Aug 1, 2013

Day 3 HO HO HO Christmas in July Blog Hop---my day!


Are you having fun with this hop so far?  I sure am and not only because today is my day to finally show you what I had been working on much of July.  Such creativity! Such sense of fun and whimsy too.  Quilting I can only dream of doing!  Such holiday themed eye candy.  What's not to like there, huh?

Last fall my niece/godchild Allison asked me to make a tree skirt for her.  Well, more like she hinted and I volunteered.  Actually she had seen a picture of my twister wreath  and asked if I could cut a hole in it.  Anyway, we hammered out some details and I agreed to make her own but NOT for Christmas 2012.   I had made two false starts and had other patterns on hand under consideration but nothing seemed to click.  Allison requested something scrappy that would go with any future home decor she might have and either a white or cream backing.  Sounds easy enough, right?  Uh, see the previous comment.  Anyway, along came the HO HO HO blog hop and just the jump start this project needed.  Give me a deadline and I'll meet it!
I dug through my stash and found some traditional prints but also went with some more modern colors.  Some playing in EQ finally worked what I wanted to do, though even then I tweaked it.   I decided on a sashed block with sashing in side the block, on point.  It sort of reminded me a bit of a Christmas package.   This is my own design with an inspiration source that you will see in a minute. 

Trust me, I wanted to get out our artificial tree to stage this but my husband looked at me like I had lost my last brain cell.   I would have gotten the box out of the storage shed but HE would have been the one who had to assemble it, more or less, on a whim.  Bedroom floor, it is for this shot.



My girlfriend suggested seeing who might have an outside round deck table for photos when I mentioned wondering how I could accomplish that.  Two of my quilt group volunteered and Bridget was able to help me out on Tuesday.  Still can't see the whole piece properly and now it looks like a table topper, LOL but definitely scenic, looking down hill.  Other than being hot outside, it was a Chamber of Commerce day on Tuesday.




You can see the colors and quilting better in this one but we couldn't get it to hang just right, being held up.   Maybe between the three shots you have an idea of how this turned out??




When Allison had asked about making this item, my mind sprang to the newlyweds in the family.  My nephew Blake and his lovely bride Julia were married in October 2012.  I contacted them to see if they too could use a tree skirt and/or Christmas stockings, though no way would be done for Christmas 2012.   Go for it, I heard.  I selected the "Star Bright" Design that was offered at Connecting Thread but shown in a lovely blue palette.  Julia preferred a more traditional red and green.  I could do that!  The fabrics were purchased months and months ago. 

First the floor shot.  The binding is the same dark green/black gingham print as the cornerstones which is blending into the carpet a bit.  Now you you can see how I came across the idea to "notch the corners"  on Allison's design. 




I will say that I did not follow the piecing directions--- at all!  The pattern called doing the quilt in a 3 columns,  3 x 3 block set, for  what can best be described as Square in a Square strippie set of Puss in the Corner blocks.  I hate doing Square in a Square blocks, well not hate, but strongly don't like.  I cocked my head to the left and put this all on point, laid out just as you see it.  The large star points are just big half square and two quarter triangles.  Easy peasy. 

If you look at the quilt below than you can see how the originally designed skirt may have been pieced.  BUT there would have been seams breaking up the large red triangles.  Makes me dizzy looking at it, LOL.   It is also how it would look once it was placed under the tree.  Bless Bridget for standing in her plant and wearing a black shirt so the center pops.  




Now if you will indulge me, I want to share what the silly kitty of mine did while I was getting ready to take the first indoor shot.  It was my idea to put on three ties, not just one.  Skyler spotted me tying them closed---oh goodie!  Strings!  Up he hopped on the cutting/pressing table.  First, he just sat on it but soon the front side went into the skirt opening, leaving that back end protruding. 




A 5 inch opening must have been enough to get down inside.  Then he turned around so he can hide but it was not working.  I see you in there, Buddy!  (Now you can see the fabrics a little better.  Some is Nancy Halvorsen's holiday fabric while that red is a Debbie Mumm Holiday print a stylized dot and the green from Connecting Threads. cornerstones and binding, my stash)



  And because I was laughing so heartily by then he had enough of the noise and got out!



I hope their cat does not think this is what you do with a tree skirt!  I am planning on making them each a special holiday bag to hold the skirt with the fabric leftovers before I mail them off to their new owners but with things to prepare for the next hop, it will wait just a tad!

As always a big thank you to the creative mind of Mdm. Samm of sew we quilt but also to our cheerleader this round Carol of just let me quilt.  Thank you as well to our sponsor Timeless Treasures.  You'll have to pop on over to Mdm. Samm's to see what treats (a clue there!) are being donated for top 2, most creative and commenters.

