A New Tree Skirt

There are two reasons why I haven't had a tree skirt up until now for the 5 Christmas' Bart and I have had together. The first being I am pretty picky when it comes to stylized choices, something that is directed more by what I don't like rather than what I do. The second is that I am pretty thrifty and just can't bring myself to buy the truly adorable skirts I can only find at places like Anthropologie or boutiques. This is why I stear toward the handmade because it is something I enjoy, I can generally make it cheaper, and have a lot of fun in the creation process. Cheaper is obviously a relative term, in many cases it isn't the case at all, but I understand that I do these things for personal satisfaction. I craft for a sense of accomplishment the way some people like running marathons, gardening, or tackling a particularly difficult sudoku.

I decided I wanted something simple that would be neutral for any traditional holiday tree. I also wanted a candy cane feel because I love stripes and I don't like a lot of green around, other than the tree itself. I chose a red and green argyle trim to accent and bind the circular 'quilt'. (Undone, it reminds me of a Café Rio mint!)

I sewed the wedges together to make the top, then pieced the back-to the batting-to the top, just like a quilt. Then I sewed with my machine along the seams to attach the layers and finished by sewing the binding to the hole cut in the middle and the outside trim.

Avery liked it and so I took a pic of her in the skirt. This is actually what I used to do when I was little. I always wanted to wear it out to church or school, I was such a dork.

Isn't it fun? It was definitely fun to make. Although it's hard not to have a pattern to follow, it's kind of an adventure to come up with everything as I go!