow   by Kristy at Quiet Play  {here}
               - a paper pieced pattern

Aurifil Spool pattern:    by Charise Creates {here}, from  the Splendid Sampler.
             
Size-    41" x55"  approx.

Fabrics-   Mimosa  by Windham fabrics,  a fat quarter bundle
               Line Dried- by Connecting Threads for the background fabric

Thread-  Aurifl #2021  50 wt. for quilting

Quilting-   Horizontal straight lines, one inch apart, using the walking foot

Batting-  Warm and Natural, cotton
Binding-   hand sewn to the back
Here's what the front and back side looked like before I made it into a quilt sandwich:

 Front and back of quilt, before quilting
by Susie's Sunroom

Have you noticed that giant spool of "Aurifil " thread ?!

I wanted a big spool to be the center of my quilt back.  Then, I pieced  together 4 fat quarters left from my Mimosa fat quarter bundle.
I enlarged the  Aurifil spool  pattern  ( by Charise Creates ) to create a 19" high Aurifil spool, loaded with "Mismosa" thread!

Whiskers was exhausted after helping me make the quilt sandwich!

Close up of the back... of course I had to make an Aurifil Spool label, too!

The back of my quilt  

Front and back of "Sew The Rainbow" Quilt    Susie's Sunroom

This is the first time I used straight line quilting on a bigger quilt. I really like how it turned out!  I used my walking foot, with the Edge/Quilting guide attachment, to make the parallel rows of quilting.    (I may have copied Kristy's  gorgeous Sew The Rainbow Quilt { go here} because it looked so awesome!  ) 

Sew The Rainbow quilt   by Susie's Sunroom

This quilt was so satisfying to make and finish up! It has "sew many" of my favorite components... geometric design, scissors, spools, flying geese, a sewing machine, AND  paper piecing !!   Even on the dreariest of days, I can find a rainbow ....by  looking at my  Sew The Rainbow quilt !

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:    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   and
                      Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts   and