'Tis the season for weddings and Christmas in July. Typically, gift ideas for newlyweds include linens, fine china, or kitchen wares. But if you are looking for a wedding gift unlike any other, consider a monogrammed Christmas tree skirt.
Ann's Battenberg Lace tree skirt looks quite elegant and is perfect for beginner machine embroiderers because it's landscape allows for easy design placement. Measuring 43" in diameter, the main band is ideal for 5 x 7 size hoops and the inner ring is ideal for 4 x 4 designs.
The Designs
Each scallop along the skirt edge comes to a point made by the Battenburg Lace. These are perfect aids for design placement. Designs can be centered above each point or between points. The hardest thing will be deciding which designs to use. You might consider three, six, eight, or 12 designs. Red areas show design placement.
Ideal choices for a 12-design tree skirt are the 12 Days of Christmas, by Adorable Ideas and Amazing Designs, or the Nutcracker Suite. Corner or border designs will work well along the open back edges.
Six- and eight-design tree skirts could be stitched using several options. Create your own scene combinations with Winter Scapes for a Currier and Ives feel.
Poinsettias and Pine Boughs are elegant and a good neutral design that will fit any décor style.
If you want a more hand-stitched look, choose the new Winter Redwork or new Christmas Gold collections or the adorable Bundle of Bears cross-stich.
The Monogram
Tree skirts above feature a monogram front and central, personalized for the newlyweds. The large center initial is the couple’s last name initial with her first name initial on the left and his on the right.
If monograms make you nervous, use Machine-Embroidered Monograms for the Home. It takes all the guesswork out of monograming, from placement to proper etiquette. You might also want to use the Holly Alphabet for a holiday-themed monogram.
Instead of a monogram, you could embroider the couple’s first names, as in Jocelynn & Bill, or add their wedding date centered under their names or monogram.
Inner Circle
For the inner circle band, stitch Fancy Snowflakes that can also be interspersed among the main designs for accents. Or use borders and corners that coordinate with your primary designs.
You may also wish to stitch text there, such as …my true love gave to me… if using the 12 Days of Christmas designs.
Tips:
- Iron medium- to light-weight interfacing to the back of the tree skirt, stopping and trimming where the fabric meets the lace edge so it doesn’t show through the lace. Interfacing plus stabilizer means less puckers and a more professional stitch out.
- Before hooping, iron the tree skirt using a stiffening spray.
- For a hand-made look, choose heavier cotton threads for redwork, goldwork, or cross-stitch designs. Test stitch first to be sure you are getting the look you want.
- Metallic threads add sparkle to holiday designs, especially snowflakes.
- If the thought of choosing thread colors makes your head spin, order the Christmas 1 pack from Amazing Designs. It contains holiday designs and 18 spools of Madeira thread at a $60 savings!
