In December 2019, in the Before Times, my friend Laurel and I got together and in two days of mad sewing finished this top . I hung it on a hanger, hoping to make it bigger, but out of ideas for that moment. Laurel appliquéd her tree to a larger backing, not wanting all the seams and finished hers. (I’m hoping and praying that my seams will “quilt out.”)
And then my brain pretty much took a vacation for about two years. But the storms of this last year have receded, so now I’m ready to go at it again. I scanned it into my Affinity Designer program, and started to work mess around.
I figured I should draw from the original ideas, since I was using the designer’s fabric (ordered back in 2019, and hoarded since then) and the tree panel that I’d pieced. That inner little sawtooth-effect border was the first one I drew. Then I realized I needed:
- top of bed dimension (queen size)
- total quilt size
You see them in the two blue boxes. I kept shifting it around as I worked, trying to figure out space for pillow shams, if I decide to make them.
I got this far. I need to extend/blow-up/rethink the mistletoe on the borders, and have another adjustment to make for the larger sawtooth star blocks (thinking they need nine-patches in the middle, just like the bottom tree row), but at least I’ve started.
I’ve finished the first 106 blocks (2″ finished) and the four corner blocks for the first round. That old phrase about a journey of a thousand miles and single step razz-ma-tazz could be rephrased as a quilt of a thousand seams begins with a single cut. Or whatever.
One border finished.
Take Two. Better keep sewing.
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
So weird. I could only get to this post through Instagram. I had wondered what happened to this quilt, I often think about making it ! I love your finishing ideas. I am currently bordering a quilt with nine bazillion half square triangles, I think my subsequent borders will be plain!
Massive thunderstorms tonight – Thunder literally rattled the window frames!
XO
Carol
Sent from my iPad
I love this! Will continue to follow what you are doing here! I am making Perfect Union right now so using some of her same wonderful Edyta reds. OMG I LOVE her. She will be thrilled to see what you do with this!
That’s a lot of piecing and a great start. Some ideas just need more time to percolate, don’t they? I’ve been itching to sit down and design, as I’m not sure “what’s next” right now. All in due time, I suppose. I really like how the mistletoe grounds the design and is on only 3 of the sides. I look forward to seeing more and hope you’re having fun working on it!
That is going to be fantastic! It will all be worth it when you are finished..
I love the borders! I should have waited and copied you – like I so often do. At least that delightful small sawtooth border.
This is another pattern to which I have given a “purchase award.” Just doing my part to keep the quilting arts business alive and well.
This is going to be absolutely gorgeous… don’t give up!
Great ideas for expanding the size. I think you have a masterpiece in the works here!
What a wonderful job you have done designing to make your quilt bed-sized! You have incredible designing skills Elizabeth! I purchased the EQ8 program for my new laptop a couple of months ago and have been frozen In inaction! (Fingers crossed my comment posts)
OMG! I have this pattern and the kit! I absolutely love what you’ve created! If you’d care to sell me your design I’d love to purchase it! Just send me an email with your answer – I’ll be drooling over my laptop screen until then!
Always loved this tree. I really enjoy seeing your process as you work through enlarging the whole thing. I wouldn’t have the patience for all the added work in the borders so kudos to you for sticking with it.
I think you did a great job designing with Edyta style! It is going to be beautiful, but you do have a fair amount of piecing ahead (and applique, too). It will be worth it when finished. What a nice memory of spending the day quilting with a friend!
That looks pretty ambitious. I’ll be interested to see how it comes out 🙂
This is going to be a gorgeous quilt! Stick with it! (I think the border stars would be fine without 9 patch centers.)
I think my favorite Christmas quilts have all been made by you. 🙂
stunning absolutely stunning