'Tis the Season Tree Skirt
Check out our latest homespun ragged Christmas tree skirt pattern! This pattern is designed to create a skirt with continuous stripes all the way around but it also looks great in random coordinated fabrics that change with each panel. Cute buttons or other embellishments can easily be added to express your own creativity. Finished size is approximately 48" across. If you want it smaller or larger, just delete or add rows.
About Homespun Fabric
- Homespun fabric is highly recommended for this and most rag stitching projects. Other cottons will not fray as well. Flannel will fray decently, but it has a tendency to pill when washed.
- Homespun is a yarn-dyed fabric meaning that the design comes from the colors of the thread. It is not a printed fabric so it has no front or back side – both sides are the same. The threads are often somewhat coarser than traditional cottons, and the weave is sometimes looser. These are the characteristics that make homespun so perfect for rag-style projects.
- Although most homespun fabrics are manufactured internationally now, this type of fabric is called homespun because the technique is very similar to the way pioneer women created their own fabrics. The threads will occasionally have nubs and imperfections in them which is the nature of the fabric.
- After the first wash, homespun fabric will shrink about 10% and become very soft and supple and the loose weave will tighten up. About ¼ cup of table salt in the first wash will help set the color in any 100% cotton fabric and prevent color bleeding. A liquid fabric softener will also help loosen the strings for rag projects.
- Your best source for a wide selection of homespun fabric is: www.JubileeFabric.com
About Rag Style Stitching
Rag stitching can be totally addictive! Once you get the hang of it, you will realize that it’s fast, fun and simple. Even the most basic sewing project can become totally cute and unique when it is done in rag-style.
One of the most popular features of rag-style stitching is its forgiving nature. In other words, it’s really hard to mess this up! Most seams and stitch lines are covered over with the “fray” when your project is finished so no one will ever see the crooked stitch lines or the uneven intersections. This makes rag projects great for beginners who will be very encouraged to create such a great looking product so easily. It also makes rag projects great for experienced crafters who don’t have much time and want to make something quick and easy.
Here are some tips based on our years of experience sewing rag-style with homespun fabric:
One of the most popular features of rag-style stitching is its forgiving nature. In other words, it’s really hard to mess this up! Most seams and stitch lines are covered over with the “fray” when your project is finished so no one will ever see the crooked stitch lines or the uneven intersections. This makes rag projects great for beginners who will be very encouraged to create such a great looking product so easily. It also makes rag projects great for experienced crafters who don’t have much time and want to make something quick and easy.
Here are some tips based on our years of experience sewing rag-style with homespun fabric:
- Wear an apron. Those strings get everywhere, and an apron will help when you need to clean yourself up fast.
- Keep plenty of lint rollers handy. These will not only help clean the strings off your projects when you are finished, but they’ll clean the strings off of you that the apron didn't catch. Also use these to clean your cutting table and even the floor under your chair when you’re done. They are a great time saver. A microfiber cloth can also help with string control.
- Don’t try to do too much clipping at one time. Your hand will get really tired. Space it out if you have a big project.
- Use spring-loaded scissors if possible. It’s not necessary but does help with hand fatigue on the big projects like quilts and tablecloths.
- Put the kids and the spouse to work! Clipping seams on big projects is not hard. Just teach them to not cut too close to the stitch line.
- If you do cut into a stitch line, re-stitch the area immediately and put just a touch of a liquid fray preventer on the area to secure it.
- Launder the item separately as some strings will come out in the wash. After a few washes it will stop shedding, and the fabric will be so cozy with fluffy soft rag-style seams!
- Don’t stress over getting everything lined up just perfectly. This style of sewing is very forgiving. As you can see from our tutorial pictures, we believe that when you are rag stitching, “Close enough is good enough.” :-)
Materials List
**It is recommended that you use cotton homespun fabric for any rag-stitching project. Regular quilting cotton or printed cotton will not fray as well. Remember that homespun fabric has no front or back side. Both are the same. The widest selection of homespun fabric can be found at www.JubileeFabric.com.
