Christmas Tree Decoration

 
Partridge in a Pear Tree by Jo Carter

 
 

Download Partridge Pear Tree_01 

For a text only copy of the make-up instructions Download PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE by Jo Carter

Fabric

Printed green cotton

Brown corduroy

Mid green felt

Yellowy green cotton

Beige cotton

Red cotton/gingham

 

Other Materials

Bondaweb (a double-sided iron-on adhesive for fabric)

Wadding (lightweight)

Red ribbon

String (17cm long)

Brown embroidery thread

Red embroidery thread

Fray-check optional - do not buy any specifically for this project, use only if any is to hand

 

PATTERN NOTES:

Seam Allowance: 1cm

1. Before cutting any fabric etc., firstly draw out the tree detail, partridge, pears and heart on the Bondaweb backing paper, using the pattern pieces the ‘wrong side up’.
2. Cut out each shape roughly, not along the drawn out lines but leaving a border around each one.
3. Iron each of the Bondaweb pieces, backing paper side up, onto the reverse of the fabric they are to be cut from. When cooled, cut each shape out carefully following the lines drawn on the Bondaweb backing. 
4. Peel the paper backing off the tree detail felt piece. Position this piece right side up, on the right side of the green printed cotton in such a place that leaves enough room to fit the small embroidery hoop around it for machine sewing. If the tree detail is to be hand sewn in place then an embroidery hoop isn’t necessary. Iron the tree detail onto the cotton fabric. Bondaweb is not as effective with felt so it does need to be stitched down and the Bondaweb will hold it in place satisfactorily whilst doing so.
5. Sew around the scalloped edges of tree detail by either machine or hand to fix it in place on the green printed cotton.
6. Remove the embroidery hoop (if used) and position the tree top pattern piece on the green fabric, lining up the felt detail with the dotted guidelines. Draw around the pattern piece and then draw out a second plain one for the back of the tree. Cut both pieces out. 
7. Peel off the backing paper from each of the pears and the partridge and position them, right side up on the tree detail, when happy with their placement iron them in place. Remove the backing from the heart and iron that onto the back tree top piece.
8. Draw and cut out the tree trunk from the brown corduroy. Along the bottom, long edge make 1cm deep cuts at every ‘channel’ in the corduroy weave.
9. If using Fray-Check squirt a little all along these cuts in the ‘root’ edge of the tree trunk. 
   Prop the trunk up on a cotton reel or similar with the snipped edge fanned out to dry. The Fray-Check reduces any fraying that may occur not that there should be much, but also stiffens the fabric allowing it to be posed a little.
10. Use the tree top piece as a guide and cut out two pieces of wadding slightly larger than the tree top. Place each of the tree tops, front and back on top of a piece of the wadding and secure with a couple of pins. Using brown thread, sew the stalk details onto each pear and an eye and wing onto the partridge. 
    With red thread sew a running stitch border around the inside of the heart. 
    Trim away the excess wadding when finished.
11. Once the ‘roots’ of the tree trunk are dry, with the wrong side facing upwards, fold over 1cm of the fabric at one of the side edges. 
    Fold it over on itself again and then one more time. Before folding it over one last time, make a fold of approximately 5mm on the opposite edge so that a raw edge won’t be visible along the length of the trunk. 
    Sew down along the outer fold on the trunk to hold it all together, sewing from the top of the trunk and stopping at the start of the roots.
12. Form a loop with the string and knot it at the bottom (this knot forms a stopper so that the string hanging loop can’t be pulled out through the seam). Line up the knotted end of the string with the top central marker against the right side of the front tree top. Machine baste it in place approximately 5mm in from the edge. Position the top end of the trunk against the right side of the front tree top, in between the markers at the bottom. Machine baste this in place too. 
    Basted with red thread to make it clearly visible in this picture
13. Right sides together, place the front and back tree top pieces together, lining up the top and bottom markers. Pin them together and then sew around the edge leaving a minimum 5cm opening on one side through which to turn it right side out.
14. Clip ‘V’ shapes out of the seam allowance all around the tree top to allow it to turn comfortably. 
    Turn it right side out and hand sew the opening closed (ladder stitch is the easiest method to close).
15. Tie a small bow with the ribbon (the cut ribbon ends can be sealed by carefully holding a lit match near to them which melts the cut fibres preventing them from fraying). Stitch it by hand to the front of the tree in front of the hanging loop. Reverse


 

Not for commercial use. Copyright © Joanna Carter, 2010.