*** Quoting Teresa Herman from a message to Carol Shenkenberger ***
CS> Its been 15 years now, and its rather full looking, with little ya
CS> chasing little yarn men about the skirts and all sorts of doo-dadds.  
ach
CS> year 
CS> I have added something to it either just before, or just after usi
TH> Hi Carol:
TH> What a neat idea.  I don't know that it would work in this case, but i
TH> be something to do for myself the next time that I feel I want to make
TH> tree skirt.  Thanks for mentioning it.
Well, its not really a 'craft you can make for another' if you get my 
meaning.  Its more like 'building an heirloom' and it looked pretty blank 
until the last 5 years or so.
Got the idea from a college roomate, based on something sorta like it she had 
grown up with.
If you want to start one for your home, here are more specific directions.
Take a BIG sheet, in a solid color.  (You will be glad for the colid color 
later as it develops, glad I started it that way!).  Dark Green or Dark red 
would be best.  What you are looking for is something that will make a circle 
big enough to fit the largest tree you can fit in your house, and keep the 
needles off the carpet.  I used one big enough to not have to 'piece sew' the 
bits together.  Queen sized I think it was?  Dark Xmas green is the color I 
chose.
Now cut this into a big circle.  I did that by folding it 'fan shaped' then 
cutting that neatly, then hemming it to the nearest circle I could manage.
Its been so long, I cant really remember what I did each year, but it seems 
that was all I did the first year.  I cut it, hemmed it, had a slot that I 
place to the back so it was easy to wrap about the tree after the tree was in 
place.
I didnt sew a backing to it until much later.  I made that out of an old 
blanket that was stained but still servicable.
Meantime, I added ribbon to the edges, and many ribbons along it as well as 
'stuff' I sewed to it.
Next year, I am thinking to either line the 'bottom' with another sheet and 
stitch that through the blanket and top, or add a wide band of frilly 'lace' 
to the outer edges.
Last year, I washed it after removing the 'doo-dads' that had to come off 
first, then tacked them back on again.  Since I use mostly 'washable stuff' 
if wasnt that hard.  (I wash it by hand with some woolite).
TH> The figures sound adorable.  My DH was in the Navy too.  He has been o
TH> about 20+ years though.  I have heard some stories of his navy times,
TH> much he enjoyed visiting some of the ports.
Grin, I bet!
TH> of the size intended for the couch.  I had also made Christmas stocksi
TH> for her and DH and didn't see those used either.  It is hers and I won
TH> her how to use it, but it is playing a part in my mind about wanting t
TH> her a tree skirt.  Now the other one is not due for a birthday until A
Gotta admit.  My MIL is a lovely person, but she brings me huge 'glots' of 
stuff I have no use for at all.  Could be that that particular little one, 
isnt into crafty stuff but would prefer something else?  (PS:  A large 
portion of what I display, IS from my MIL, but she brings me stuff almost 
literally by the truckload and there isnt room to do that with all of it.  My 
garage is full to the brim to the point of almost not being able to get the 
car in there! Fortunately she is a good soul about it and is looking forward 
to us having a yardsale this spring to sell of what we cant use and isnt 
upset that much of it will be the stuff she brought us from her own yardsale 
finds).
TH> the other one throughout the year.  I am sure she wants one, she has a
TH> asked about one.
Thats the clue.  She will appreciate one.
                                       xxcarol
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