The materials list below will make the tree skirt shown in the instruction images. Each fabric will make a complete stripe that will circle the tree. This pattern also looks really cute just made with random coordinated fabrics that change with each panel. If you prefer that look, you will need a total of 18 strips of fabric that are 1.75 yards long and 4.25 inches wide.
The materials list below will make the tree skirt shown in the instruction images. Each fabric will make a complete stripe that will circle the tree. This pattern also looks really cute just made with random coordinated fabrics that change with each panel. If you prefer that look, you will need a total of 18 strips of fabric that are 1.75 yards long and 4.25 inches wide.
- 1.75 yards of Fabric 1
- 1.75 yards of Fabric 2
- 1.75 yards of Fabric 3
- 1.75 yards of Fabric 4
- 1.75 yards of Fabric 5
- 1 crib size low loft polyester batting
Changing the fabrics and colors of this stripe tree skirt design can change the looks dramatically. The instructions below show a monochromatic design using five different plaids but all in the red & white colors. Any color combination could look great in this pattern.
cutting instructions
Download the .pdf file below and print the pattern pieces. Be sure that you print the exact size and do not let your printer “scale” or “resize” the images to fit the paper. Measure the 1 inch scale on #1 piece to confirm the size. If the scale does not measure 1 inch, then your printer has resized the piece. Adjust your printer settings and reprint.
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The tree skirt panel will print in several separate pieces due to the size of the template. Print out each piece and assemble according to the diagram below.
***It will be helpful to print your pattern piece on heavy cardstock or use the printed piece to cut out a template from cardboard or plastic. The best way to make a long lasting template is to print it initially on peel off sticker or label paper. Then stick the uncut template piece to a light weight piece of plastic such as a cheap plastic placemat or paper posterboard material. Trim around the printed piece cutting through the sticker paper and the plastic. Tape the edges with clear plastic tape so it won’t peel off. Then tape your various template pieces together according to the layout image. This takes a little time but you’ll be able to use this template over and over again if you ever plan to make more than one tree skirt. It’s totally worth the effort!
Once your template is ready, set it aside for now. Cut your fabric strips as specified below. If you have the hand strength, it is a big time saver to cut more than one layer of fabric at a time. (see picture)
- Fabric 1, cut 8 strips of fabric 1.75 yards long and 4.25 inches wide
- Fabric 2, cut 8 strips of fabric 1.75 yards long and 4.25 inches wide
- Fabric 3, cut 8 strips of fabric 1.75 yards long and 4.25 inches wide
- Fabric 4, cut 8 strips of fabric 1.75 yards long and 4.25 inches wide
- Fabric 5, cut 4 strips of fabric 1.75 yards long and 4.25 inches wide
- Fabric 5, cut 8 strips of fabric 12” long and 4.25 inches wide (these will be your ties at the back of the skirt. You can also just use ribbon for ties if you prefer)
Cut 18 strips of batting about 2” wide and 60” long. I find it much easier to cut the batting while it is still rolled. (see picture) The batting cuts very easy and does not need to be perfectly straight. Close enough is good enough, especially with the batting.
Clipping the edges: You will need to "clip" all the raw edges of your project. This can either be done before stitching or after the project is completed. In most cases, we prefer to clip before, and the pictures in this tutorial will show raw edges that have been clipped This clipping of the raw edges is the secret to creating the beautiful “frayed” edges of rag-style stitching. Your clips should be about ½ inch apart and no more than ½ inch deep so that they will not compromise the stitched seams. Make a diagonal clip into any corners. Be sure to clip ALL raw edges unless otherwise specified in these instructions. Spring-action scissors can help with hand fatigue but are certainly not necessary. The image below details how to clip the edges both before sewing and after.
assembly instructions
***VERY IMPORTANT! Secure all stitching in the traditional way by backstitching a couple times. But for rag-style, this must be done about 5/8” from the beginning and ending edges. The remaining 5/8” will become “fray” after it is washed and will not hold stitching. Any stitching or securing done in that area will be lost.
