Christmas Tree Skirt

by Ellen March

This Christmas tree skirt tutorial is super easy and helps use up all the holiday fabric remnants in your stash. You’ll learn how to make the Christmas tree skirt, plus learn how to work with invisible thread for a flawless finish. This Christmas tree skirt is reversible, too, giving you more bang for your buck! And you can adapt the tree skirt to make a holiday tablecloth.

The featured tree skirt was sewn on a Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic sewing & embroidery machine.

Christmas Tree Skirt Supply List

• Approx 1-1/2 yard of backing fabric (amount depends on size)
• Low-loft batting
• Approx. 1/2 yard each of 4 coordinating quilting cotton fabrics (amount depends on size)
• Size 80/12 quilting machine needle
• Sulky Polyester Invisible Thread
• Sulky 40 wt. Poly Deco™ Thread
• Sulky KK 2000™ Temporary Spray Adhesive
• Approx. 2 packages of pre-made bias quilt binding

Christmas Tree Skirt HOW-TO

I started with this tutorial, but instead of using a specialty ruler, I cut the coordinating cotton fabrics into random wedges of different angles, placing them in a circle as I cut to ensure I had enough and adjusting the wedge angles as I went. As you cut circles, audition the fabric prints, changing the orders as desired.

Once the circle is laying flat on a flat work surface, stitch each wedge with right sides together and long edges aligned.

Press the seams toward the darker fabric.

At the end of the circle, leave the last seam unsewn. Trim the outer edge to make an even circle.

Place the pressed backing fabric on a flat surface with the wrong side facing up. Then place the batting over the backing, using KK 2000 to secure (spray the fabric, not the batting). Place the pieced Christmas tree skirt top over the batting with the right side facing up. Again, use KK 2000 to secure. Trim the batting and backing along the tree skirt outer edge.

Place a walking or even-feed foot onto the machine, if possible. If not, lessen the presser foot pressure so the foot glides over the quilt sandwich easier. Test-sew on “sandwich scraps” to ensure smooth sewing. Baste along the inner circle, and then cut away the batting and backing from the center, and cut along the unsewn tree skirt edge.

QUILTING with INVISIBLE THREAD

Thread the needle and bobbin with Sulky Polyester Invisible Thread. HINT:  Wind the bobbin very slowly – – any monofilament thread can stretch if wound too quickly.  Quilt-in-the-ditch of each seam. Make sure to use a new quilting needle. Elongate the stitch to 3.0mm to 3.5mm. Standard 2.0mm or 2.5mm stitches are too close together for this thread and could result in puckering. Test-sew on a “sandwich scrap” to ensure proper settings so the thread isn’t stretching or breaking.

Baste along the tree skirt outer edge. Here’s what the quilting looks like on the tree-skirt back. Notice I used a neutral fabric with small stars for a different look when the tree skirt is reversed. This is also why I used invisible thread–so it would work on either side of the tree skirt.

Apply pre-made bias binding to each tree – skirt straight edge. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to stitch the binding by machine. Or use the method you prefer.

Apply bias binding to the inner circle, allowing 6″ to 8″ (depending on tree skirt size) of binding to extend beyond each edge and sandwiching the straight bound raw edges in the binding.

Wrap the binding around the inner circle raw edge; pin, and then topstitch. Continue stitching along the extended binding, folding the upper binding under as you sew. Knot each binding end.

Bind the outer circle edge, folding the ends over the straight bound ends to conceal them. Topstitch the binding from the right side.

The tree skirt back looks as good as the front!

Place the skirt under the Christmas tree and use the ties to secure it. Swap the top for the back from year to year or depending on your mood or décor.

Ready for presents!