You are looking at a Bailey family tradition. When I knew that I was going to be with my daughter Laura and her three children for Christmas, I wanted a project and I didn't have to look far. Laura wanted me to involve the kids in making a Bailey Advent calander. You start with a background fabric on which you applique an espalier tree with it's simple branches. Then you make a list with 25 possibilities. Collect some drawings from each child. Insert them into the list and add seasonal and religious images. If you give the child some size peramitors that helps. Number 25 is usually a star. Felt numbers create the hanging order. There is a square of Velro for each unit. #1 was a turkey made from three year old Grants chubby hand. Grant made a dandy circle became a wreath. Then Luke made 2 marvelous birds we are calling "Lukie Birds". That was 3 and 4. Lily drew the snow man for #5 and #6 was Grants truck with a little help from his grandma and a candy cane with a little help from his mother. The gingerbread house, the bird and the doll were Lily's. The gingerbread man and the donkey were Luke's. Lily gave us the deer, the tree, the Santa and the camel. The Grinch came from Luke, Lily did the angel, Luke did Mary and the train, Grant the ornament and package. Lily did the king and Luke did the babe and the star. Each drawing was interrpreted by myself in felt and laid out and stitched onto a purple ground to make it stand out.
After the figures are done and the Velcro in place, I backed and quilted the background.
The fabric of course is all Laura Gunn.
The tree is quilted. The quilt is bound. Tabs are included to hang the the quilt to a twisted paper branch with wire leaves which are wrapped and beaded. Over the top!!!
The buttons were a gift from Gypsy Pamela. Off it goes, ready for 2013.
The finished product is fabulous! The Gunns are going to love it! What a treasure! I'm glad I got to see it while it was a work in progress.
Posted by: cuzdc | January 16, 2013 at 12:49 PM
What a fabulous idea. I think I'll do something similar with my 3 year old grandsons for next year.
Posted by: Peggy | January 16, 2013 at 05:05 PM
Love it!!!!
Posted by: Jackie Dawson | January 17, 2013 at 04:15 AM