Under the Christmas Tree ... a tutorial ...!

I just thought I would share a bit how I did the wool tree skirt.

When I have a lot of placement pieces on a project, I like to section off areas so that it is easier for me to balance the design.

In the case of this pattern, I used the houses as a dividing point and one wool tree to assist with positioning other pieces accordingly. I then proceeded to hand embroider the trees.

I used my favourite method for transferring ... Transfer eze ... I created a sheet of the designs that needed to be stitched and photocopied it.

Once the trees were hand embroidered, I rinsed the product off and let it dry, usually overnight.

I will then continue to add various elements of the pattern while maintaining a balance.

Once all the pattern pieces are stitched, it was time to create the center circle and cut for the tree trunk. 

I used the original tree skirt circle template (created out of freezer paper). I tend to work in quarters (you can see the drawn sections), so it was easy for me to draw a centered circle using a compass.

I placed the original template on the wool project making sure that the cutting line was positioned correctly.  Pinned it, making sure that all was stable and ... this is the scary part ... proceeded to cut ... carefully!

For wool work, I use Karen Kay Buckley's 7.5 inch scissors. They have a micro serrated blade, perfect for wool work. They also come with a plastic guard.

I used wool for the backing. I re-used the original template to cut the backing.

I layered the top and backing, pinned it making sure it would be stable and blanket stitched around.

Due to the weight of the project, in order to avoid stretching the cut area and center circle, I started stitching an inch away from the left cut (I'm right handed), worked my way up and around the center hole and back down the cut continuing on the right. I felt that, once stitched, it would stabilize as well as minimize stretching. 

There you have it, some tips on creating a small wool tree skirt.

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner in cyberspace! Cheers!