Project Denim, Diminishing the Jean Pile, Episode 8: Denim and Suede Christmas Tree Skirt

Hello my fine friends! Today I have another project using old jeans. And the beginning of the Christmas project they inspired! I have always wanted a Cowgirl Christmas tree, but I have never been able to justify buying all new ornaments. So this year I decided to embark on a handmade Cowgirl Christmas tree! It will be a tree of all things Cowgirl, but with a twist....all the ornaments will be handmade! Either by myself or I have invited some of my crafty friends to contribute cowgirl inspired ornaments too. I'm really excited about this! Mostly because I will end up with the Cowgirl Tree I have always wanted. But it also gives me an opportunity to share my creativity with you, enjoy brainstorming and creating with others and of course using up some more old jeans!! Which brings me to today's project...The Tree Skirt.

For the skirt I used my husband's old denim jeans and the leftover suede cloth from my Indian Costume I made myself for Halloween this year. (I barely had enough suede cloth to make the ruffle, but it turned out perfect. I didn't have to purchase any more fabric!)

To begin, I cut the jeans down the back pant leg and into large rectangular pieces. I cut 6 total and then sewed them together to make a squarish piece (I say squar-ish because it was slightly rectangular, but anyhow it worked.) When you do yours, make it more square! Once the 6 pieces were sewn together I folded the piece into 1/4's and cut the hole and then rounded the edges. Then I made a cut in the back as to be able to go around the tree.

Then for the Suede cloth ruffle: I cut long strips of 7" wide fabric. I cut as many strips as I could out of my scrap fabric and then finished the one of the long edges of all the strips with my narrow edge hemmer foot. (this would be the hem at the outer edge. Then I sewed all the strips together end to end. Then I serged the other long edge (opposite the narrow hemmed edge you just did) to keep it from fraying. This serged edge is the one you gather and sew to the denim. Then I used my ruffle making attachment to make a tight ruffle on the serged edge and then laid the fabric and denim right sides together and sewed the ruffle onto the denim finished the edges of the skirt where the slit is with a hem to make it look finished. And ta-da, denim suede skirt!

Here are some pics of the project!

Here are the 3 pieces of denim sewn together into a rectangle that should be a square!

Here is the piece folded together ready to cut a hole and round the edges

Here I have cut the corner off the middle folded corner. (This is the corner that all the edges are together so you can cut all the layers and make a rounded hole.)

Here I have cut the squared edges to make them rounded.

Here it is once cut and unfolded again. Then I cut a slit in the top there from the outside edge to the middle/hole.

Here I am using the narrow rolled edge hemmer foot to make the bottom hem.

Here I am serging the other edge, opposite the narrow rolled edge hem we just did.

Here I am using the ruffling foot to create tight ruffles.

Once all the ruffles are made, pin the ruffle to the denim right sides together as shown here.

Here I am sewing the ruffle to the denim, removing the pins as I get to them. Go slowly as the denim and ruffles create bulk and you don't want to break a needle by going too fast.

Here is a picture of the finished tree skirt:

It will look a lot better when I run an iron over the wrinkles.

To complete the Cowgirl Themed Christmas Tree I will do separate posts on how we made the ornaments so if you like the Cowgirl Tree idea...Stay Tuned!! I'm getting excited for the Christmas Season and all it means!! Happy Day from "Patch-A-Heaven!"