Sew a New Christmas Tree Skirt

Sew a New Christmas Tree Skirt

With a small investment of time, you can create a Christmas Tree Skirt that will showcase the center of your holiday decorations. Choose fat quarter cuts or use fabric from your stash to create the wedge shapes. The sewing is streamlined; the end result a boutique-style decoration.  Enjoy!

One super-sized Dresden appliqué is the basis for this tree skirt. It takes about as much time to create this large Dresden shape (40“) as a traditional quilt block (12“). Soon you’ll realize that there is still time to create this tree skirt before the holidays.

Fabric/Supplies:

• Six coordinating fat quarter cuts of fabrics (18″ x 22″)
• 2-1/2 yd. of 42″ wide cotton fabric for the tree-skirt background fabric

• 1-1/4 yd. of batting or Pellon Fleece
• 1/3 yd. of fabric for piping
• 1 pkg. 3/8″ Wrap ‘n Fuse Piping (6 yd. pkg.)
• Madeira’s Monofilament Thread
• One-inch 3/4″ wide Velcro
• Trace ‘n Create Quilt Template—Dresden Collection

Cut 19 Dresden Wedges

Detailed instructions are found in the Trace ‘n Create Quilt Templates—Dresden Collection package. These instructions are modified to create this tree skirt. Consider reading the instructions found in the packaging prior to creating your tree skirt.

• Press each fat quarter section.
• Use theTrace ‘n Create Quilt Templates—Wedge Shape (Template A).
• Align the 6-1/2″ edge of the wedge template along the long edge of the fabric. Trace along the sides of the entire length of the template.
• Rotate, align the template along the first marking, and trace the opposite side of the template. Rotate and trace again.
• Trace three wedge shapes.

• Stack and align three fat quarter layers. Place a rotary ruler along the markings, cut.

• Repeat, tracing and cutting three wedges from the remaining three fat quarter fabrics.
• Cut one additional wedge shape from the left over fabric, cutting a total of 19 wedges.

Stitch the Wedges to Form a Dresden Shape 

Note: All seam allowances are 1/4”.

• Lay out the wedges in a pleasing arrangement. Make note of the arrangement.

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• Fold each wedge in half, right sides together, aligning the top edge.
• Stitch with a 1/4″ seam along the top edge of each wedge. Chain stitch the wedges together.
• Clip the threads between the wedges.

• Finger press the seam open.

• Turn the wedges right sides out.
• Mark a 45-degree line at the corner of an index card. Insert the card in the wedge shape and align the seam with the marking on the card. Or use Clover’s Hot Hemmer. Press.

• Referencing the color sequence determined earlier, align and pin two wedges right sides together. Stitch with a 1/4″ seam.

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• Sew the wedges, following the color sequence until all 19 wedges have been sewn together. Press the seams open.

Twenty wedges create a full Dresden Plate. The tree skirt is made with 19 wedges, which allows for an opening, making it easy to wrap the skirt around the base of the tree.

Create a 41″ Circle

• Trace a 41″ circle on paper.

We used a Yardstick Compass tool to create the 41″ circle. The photo depicts a much smaller circle, but you get the idea!

• Fold the background fabric in half, meeting cut edges. The folded fabric will be square-shaped.
• Place the fabric on top of a single layer of the batting.
• Pin the circle pattern to the fabric/batting; cut out the pattern, yielding two fabric circles and one batting circle.

•  Stack one fabric circle and the batting circle, wrong side of fabric to batting.
• Center and pin the Dresden shape to the circles. There will be a space where typically the 20^th wedge would have been.

• Position and pin the ends of the wedges approximately 1″ from the cut edge of the fabric.

• Securely pin the Dresden shape to the circle.

Sewing Machine Set-Up

• Thread the needle with Madeira’s Monofilament Thread.
• Use all-purpose thread that matches the background fabric in the bobbin.
• Set the machine for a medium-width zigzag stitch or a blanket stitch.

Stitch the Dresden Shape to the Background Fabric

• Stitch with the zigzag or blanket stitch along the outer edges of the Dresden shape.

• Quilt the layers by using a straight stitch, stitching in the ditch, along the wedge seamlines.

 If you have a clear foot, use it at this time, since it’s easier to see the “ditch” of the seam.

• Cut out the extra background/batting fabric at the center of the tree skirt and along the edges of the wedges.

.  Create and Add the Piping

• Cut 1-1/4″ bias strips of fabric. Piece strips together until strips measure 160″.
• Insert Wrap ‘n Fuse between the wrong sides of the fabric; press.

• Align the edges of the piping to the tree skirt, applying the piping to the long edges and around the outer perimeter.
• Attach a Zipper Foot or the Pearls ‘n Piping. Stitch the piping to the right side of the tree skirt.

• At each lower corner, slightly round the piping around the corner. 

Create the Velcro Tab

• Cut a 2-1/4″ x 4″ rectangle of fabric.

• Fold the fabric in half, meeting short ends. Stitch along the sides.

• Turn right side out; stitch one side of the Velcro to the tab.

Finish the Tree Shirt

• Pin and stitch the Velcro tab along the top edge of one side of the tree skirt as pictured.

• Pin the remaining fabric circle to the tree shirt unit, right sides together.
• Pin along the straight edges, outer perimeter, and along the top edges.

• Using the Zipper Foot or Pearls ‘n Piping Foot,  stitch the backing fabric to the tree skirt.

• Leave a 4–5″ opening along one straight edge, which will be used to turn the tree skirt right side out.

• Along the upper edges and lower edges, wrap and fold the seam allowances toward the tree skirt. The stitching line should be along the fold.
• Restitch the corners, sewing the wrapped seam allowances to the tree skirt.

 This wrapping technique will make it easier to achieve sharp corners when the tree skirt is turned right side out.

• Turn the tree skirt right side out.

• Press the tree skirt.
• Hand stitch the opening closed.
• Stitch the remaining section of Velcro to the opposite side of the tree skirt, making certain that the Velcro pieces will align.

 Enjoy!

Watch Sew Grand Dresden Quilts on Sewing With Nancy online.

Happy Sewing,

Team Nancy Zieman

Nancy Zieman Productions. LLC.

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