Very Berry Christmas Tree Skirt

I found this pattern and embroidery CD at the Des Moines, Iowa AQS show in October and really wanted to make this!  So much so, that I found fabric at the show for it AND pulled it out to make in December.  A new record?  The fabric and pattern were only in house for 2 months!  *snicker*

It is 12 sections that are sort of cone shaped and each are embroidered/appliqued separately in the mega hoop for my machine.

I had the top of the tree skirt done for Christmas.

I quilted it in early January.

In February, I added the binding.

Pattern notes:

This is the large tree skirt.  Whereas, at this point, I vow to never make this pattern again, there is a tiny inclining in me to make the small tree skirt.  *sigh*  The pattern calls for 1/2 yard fabric for binding.  That is not enough for bias strips for 12 scallops and the back opening and circle.  I thankfully found the fabric online and could make longer strips.  I do continuous bias so used an extra large square and have miles of binding left!  🙂  But not a seam for every scallop as the 1/2 yd would have made.    The fabric for the background is *just* enough for the cones.  Premark before cutting, make sure you slide the cones up & down as you cut, and hold your breath you have enough at the end.  It was a tight squeeze for me.

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Swirl Table Runner

One winter UFO finished!

There seems to have been a bit of moaning & groaning over the bias binding on swirled edges but it is finished and I’m pleased with the runner.

And super pleased it fits perfectly on the oak chest!

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Patten That Quilt Twice

My 2nd & 5th classes at the Milwaukee Machine Quilting Show were by Sue Patten, Patten That Quilt.   I loved her work & her energy & her willingness to teach us.  She is too cute and a super teacher!

Loved the thread there and the stash of templates… OH MY!!  I do NOT need a large tub.  Yet.

(and if this isn’t Jean in my photo, well let’s just say you should be sad you don’t know her.  A fantastic friend that I’m honored to have met here on Tuesday night.  🙂  )

The 1st class with Sue was a hands-on demo but really a part 2 to the class that non of the 5 of us had that morning.     So she gave a quick overview of her ZenSuedled class.  I REALLY wanted to take that too but that was in the morning and I just didn’t see that I could be off and driving up there at 6 a.m., you know.

ZenSUEdled.  I loved that!!  🙂    Brilliant, I’d say!!!  There aren’t many of us that can do that with our names and be cool.

She showed us a bit of her stitching fill-ins and then some of her drawings.

AND…  I can’t wait to see her fabric line coming out!!  Yowsers!!!  🙂

I ended the evening with dinner in the hotel restaurant with my new friends, Jean & her husband.  What a fantastic bonus to the show!   Supper was great too!

The 2nd class I had with Sue was Thursday morning and I could hardly stand the wait.  I had already shopped her store in the vendor hall and am itching to try her ideas.   This next class was a lecture since the conference was short a long-arm provider that was terribly hurt by the spring hurricanes.  Sue did her teaching by drawing on the white board.  Still wonderful!!

I had taken one of her books and had that signed.  Later figured that I have her first book too… duh!  Too bad that one didn’t get signed as well.

This is what we were learning for the class.   But on the board, we got a series of drawings.

It was HUGE to me to have her talk all this out and show us.    Her classes really made her books come alive to me.  I will follow her at the next show and hope to get in some more classes with her.

The quilt show also had a special exhibit of Sue’s work.   I loved seeing her quilts in person — some with a lot of thread work and some with her signature quilting.

Here is a sampling — click to see it bigger.  The backgrounds are really jet black… not the effects of my camera.

So another goal I have is to make a ZenSuedled quilt as well as apply some of her quilting to my quilts.   I’ve begged for her book & DVD but she is swamped with her travel schedule, I’m sure.  I did ask a few more questions after the 2nd class I had with her and hope between that & some emails, I can be ZenSuedled.  🙂  I have some practice fabric ready to load and then will work on many of the new techniques I learned.  I’m so excited!!

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Milwaukee Quilt Show 1

Last week I was at the Milwaukee Machine Quilters Show and it was wonderful!  I took 5 classes so will use a few posts to fill you in on them.

My first class was by Norma Riehm on Art Quilting on the Longarm.  I was aiming my classes to my business but at this time frame, to fit in with my next class, this just worked and was very good!  She even blogged about our class here.  🙂

The trunk show was wonderful and gave me so many ideas.  I was crazy with the camera but glad I can go back to the photos as needed.

As always, you can click on the photo and see them all larger.

I won a cone of Molly Poly thread and then she cut the class sample into 4 pieces so we each got a piece. Yes, a very small class.  Great for students, I hope still good for the teacher!   What a great intro for me to this whole show.  I was so happy with this class.   I’ve already tried this technique and will post that next, if you don’t mind.

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