Linen Closet: Early Project

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 Christmas Tree Skirt

As I was pulling out all the Christmas decorations, it occurred to me that our tree skirt comes straight from the linen closet! It's an early quilting project that takes me down memory lane this time of year.

The points are the traditional log cabin block. It was machine pieced and quilted, but the gold cording along the edge and the tassels were sewn on by hand. The opening has a flap of extra fabric on one side which falls to the back when the edges are overlapped. Velcro along the opening edges keep it in place around the base of the tree. 


This skirt was made for an average sized tree. It looked a bit small when we replaced that early marriage tree with a larger one years ago. I briefly considered retiring it, but my family does treasure its holiday traditions. 

The problem was solved by putting a circle of complementary fabric under it. This extended its circumference and made it feel more proportionate to the new tree. 


Gotta love the shimmer of gold in those center squares!

Amazingly, I held on to the pattern I used. It was a 1990's vintage Simplicity craft pattern designed by Shirley Botsford. This is what comes from being a semi-organized pack rat. You can usually track down the origins of everything you ever created! 


I think it's time to pass this pattern on to a fellow sewing enthusiast, so some holiday traditions can be created in another home. 

         





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