Julie Comstock « modafabrics

{A note from Oda May: This delightful tree skirt can be cut and pieced in a couple of hours. It will take you a bit longer to quilt and finish it.}

Hi! It’s Lori from Lori H. Designs, and I am so happy to be sharing my first project here at Moda Bake Shop. I started quilting/sewing in January of 2011 and have been hooked ever since! For this project, I used Odds & Ends by Julie Comstock. I really like how the colors read Christmas but it is still subtle. I don’t know about you, but I love having homemade things in my home around the holidays. This is the perfect project to spruce up your Christmas tree this year!

1 Jelly Roll (I used Odds & Ends by Julie Comstock)
1 yard of a coordinating solid for the sashing (I used Bella Solids Ivory 9900 60)
1 1/2 yards of a coordinating print for the backing (I used Odds & Ends Rosebud 37044 12)
44″ x 44″ piece of batting
3 buttons of your choice (I chose to make fabric covered buttons)

Set back 7 jelly roll strips that you will use for the binding. Forget that you even have them while you are cutting your fabric for the log cabin blocks!!! Put them in another room or even in a drawer! Don’t cut them!!!!

Cutting Instructions:

From the Jelly Roll:
Choose 9 strips and cut 1 – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square from each strip. You will end up with 9 – 2 1/2″ squares.
Choose 9 different strips and cut 1 – 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ piece from each strip. You will end up with 9 – 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ pieces.

Gather all of your jelly roll strips and cut them down to 1 1/2″ widths. Now cut the following pieces. If you want a scrappy look, you will want your cuts to be from different fabrics. For example, none of my 18 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ strips were the same print. Mix it up, have some fun!

18 strips- 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
18 strips- 1 1/2″ x 4 1/2″
18 strips- 1 1/2″ x 5 1/2″
18 strips- 1 1/2″ x 6 1/2″
18 strips- 1 1/2″ x 7 1/2″
18 strips- 1 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
18 strips- 1 1/2″ x 9 1/2″
9 strips – 1 1/2″ x 10 1/2″

From the Coordinating Solid:
6 strips – 3″ x 10 1/2″
4 strips – 3″ x 35 1/2″
2 strips – 3″ x 40 1/2″

From the leftover backing material:
1 – 2″ x 20″ strip for the loops (I cut this after I had basted and quilted the tree skirt)

Piecing Instructions:

You are going to make the 9 log cabins blocks first. I laid out all of my blocks before I started sewing to make sure that my colors were broken up evenly. You will piece the block in the order of the letters. Sew A to B. Then sew C to the A/B section. And so on.

For example. I pieced A to B.

Next, I pieced C to the A/B section.

Then, I pieced D to the A/B/C section. And it continues until you have finished the block.

The finished block should look like this. Make 9. They should measure 10.5″ x 10.5″.

Once you have all 9 blocks made, arrange them in a 3×3 arrangement that you like. After they are in the order that you like, add the 3″ x 10.5″ strips.

Add the 3″ x 35.5″ strips to connect the rows.

To finish off the top, add the 3″ x 40.5″ strips to the left and right side.

Finishing Instructions:

Now that your top is finished, you will need to baste and quilt as desired. I chose to do dense straight line quilting but you could be really creative! Make sure you do NOT bind your project!

Here comes the fun part! We are going to cut the tree skirt!

It’s time to add the loops! Here’s how you make them! Take your 2″ x 20″ strip and iron in half lengthwise.

Open up and iron both sides toward the center, like so.

Fold in half and iron.

Stitch lengthwise down the entire strip.

Cut three 5.5″ strips.

The last step is to fold them and iron. On one of the strips, take both ends and fold down toward the center and iron. Continue to do the same to the remaining two strips.

Now we will add the loops to the tree skirt. Lay the three loops to the left of where you cut your tree skirt. Space them out evenly. Notice that the direction they are laid out.