Last Christmas my hubby bought me this textile hanger. It is made from smoked bamboo and was crafted in Vietnam. Sometime after the holidays he hung it on the wall in our great room as I had planned to use it for hanging small quilts but for months it just hung there empty.
I wanted it to be just Red and Green so I selected some of the Red charms that went well together.
Then I cut them into half and made bricks.
Those bricks became the bottom row of my tree. I wanted the finished quilt to be a specific size to fit the space so 7 bricks worked perfectly mathmatically.
Next came the Green pieces.
Same step next...cutting them in half to create bricks.
I made the Green row 1 inch shorter on each side so the middle piece is a 2 1/2" x 3" (cut) rectangle.
I kept working my way up and of course my assistant stopped by every so often to inspect my progress.
Once all the rows were done, I added white strips to each side to create my desired width of 36 inches.
The rows were quickly and easily sewn together and within a few hours I had a finished quilt top.
I debated about what thread to use for this and since White didn't feel right, I waited to attend a show and there I picked up some Superior Metallic thread in both Gold and Silver. Once home I placed both on the quilt top and the Gold was definitely the right choice.
Of course my Girl Scouts duties got in the way of this getting finished for a few months but when I listed my Penelope for sale I had to complete the quilting so that I could put practice fabric on the frame for potential buyers. It didn't take long and then all that was left to do was the trimming and the binding.
I'm really thrilled with how the Gold metallic thread worked on this quilt. It give it just the right amount of bling without overpowering the fabrics.
I used more half charms in alternating Red and Green for the binding and then Ta Da it was done!
Of course Mother Nature wasn't cooperative for quite a number of days to allow me to take some final pictures of it and as soon as the clouds cleared I snapped them quick.
I used the Santa Ana panto and I love the effect.
I'm so happy that another one of my light bulb moment ideas turned out exactly as I imagined and this gorgeous quilt will now hang on the wall for all the admire for many holiday seasons to come.
I'm finalizing the details so you can make your own version of my tree quilt and will post it soon. Edit: you can find the tutorial here.
I've made one more quilt top from my Kate Spain Christmas charms and if I can find the time to get it quilted and bound soon, I'll be able to share that one with you too.
I've made one more quilt top from my Kate Spain Christmas charms and if I can find the time to get it quilted and bound soon, I'll be able to share that one with you too.
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9 Comments:
Oh, this is very cute! Clever idea too.
Gorgeous quilt and I look forward to your tutorial so I can make my own! Next summer, I am going to get a jump on my Christmas projects. The gold metallic thread was perfect and I'm sure it shines even more in person...just lovely!
Super cute quilt for the holidays!!
Love the way your tree turned out! I don't have charm squares, but I have plenty of scraps and could easily imitate this!
My quilt from your Kate Spain swap in currently on our bed! I love the bright Christmas fabrics we collected in the swap!
Waiting for the "tute"!!!! This is so perfect for a project for our new approach to decorating for Christmas. Since we leave for TX on the 27th each year, I really don't want major Christmas decor to get in the way of packing for the trip south. This would be the wonderful answer!! I am a huge advocate for Superior's metallic threads (especially #025 Variegated Gold Metallic.....I buy 2 cones at a time!!!!!). The panto surrounds the tree so nicely!!!!! Excited for your machine!!!!
I love it! The fabrics, the design, the quilting .... all perfect.
Your Merry Jingle Christmas Quilt is lovely. This would be a fun project to make with a friend.
Great idea. I love tree quilts and I have a collection of them on my walls for the holidays.
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