I appreciate your stopping by today.  Now will you please show the others who are featured today some bloggy love too?  Here are the links---

Friday, August 2
Robin’s Fabric Nest

101 comments:

  1. Your kitty made me laugh as well! Christmas tree skirts are a favorite decoration of mine, and yours turned out great!!

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  2. You made me giggle while reading this - between the adventures of your cat and your friend standing in her plant!!! The tree skirts are beautiful - they will be treasured for years - and I am sure will always be up for a great game of pee-a-boo!

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  3. Lovely tree skirts and lucky recipients ! Thank you for sharing.

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  4. Very cute tree skirt...Love the colors and design. Thanks for sharing

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  5. I was wondering how my tree skirt (that's been in the making for 2.5 years...) would look with trimmed corners, and now I know! Thank you for that, now I know it will look better than it does now. Love your kitty playing hide and seek :)
    ~Brandy

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    1. Brandy, thanks for stopping by! I'll reply here since you came back as no-reply blogger when I attempted to email you. I think that this worked, for me anyway, because both tree skirts were set on point---well, when I did them! Other than trying to figure out how to do the (sort of) mitered corners with that bias binding, it worked out well. Not a perfect 45 degree angled fold, I found out!! Because I had been thinking "on point" for piecing on the first one I had to re-think the angle when it came to cutting it. Long edge goes in front!!

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  6. To boldly go where no quilter has gone before! Bravo to you for not blindly following instructions. You thought it through and made it work for your unique style. We quilters have to remember that WE are the BOSS of IT and you were fearless. Your creation is lovely - thanks for sharing the 'process' and the kitty of course!

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    1. THX for your lovely comments! I'll reply here since emailing won't work. I'll blindly follow instructions if it makes sense to me to do so but the more I kept looking at that pattern, I went with piecing it how I thought it went together in the first place!! It basically looks the same in the end, but minus some sewing lines, right? VBG

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  7. Lovely tree skirt. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. I don't follow patterns either - usually there is an easier way or better design. Wonderful tree skirts and thank you for sharing.

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  9. Lovely! Now you are making me want to make a tree skirt, a beautiful pattern you have created.

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  10. I really had to laugh when I saw your cat!!! What a perfect place to hide, you inspired me and I will sew a tree skirt for this X-mas, not for my 2 cats, but for a beautiful tree :-))
    What is the size of your skirt?
    Beautifully done, I like the story behing!
    Greetings from Switzerland
    Judy

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    1. Hi, Judy--thanks for your lovely comments. No reply blogger so will answer your question here. The Star Bright version measured about 42 inches square. My experiment on Allison's version measures about 52 inches. I had it at approximately 48 inches but that was before I decided to sash the blocks. In the end, it needed some separation in the units, I thought,

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  11. What a lovely skirt. Thank you for sharing

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  12. They both look gorgeous! No wonder your cat wanted to sit under it. My cat likes to sit on top of everything I make. Just to make sure that some genuine cat hair is included. Come to think of it: Maybe she was looking for early presents?

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  13. Nice work :) Thank You for sharing !

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  14. Love your tree skirts. And Skyler is such a cute kitty.

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  15. Lovely tree skirts...or cat tents if you prefer.

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  16. Your tree skirts are awesome.Thanks for sharing your creativity

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  17. Linda. You did a fabulous job on both of those tree skirts! That's a lot of work, I must say! I still use (after 35+ years) a quilted panel tree skirt I bought at Joanne's (or Minnesota Fabrics, now defunct) and it goes under my tree every year. Maybe I should replace it? I'll think about it for another 35 years!

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  18. Great work on the tree skirts, they look fabulous.

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  19. Ohhh My Linda...2 tree skirts..no wonder you have been over the top busy...truly inspiring...you will see how much so in a few seconds...lol
    YOUR 1st one is breathtaking, very much like stained glass, your second...perfection..well done, kudos, bravo and all the rest lol

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  20. Oh that is lovely!! You put a lot of work into your day...thanks for sharing

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  21. Gorgeous tree skirts! I especially love the colors of the first one.

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  22. I will happily indulge your cat pictures. Your cat reminds me of my old friend Bandit - so named because he had a face with a "masK" on it. Ha ha..Now I would probably name him Phantom.

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  23. Love, love, love the tree skirts and of course Skyler and his antics. LOL He is such a beautiful cat. Give him a pat from me. :D

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  24. OMG! Aren't our furry friends hilarious?! Love your tree skirts too!

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  25. Both of your tree skirts are great! No wonder you were "chosen" today! My cat seems to be clueless too, that he leaves a "lump" and can be spotted from across the room..:)

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  26. Your tree skirts are both just gorgeous!

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  27. Wonderful tree skirts! Skyler seems quite comfortable "hiding" under your tree skirt.

