moving on to a reward project

I love reward projects!   I think everyone needs a fun project that was  not necessarily on their radar to keep one's interests up.   Yes, I have a challenge project to do and another one to finish up.  Yes, I have a FAB bday present to make for my pal Norma but it looks like her celebration/sew date is going to be pushed back a couple months.  BUT I have gotten a few other items at least to flimsy, quilted several and such.  I make the "rules" so I'm going for it!

SOOO with Christmas coming, I want a button up hanging that will reflect the holiday.  I have the December stocking pattern that I could make but I love this "Charley Brown" looking tree.  This is "Merry Christmas"  BU#21 from Joined at the Hip button up pattern collection.  Not to say that I won't eventually make the stocking button up but this will be a quicker finish.  Norma is joining me in making our wall hangings this weekend---that is always a fun time for us!

Instead of working on the Autumn buttonhole applique yesterday, I set to pulling fabrics and cutting the 

wall hanging out.  At right you see my "quilt kit"  minus the stuff for the tree trunk sections, that is.

If you look at the pattern,  you can see that the green tree sections are in a staggering length with background on either ends.  The trunk sections remain a constant cut----that can be strip pieced!  Oh, I'll follow directions when they make sense to me but I'll streamline the process if I think it will help. 

At left, tree trunks waiting to be sub-cut.  One small problem though, LOL.  I knew that the background piece that goes atop the tree was cut 4 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches.  My strip pieced thing measured 22 1/2 inches.  Yep, I cut it at 11 inches x 29 inches instead of 10 inches wide.  Easily fixed but stumped me for a few minutes.

Now I'm ready to roll again!  The only other thing in the stitching process that I am going to do is be mindful of the direction I sew the strips.  Since there are 9 sections of tree and trunk, I am going to join them as pairs sewing from one direction with the smaller tree piece on top.  When I join the "2-sies" to make "4-sies", I will sew from the opposite end.  This eases in any fullness and keeps the strata from bowing in the middle.  Not sure if it says that in the directions as I didn't read the pattern all the way through.  Should have maybe done that, like a recipe.

I DID get the button hole applique done but last night after supper.  My plan is to quilt it along with this piece at the same time.  Then miles of binding will await since I also need to get the Gordian Knot finished up in time for the Friendship Quilter's holiday luncheon.

And sew it goes----(grrr not sure where anything is going to land on this page.   I may need to change back to the previous set up.)