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PDF for the Collapsible Quilted Tabletop Christmas Tree... |
For those who missed this four years ago, I came up with the idea after seeing a
pattern called the Tabletop Tannenbaum (by Kristine Poor) featured on Shabby Fabrics' YouTube channel.
The inspiration version is a lot more substantial than mine, consisting of six tree-shaped panels
underpinned by an unusual type of heat moldable batting. It provides
rigidity to fabric quite unlike normal quilt batting. (I checked online and the whole pattern with batting is priced at $41 CDN. But I've seen the batting itself sell for over $50 for a half yard!)
The price point was – and continues to be, I suppose – the reason why I was motivated to make
a facsimile using more affordable materials such as fusible fleece and
Decor Bond. I also figured that cutting the number of panels in half would make the project more accessible to those of us who don't have heavy duty industrial sewing machines... because the resulting thickness of six panels (never mind of the much heftier inspiration version) would be daunting.
Using the template that I've now included, this tree can be made out of three fat quarters or a half yard of non-directional fabric. It finishes out to approximately 11" (28cm) high.
Your choice of fabric will highlight the uniqueness of this project. Use six different fabrics or just one; it's totally up to you. I used four selections, turning them into three panels that were red on one side and gray on the other.
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| Three red fabrics.... |
To help the panels stand up, the fabric, fusible fleece and Decor Bond combination is quilted. If you are new to quilting, I would recommend doing what I did, which was an "echo" technique whereby you stitch along the edge and then keep going around and around, keeping a specific distance from your previous stitching until you arrive at the center.
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| backed by three grey-toned fabrics... |
It's a quilting method that's freeform enough not to be intimidating and attractive enough to be impressive. Win-win!
I didn't think much beforehand about how to allocate the fabrics, so was pleasantly surprised in the end with the different views afforded by the tree. I can see how if I had matched up two same coloured selections back to back, I'd have a different tree even though it would be made out of the same fabrics.
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| Use of different fabrics produces a different look depending on the viewing angle... |
As you can see from the photos here, you can get different looks just by placing the tree at different angles.
For embellishments, I decided to use rivets along the points of the tree. The snowflake topper is something that I saved from some gift wrapping.
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| From this angle, the tree is completely red... |
To reiterate, I've added the template that I used to make this tree to the PDF, but don't let that limit your imagination. I've often thought that a tall slim tree – perhaps made out of a single, well chosen fabric – would be quite elegant, within a grouping of two shorter ones.
Don't forget — the best thing about this may be that it's collapsible and will fold down flat when not in use. (I'm pretty sure that the original inspiration project is not squishable in the same way.)
This was made for Christmas, but essentially it's just a tree and is suitable for decorative use across all seasons. I originally mentioned that trees are representative of life and thus this can be a thoughtful gift for older family members in long term care homes.
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| A very simple yet elegant tabletop decoration suitable for all seasons... |
You can download your copy of the PDF here.
Oh, and if space is truly at a premium for you even to consider the addition of a tabletop tree, how about a tree to hang in a window (or against a wall)? My hanging Christmas tree project from 2017 (also available in PDF format) would be another way to jazz up your holiday decor without taking up too much room... mine is currently hanging three feet away from where I'm sitting.
And on that note, may the joys of Christmas and all the other holiday seasons be with you.
'Til next...
Rochelle that is a great idea for decorating! I like the rivets. Thanks for the pdf. I would add some hot fix crystals on the tree for some bling as those would stay put and sparkle when the light hit it (instead of adding any mini lights). I may have to try this one day, but probably not this year unless I finish up all the stuff I am working on now. Happy Holidays to you!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pdf. Good looking tree.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, and thank you!
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