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  28. Absolutely love them! Really beautiful. :)

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  29. Your tree skirts are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

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  30. Kitty shots are the best, your project is a beauty!

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  31. Love the tree skirts you made Linda, they look nice and big for lots of gifts to sit around the tree, Cute kitty !

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  32. Very pretty tree skirt! It looks huge.

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  33. Your tree skirts are marvelous! And they look as if they passed the kitty test with flying colors. :)

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  34. Thanks for sharing your pretty tree skirts & your kitty pics.

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  35. Very nice Linda! I'm having a hard time choosing my favorite. They are both pretty.

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  36. Great tree skirt that also makes a fun table topper for an outside table that has an umbrella in the table. Maybe you could make it reversible so you can have a summer looking quilt on one side and the Christmas tree skirt on the other?

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  37. This was such a fun post to read while drinking my morning tea! I can't imagine why your husband wouldn't get the tree out for you...LOL...I thought it was a great idea. Your tree skirts are such beautiful gifts and I'm sure they will be loved by the receivers. Cute kitty, too!

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  38. I just love it, the colors are so bright, cheerful and you just smile. Great photos.

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  39. Nice job :) Thanks for sharing!

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  40. What great tree skirts - I love them!

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  41. Beautiful tree skirts and I had to laugh at the thought of you putting up your tree for a picture......sounds like something I would do! Your kitty is sure a great helper!

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  42. Your tree skirts don't look so big until you hold them up! Nice job. I had to laugh at your kitty=we have three rescues and one who always "helps" when I sew. I just completed the a T-shirt quilt for my oldest daughter and had it folded on the table next to my machine and lo-and-behold, the little black one tried to get inside the folds-reminds me so much of yours getting under the tree skirt. LOL! I recently made a cat bed for my other daughter's two kittens, but my husband is adamant not to make one for ours-I don't know why, but I'm hoping my daughter can convince him otherwise. My secret is to spray with a little catnip spray and they love it. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I can't seem to locate an email so will reply here. I love your story, Nellie! Catnip spray? Sounds like something I need for some toys that he is not paying too much attention to lately.

      The star one measures about 42 inches so not much sticking out from around the tree but the other one, is pretty big, I agree BUT it worked out best centering wise, so I went with it, I should make her something smaller perhaps, apartment sized.

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  43. Love both your tree skirts, even without a tree to put them under!

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    1. I'll reply here since it came back no reply blogger on my end. THX Dee. I can't imagine why he would not come around to MY way of thinking other than he would have had to assemble it and secondly, put it back up in the rafters of the utility shed. I can get it down but not UP. LOL.

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  44. Love your tree skirts. Just as much as your kitty does. I had to laugh at your comment about your hubby thinking you were nuts, to get the ole Christmas tree out. I know mine is thinking I've slipped a cog, seeing all the holiday decorations out too! LOL!

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  45. Great Christmas tree skirts! Stop by my blog next week to see mine! lol I love the fabrics and the patterns. Great job!

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  46. I thought it was for your kitty! Just joking - I love your tree skirt/table topper! Cute pattern!
    xo jan

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  47. love your tree skirt. i went to visit a friend of mine that had a cat. i carry a large purse and have a bad habit of not zipping it up. without me knowing it, the cat hid in it and when i picked it up, the cat started caterwauling, {cat talk for screaming} and scared me so bad i just about peed my pants. my friend laughed so hard she did pee her pants. and poor kitty just walked off in a huff. babscorbitt@gmail.com

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  48. Beautiful tree skirts! Thank you for sharing.

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  49. What wonderful tree skirts! I know they're going to treasure them. :). Blessings, Marlene

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  50. You have made a lovely tradition for the kids. Great job.

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  51. Beautiful!!!!! I love them both. You did a great job on them. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Darn it all, Beverly. That google plus has left you a no reply blogger so I'll comment here. I appreciate your stopping by today and leaving me such a lovely comment.

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  52. Great tree skirts- it would be an interesting way to make a summer quilt table cover for a patio set too.. ( not in Christmas colors but something that was summery would be fun)
    Thanks for sharing and participating in the blog hop.
    Regards from Alberta,
    Anna

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    1. I guess my using my friend's table helped show the possibilities. I bet it would work out great in summery colors. This one measures 52 inches, the smaller 42 so that might be a little small for most tables. I did have several inches of drop though on the bigger one! I would have emailed you directly but alas, no reply blogger. Google plus is not necessarily one's friend!

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  53. Those are wonderful! I love how you used it in the summer as well. Thanks for sharing!
    forgetmenotstitches.blogspot.com

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  54. These are really gorgeous. I love the design and the fabrics. And I really like the way you made the corners instead of them being square. Really nice! Thank you for sharing this today.

