Thursday Sewing: Making a tree skirt from curtain valances

I had something completely different planned for today's post! And as you can maybe tell I'm a bit late in posting today. What I had planned will have to wait until next Thursday's Sewing Session though. So sorry.

Today I bring you: Making a Tree Skirt from Curtain Valances

This would be a lot more relevant if we were closer to Christmas, but I also never got a chance to post it over Christmas. I was sick most of the time and we had family in from Brazil. So here it is today, and maybe it will give you a head start on your Christmas sewing?

To begin with, I had some old valances laying around that I had picked up at a thrift store, intending to make a silky bag with them. The bags never came to fruition. I needed a tree skirt. The one we had was too small and I wanted something a bit more elegant. And handmade. So I "found" the valances on my fabric shelf and started taking measurements.

With two of them, I had enough material to make the skirt. To make the skirt, I needed to sew them together, make a circular cut out in the middle, and then make eyelets or something similar for the ties on one side.

The first thing I did was to sew them together in the middle, so that the borders were on the outside edges. Then I folded them into halves and quarters so I could easily make a pie-shaped wedge to cut out the circular middle. I really just measured the top of my tree stand, subtracted about 1/2" for seam, and measured from the point to the distance on the ruler. I then cut it and seamed it by folding 1/4" under and running a zig zag stitch all the way around.

During all of this, I'd forgotten that I needed an opening to actually put it around the tree stand. So I cut down the middle of one side, seamed up the sides, and stood back to take a look at it. It needed more. It was just really plain. Here was where my two hour project became four.

I remembered that I had made a filet crocheted set of bells meant to be used as a centerpiece about 11 years ago. They had taken me forever, but were now laying unused in a drawer. I decided they would be perfect for my tree skirt. Sure enough, I got the centerpiece out and laid it across my skirt. Perfect! Now how to sew that sucker on there?

Looking around the craft room, my eyes landed on the can of basting spray I use for quilts. With an Aha! moment and recall of Ashley's post about attaching her crocheted appliques, I set about spraying small sections and applying the piece to the skirt. This probably would've held for a while, but I didn't want to risk it. I pinned the bells around, making sure to keep the slippery material as smooth as possible underneath the bells and the bells flat as well. With a zig zag stitch set for a long length and a short stitch, I carefully sewed the bells to the tree skirt.

For the final touch, I used an eyelet setting on my Janome. I made small holes down the sides of the open edges and then let the Janome do its thing. With little effort on my part, the eyelets were made and nearly perfect. I then laced it all up using some ribbon I had.

So it got a little involved, but I was really happy with the fact that I upcycled the valances and found a new purpose for my unused centerpiece. I also had a brand spanking new tree skirt that didn't cost me a dime to make this year. (I'm not considering the initial cost of the valances which was about $3 and the thread used to crochet the bells, or the ribbon that I had on hand. It was all stuff I had on hand and didn't have to go out to buy.)

With a little thought, looking through your stash, or a fun run through a thrift store, I bet you can find some stuff to make you own Christmas tree skirt for next year. If you make something, would you consider posting it to my group Flickr account? I'd love to see your projects!

*The pattern used for the bells centerpiece was from the November, 2003 issue of Crochet! Magazine and is by Ferosa Harold. You can reference the pattern on Ravelry.

Handmade Holidays, Part 1

A lot of us would really like to be able to do a handmade holiday, but we have pressures from our kids, advertisements, and society in general to buy the name brand toys, clothes, and other things that make retailers rich. Well, this year I'm sick of it. Fortunately, I have some artsy kids that love items crafted by hand. Not to say they don't appreciate the $40 - $70 toys on the market, but with 5 kids how in the world does one do that? What makes me the most angry is that same said toys will inevitably break within just a few minutes, or, God willing, days. Your hard earned money is sunk in the trash bin or the junk toy pile with little more than pretty wrapping paper to console you and your child. So why not make something that will last and maybe bring more joy than plastic playthings? We're also going to try to be realistic about this. Kids aren't dumb, and they will know if you used toilet paper rolls to make trucks. So we're going to go a little beyond that, stay within an inexpensive realm, and find some really cool ideas.

First up: Girls. I think girls are easy. Maybe because I am one, but they are delighted by things that are fairly easy to obtain. My 6-yr-old is really into hair bows. She thinks they are the greatest things ever. Bad news is: Mommy doesn't have a lot of ribbon and can't tie a bow very well, so I had to find out how to do these. I love to sew, and I think that gives a lot of room for improvisations. CreativeMind on Cut-Out-And-Keep had these really cute, simple little bows that would be perfect for little embellishments:


See Fabric Bows and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

I also shared with you last week about Duct Tape bows. I mean, you can make enough for your child, your child's friends, all your nieces, and maybe even grandchildren (if you're of that age) from a single roll of tape. And it costs about $8. Nice little gift I think.

Most little girls also love dolls. Trying to find a doll pattern that isn't scary is the real issue here. Mine don't really care for dolls, though. However, same 6 yo loves "Hello Kitty." I found this really cute felt doll on Cut-Out-and-Keep by Danyelle W. that is crazy inexpensive to make. Buy one pack of felt squares and you can make 10 of these for almost nothing!


See Felt "hello" Kitty Doll and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

I should also mention that this kitty's head is not really that complicated. It's round with ears. So you can make pillows, appliques, hair bow accessories - it's really limitless.

Next time, I'll be posting some things for my bigger (10) girls. If you have some suggestions, let me know in the comments! Here's to a Happy (and inexpensive) Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

Just thought I'd drop in to wish all of my readers a Happy Thanksgiving - no matter where you are or where you're from! It's a great day to just reflect on the year and to be thankful for the things in your life. Trials are a way of strengthening us to walk straighter and prouder, knowing we've fought all that life throws at us with our heads held high. When you give in and give up, fate has won and taken your life. So if you're struggling with things right now (and really, who isn't?) be Thankful because you will come out the victor if you continue to fight hard and choose the right paths.

I also wanted to try and bring some comfort to the lives of those that I know are facing a tough Christmas this year. It's ok if you can't afford to buy everything on your kids' wish lists or get gifts for those that you love. Trust me, most of the time it's not the gift they remember anyway! Be creative, make it a fun and heartwarming time. What you get doesn't have to come from a big retailer. Buy from small businesses, thrift stores, and yard sales. You get more and infuse the economy with more than you do from big business.

Did you know that Saturday is Small Business Saturday anyway? Avoid the headache of Black Friday and go shopping online or hit the little stores. They'll be having sales for Christmas, too! Want more info? Go to the official Facebook page and take the pledge to shop small.

Christmas is a time to really show each other that we love each other. It wasn't until big business got involved in our holiday that it turned into something else. Isn't that the way it usually is? It's the media, advertising, and big retailers that make you feel like you're not doing enough. Your kids will remember making paper chains, popcorn decorations, cookies, and being with you. They will say, "We didn't have much, but we had the best Christmases ever!" Isn't that what you want anyway? Enjoy the holidays, love each other, and keep it crafty!