- All seams should be 5/8 inches unless stated otherwise and made with a small, tight stitch.
- If you can adjust the pressure of your presser foot, you should adjust it to be light pressure. This will help greatly with feeding the multiple layers evenly. A walking foot can also be helpful. If you don't have either of these options, just use lots of pins and know that occasional tucks in the fabric will be completely hidden by the fray in the finished project. Close enough is good enough!
- Place a strip of batting between two strips of fabric making a “sandwich”. Pin the batting in place with lots of pins.
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2. Repeat step one with all 36 strips of fabric. You should have 18 fabric sandwich strips when you are finished.
3. If you want the fabric strips to make completed circles all the way around the tree skirt, it is very important to assemble the strips now in the correct order. If you want a design that is more random without compete circles, you can assemble these strips in any order that pleases you.
4. Pin one long side of a Fabric 1 strip to the long side of a Fabric 2 strip. Stitch.
3. If you want the fabric strips to make completed circles all the way around the tree skirt, it is very important to assemble the strips now in the correct order. If you want a design that is more random without compete circles, you can assemble these strips in any order that pleases you.
4. Pin one long side of a Fabric 1 strip to the long side of a Fabric 2 strip. Stitch.
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5. Open these two strips flat. Now pin the remaining long side of Fabric 2 strip to one long side of Fabric 3 strip. Stitch.
6. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 3 strip to one long side of a Fabric 4 strip. Stitch.
7. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 4 strip to one long side of a Fabric 5 strip. Stitch.
8. Open flat. Now we will reverse the color order. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 5 strip to a long side of a second Fabric 4 strip. Stitch.
9. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 4 strip to a long side of a second Fabric 3 strip. Stitch.
10. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 3 strip to a long side of a second Fabric 2 strip. Stitch.
11. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 2 strip to a long side of a second Fabric 1 strip. Stitch.
12. Open flat and iron from the back side. This is one block that you will cut triangle panels from. You will need one more of these blocks so repeat steps 4-12 to create the second block.
7. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 4 strip to one long side of a Fabric 5 strip. Stitch.
8. Open flat. Now we will reverse the color order. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 5 strip to a long side of a second Fabric 4 strip. Stitch.
9. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 4 strip to a long side of a second Fabric 3 strip. Stitch.
10. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 3 strip to a long side of a second Fabric 2 strip. Stitch.
11. Open flat. Pin the remaining long side of the Fabric 2 strip to a long side of a second Fabric 1 strip. Stitch.
12. Open flat and iron from the back side. This is one block that you will cut triangle panels from. You will need one more of these blocks so repeat steps 4-12 to create the second block.
13. Layout your taped together template on one of the blocks with the long bottom edge of the template to the far right and lined up straight along the bottom edge. Trace the edges. Now flip the template and trace again, this time the bottom of the template should align along the top edge of the panel. Flip twice more, always aligning the bottom of the template with either the top or the bottom edge of the block. You will be able to trace four triangle panels on each block. ***Please excuse the fact that the template on the image below is placed a little crooked! I promise I didn’t actually trace it or cut it that way. 😊
14. BEFORE you cut these out, place a pin on each strip inside the trace line. This is to hold the batting in place since it’s not stitched in yet. Place these pins through all three layers and about 1.5 - 2 inches inside the traced edge.
15. Cut out the triangle panels along your traced lines. You will have 8 cut out panels when finished.
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16. This step is a little tedious but it’s important because you don’t want that batting showing through in your frayed seams. Pull gently on the batting inside each strip and trim about ¾ inch off. If you trim a little more that is fine but try to get at least ¾ inch. Do this for each strip on all the 8 panels.
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17. Stitch down the center of each strip on one of the triangle panels.
18. Stitch along the long bottom edge of the panel about 5/8 inch from the raw edge.
19. Repeat steps 17 & 18 on each of the remaining triangle panels.
20. Pin the long side of one triangle panel to the long side of another with the narrow part at the top and the wide part at the bottom. Place the exposed (and possibly clipped) seam allowances to the outside and the finished seams inside. Match up the seams along the long edge. Stitch.