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  55. What a lovely tree skirt and thanks for the kitty snaps. They are so silly!

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    1. oh he most definitely is a silly boy. Surprised he obliged in the picture taking endeavors though! THX for stopping by!

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  56. Very pretty. Love the kitty shots, very funny. I wouldn't have put the tree together either. Since that is usually my job, I totally understand. The little branches poke and stab and I think it is the part of christmas I like the least. I put off cleaning up christmas decorations because I don't want to disassemble that pesky tree.

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  57. Well that was certainly worth the wait!! - Great stuff - and I love the shots of Skyler - looks like he was having fun - ;))

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  58. Great tree skirts! I have a few fur babies that would of played in/under it too!

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  59. Both are wonderful tree skirts. Thanks for sharing.

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  60. Your tree skirts are both so pretty. I think I like the fist one best. I have a home made crocheted tree skirt for our tree and my cat sleeps under it every night while it is up. It must be instinct to hide and sleep, plus they do like warm spots. Thanks for sharing, you gave me a few ideas there.

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  61. Really neat tree skirts!!

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  62. Kitty in the Christmas Quilt.....too cute.

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  63. Love your tree skirts I have made a few of these over the years in fact my first one was my first quilting project. I love your kittie that is exactly what my cat tries to do whenever he sees a quilt lol.

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  64. Linda! You did it again!! Well done my friend.

    I love both the tree skirts and Skylar obviously approves as well.
    Isn't this a great blog hop? I just love Christmas.
    cheers
    maggie

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  65. Gorgeous tree skirts and it looks like your kitty already claimed one of them. LOL

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  66. Beautiful tree skirts. Kitty looked comfy in your tree skirt. I love cats.

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  67. Beautiful tree skirts! Love your little kitty too.

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  68. That is a gorgeous tree skirt. Cats are so funny. The second my tree skirt is put onto the floor each year my cat makes a b-line for that thing. He is found laying under the tree and sometimes the tree skirt daily until the tree is gone again. It cracks me up because this is a cat who is never more than about three feet from my body daily and even jumps up and races to beat me into the bathroom every time I head that direction. LOL I guess the tree skirt is more appealing during December.

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  69. Such a pretty tree skirt!

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  70. The first tree skirt has the look of jewels; it's gorgeous. The red and green one is also terrific. And you kitty is a cutie.

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  71. Love your tree skirts! Your kitty is too funny--but cats are like that. :)

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  72. Your tree skirts are beautiful! Thank you for sharing, happy quilting!

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  73. I love those tree skirts. Thanks for sharing You are very inspiring.

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  74. Hiya Linda!!! What lucky family members!!! The tree skirts are gorgeous. And that kitty is just precious, so funny. Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas, blessed be, hugs!!! Pam

    pamspretties57 at gmail dot com

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  75. Your non-practicing RN skills are still there. Your TLC came through in your post today. Your love your family is evident. The tree skirts are absolutely phenomenal. I don't which one tops which. I think I'm partial to the star only because I love polka dots so very, very much that I have a stash of polka dot fabrics. Thank you for participating, telling us of your inspiration, and including pattern info. I get frustrated when I see a project and have no idea even for a starting point. Congrats on a top 2 finish. It is very, very well deserved.

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  76. Great work on the tree skirts - each one unique. I do love the notched corners. I was surprised at how large they were - didn't realize it until they were being held up for pictures.

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  77. I love your cat!! I really like your tree skirt which is quite versatile and can also be a table topper and a hidey hole!!

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  78. Thanks to your helper friend, your outdoor shots turned out great! My favorite shots are still of Skyler "helping" indoors! LOL Yahoo for two finishes!

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  79. Lovely work. Fun Cat and I am having a blast with this hop. Thanks for sharing your blog

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  80. I love the tree skirts,especially the first one. Thanks for sharing.

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  81. I need to make a tree skirt too....good inspiration for me. Love the ones you made.

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  82. The tree skirts look fabulous. Kitty's always love a hidey hole.

    valspierssews@gmail.com

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  83. Lovely projects and such a cute kitty

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  84. Wow! Beautiful! Congrats on being one of the chosen.

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  85. 95th comment...yes, a bit late to your Christmas party! These truly are fabulous! As always you do a beautiful job piecing and finishing and overall stunning work. Your family members are so lucky! Way to go Linda!

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  86. Beautiful tree skirts! Especially love the scrappy one!

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  87. Your tree skirts are lovely.

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  88. Beautiful treeskirts, and very useful in the summer too *lol*
    Thanks for sharing and for the funny pictures too, cute cat ☺

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  89. Your treeskirts are awesome. I am certain they will be loved. Thanks for sharing!

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  90. I love all your tree skirts. There shall be wide smiles this Christmas and all Christmases to come.

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