MODERN CHRISTMAS TREE APPLIQUÉ

Don't forget to continue the Hop, there are more project posts and more chances to enter for prizes.  Today is Brooke of sillymamquilts and tomorrow Gina Martin the creator of this wonderful fabric.
You can enter any of the bloggers drawings until Thursday the 31st. 

• July 23rd  Becca Bryan www.bryanhousequilts.com
• July 24th  Hilary Smith  www.youngtexanmama.com 
• July 25th  Sally Keller   www.sallysangelworks.typepad.com
• July 28th  Donna Shervington    www.donnaleeq.blogspot.com
• July 29th  Brooke Sellmann   http://www.sillymamaquilts.com
• July 30th  Gina Martin  www.patternandhue.com
• July 31st  Prize Drawings

 I will be giving away a layer cake of Gina's wonderful Christmas fabrics. To enter a chance to win please leave me a comment on what you would create with a layer cake of   Gina's Folk Art Holiday fabrics.  

(international entries  are welcomed) Winners  will be announced July 31st.

My wall hanging or table runner, the piece can be used for either, is 16½ inches wide by 38 inches long.  I saw a picture of a similar project on the back cover of the Bernina Look Book 2014, which was created by Bernina staff.  The book did not provide any directions or pattern for the piece, so I have provided a simple tutorial that I hope will help you if you wish to create a similar item.  

These are the 16 fabrics in the Folk Art Holiday line.  You can use 14 fat quarters, or even a layer cake for the circles and star, but you will need 2 half-yard pieces.  I used one of the half-yard pieces for my background, and the other for my binding.

I had a package of June Tailor Mix ‘n Match Templates for Quilters with 6 different sized circles, however I still needed some different sizes.  I found an old art compass and used it to make additional sizes.  If you do not have templates or access to a compass you can search the kitchen and even the medicine cabinet for tops to jars and medicine bottles for different circle sizes. 

I used Steam-A-Seam 2 Light to adhere my circles to my background fabric.  There are several other brands of adhesive paper that are available.  I drew a variety of circle sizes on my adhesive paper, using the manufacturer’s directions.  I even made some half circles.  Following the manufacturer’s directions I ironed the adhesive on to the back of my different fabrics.  I cut them all out ready to adhere them to my background fabric once I had laid them all out in a pleasing design.  

I used one of the half yards for my background using the salvage-to-salvage 40/42 inches by the 18 half-yard cut.  My choice was to use the white background with the light grey snowflakes, as a winter sky.  

I cut a pot for my tree using a quilters’ triangle ruler, and also cut a lip for the pot with the same ruler. 

I put my background up on my design wall and starting at the bottom of my tree and began to set my circles and half circles in a pleasing manner.  I took care to try to use the most visual colors on the outside of the tree to give the best vision of  a tree design.

My last template was a star.  I found a star template in one of my quilt books that seemed to be the right size, and again used adhesive paper to prepare it for the tree.

When I was happy with the entire design; I iron the pot, circles, half circles, and star to my background.

I appliqued my adhered shapes to my tree using a small zigzag stitch.  I found I did not need stabilizer, but some machines do require the use of it to avoid tunneling.  Usually a light-weight tear away stabilizer is sufficient.

I sandwiched my completed appliqued top with Warm & Natural batting, and used a light gray solid for my backing.  I ironed the layers well and used flower pins to hold the sandwich together while I quilted it.  

I used a light grey regular sewing thread in my bobbin and a light grey Isacord thread for the top thread.  If Isacord is not available Sulky rayon 40wt thread can be purchased at most fabric stores and also works well.  I decided on a wavy quilting pattern, which I thought gave the impression of a winter wind blowing through the tree.   

With all the quilting finished I trimmed off the excess back and batting adjusting the width and length to my desired size and sewed a light grey binding on it and included a hanging sleeve.  I wanted to be able to use the piece for either a wall hanging or table runner.