20. Pin the long side of one triangle panel to the long side of another with the narrow part at the top and the wide part at the bottom. Place the exposed (and possibly clipped) seam allowances to the outside and the finished seams inside. Match up the seams along the long edge. Stitch.
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21. If you have not preclipped the raw edges, this is a good time to stop and clip. Even if you did preclip the edges, you will now need to clip this seam that you just stitched. Reminder: clips should be about ½ inch deep and ½ inch apart. After clipping the seam, clip free any seam allowances that may have been stitched down with the seam. See picture for detail.
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22. Stitch two more triangle panels together as described in steps 20 & 21. Continue until you have four sets of two triangle panels stitched together. Now stitch those four together in the same way, placing the exposed seams on the outside and matching up the seams. Be sure you clip each seam as you create it and also clip free any stitched down seam allowances as described in step 21.
23. At this point now, you should have a full complete circle with a split on one side and a small hole in the center. This pattern is designed for an artificial tree with a small center post. Check your tree and make sure the center hole is large enough. If not, cut it out larger using your own circle template of the appropriate size. *IF* you have to cut it larger, clip the edges that you just cut.
24. Stitch 5/8” from the raw edges in the center circle.
25. Fold one of the 4.25” x 12” strips in half lengthwise and stitch a 5/8” seam along the long raw edge side and also one of the short side. Trim the seam excess and turn inside out. Press flat. This is one of the ties for the back of the skirt.
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26. Repeat step 25 with the remaining 12” strips. You should have 8 finished ties with raw edges on one end. **8 ties are really not necessary. All you actually need is two at the center/top of the skirt but more ties will help keep it in place during usage. Feel free to do more or less than 8 as you wish.
27. Insert the raw edge end of one tie between the two layers of fabric at the very top/center of one side of the tree skirt open edge. Pin in place and stitch. Insert another tie in the same way on the other tree skirt open edge. Pin in place and stitch.
27. Insert the raw edge end of one tie between the two layers of fabric at the very top/center of one side of the tree skirt open edge. Pin in place and stitch. Insert another tie in the same way on the other tree skirt open edge. Pin in place and stitch.
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28. Stitch remaining ties into place in the same way according to your preference. Remember that you can also use ribbons as ties if you wish.
29. Almost done! Machine wash (cold) and tumble dry the tree skirt using a liquid fabric softener if possible. The liquid fabric softener will help loosen the cut strings in the wash. A bit of table salt (about ¼ cup) added to the wash water will help set the color of cotton fabrics and will help prevent fading and bleeding.
30. You will want to wash these items separate from other clothes, because it will leave a lot of loose strings in your washing machine tub.
31. After washing, take the wet tree skirt outside and shake it good to remove any loose strings before moving it to the dryer. You'll still have tons of lint and loose strings in the dryer. Stop the dryer and clean the lint trap once or twice during the drying cycle.
32. After washing and drying, shake it outside again and also remove any remaining loose strings using a lint roller. Trim any extra-long strings that seem out of place.
33. You are finished! We’d love to see your unique tree skirt creation! Please feel free to send us a picture to share on Facebook if you wish. admin@jubileecreativestudio.com
30. You will want to wash these items separate from other clothes, because it will leave a lot of loose strings in your washing machine tub.
31. After washing, take the wet tree skirt outside and shake it good to remove any loose strings before moving it to the dryer. You'll still have tons of lint and loose strings in the dryer. Stop the dryer and clean the lint trap once or twice during the drying cycle.
32. After washing and drying, shake it outside again and also remove any remaining loose strings using a lint roller. Trim any extra-long strings that seem out of place.
33. You are finished! We’d love to see your unique tree skirt creation! Please feel free to send us a picture to share on Facebook if you wish. admin@jubileecreativestudio.com
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For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord… plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE. Jeremiah 29:11 |
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