This month, Island Batik allowed us to challenge ourselves! Our guidelines were to create any project, any size, using any fabric, and any technique! Wow, the possibilities!!
I am still in Dresden plate mode, from last month’s blog hop challenge. That was such a fun challenge! As I was pondering what to make, my mind began racing to figure out how to use the four-patch Dresden ruler from Missouri Star Quilt Company to make my project. I just loved Pamela’s (Pamela Quilts) project from last month using this ruler. You can see her project HERE.
I started digging through my stash for all my green and red and yellow/gold scraps and started making those little four patches. I had to figure out the best way to sew them together to achieve the look I wanted which was to have them look like colored ornaments on the various green “branches” of the Christmas tree! Here is my project!
The background is dark grey solid from Island Batik. The solids, blenders, and neutrals are always available at your favorite quilt store carrying Island Batik. The gift boxes were made with Island Batik scraps as well as the tree. The side gifts are machine appliqued on, and the front two gifts were appliqued as freestanding lace, rinsed, and stitched in place. The star on top is also freestanding lace using Aurifil 40 wt thread from our September project, and mylar to make it shine, which is hard to see in the photo but it really does sparkle!! I layered the top with Hobbs Fusible batting and quilted using a hand look stitch from my machine and holographic gold sparkly thread, with a Schmetz 90-14 needle, to stitch the radiating lines from the star. Aurifil thread and a Schmetz 80/12 needle, which is my go-to piecing combination, were used to piece the Dresden plates. After the quilting, I mounted it on a 16×20 canvas and it is hanging by my dining table, ready for Christmas Day!!
Many thanks to Island Batik, Hobbs Batting, Aurifil thread, and Schmetz needles for providing the materials to create this project! I hope you will visit my fellow ambassadors and check out their December challenge projects!
Renee Atkinson @ Pink Tulip Quilting
Tina Dillard @ Quilting Affection Designs
Connie Kauffman @ Kauffman Designs
Emily Leachman @ Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney @ A Quiltery
Susan Deshensky @ Lady Blue Quilt Studio
Brittany Fisher @ Bobbin with Brittany
Carol Stanek @ Stitch with Color
Solomae Stoycoff @ Cuddle Cat Quiltworks
Jennifer Thomas @ Curlicue Creations
Gail Sheppard @ Quilting Gail
Preeti Harris @ Sew Preeti Quilts
Susan Michaels @ Dragonfly Fiberart
Connie Kresin Campbell@Free Motion by the River
Leah Malasky @ Quilted Delights
Lisa Pickering @ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
Sarah Pitcher @ Pitcher’s Boutique LLC
Suzy Webster @ Webster Quilt
Mania Hatziioannidi @ Mania for Quilts
Kimberly Flannagan @ Kimberly’s Quilts
Kim Jamieson-Hirst @ Chatterbox Quilts
Brenda Alburl @ Songbird Designs (you are here!)
I wish you all a very Happy Holiday season! Until next time…
DISCLAIMER: Some posts contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase items, I may receive a commission. I sometimes receive products from companies to create projects and may get compensated for it. Thank you for supporting my blog!
All tutorials, images and information are the property of Songbird Designs and are intended for personal use only. You may re-blog, pin, or share, with attribution to SBD. Thank you!
That is a really clever use of the DWD pieces, Brenda!
What a fun project, Brenda! Thanks for linking to my Dresden project!
Fabulous work, Brenda. I love seeing all the embroidery techniques you use and the thread you choose are perfect. Great inspiration!
Hi Brenda, I really love your piece! Those scraps are perfect 🙂 Thanks for linking up to Free Motion Mavericks 🙂 Merry Christmas.
What a fun project and great use of scraps. Thanks for joining my Sew & Tell party. Merry Christmas.
You certainly knocked this challenge out of the ball park, Brenda. I love your darling scrappy Christmas tree especially how the four patches overlap and the stitching. The freestanding lace sounds like a fun project to work with. Beautiful job.
What a lovely project! I love how you incorporated the Dresden into the tree. Your use of the FSL is awesome.
Wow, what a cute patchwork Christmas tree!!!
Love your scrappy little tree – those pretty Batiks! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
So creative and fun! I love your sparkly Dresden Christmas tree! It sounds like it was a lot of fun to sew. Merry Christmas!
Perfect tree for a quilter! Scrappy Happy!!!
I love how you used the 4 patch Dresden to create this awesome tree!!! And the free-standing lace adds a lot to the packages and star!!! LOVE it!