JOY in July - A Christmas Bunting

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas in July!

That's our chosen theme for the Across the Pond Sew Along...

and it's also the reason for a fun blog hop

over at The Crafty Quilter.

{I've already posted my Christmas Tree Topiary Pillow for the blog hop here.}

Amanda The Patchsmith

has come up with not one, 

but TWO free bunting patterns for her July contributions!

Gingerbread Bunting by The Patchsmith

JOY Bunting by The Patchsmith

I decided to make the JOY bunting for our living room.

I used scraps from Glace, an older Christmas line

by 3 Sisters for Moda.

{I love the aqua, brown and red floral and holly prints.}

I love how quickly this project came together.

I'm pretty sure I had it all finished in less than an hour.

The fusible applique was very simple.

I just stitched along the edges of the applique pieces.

I didn't have the shade of ribbon I wanted,

so I just sewed the pennants to a long piece of aqua binding,

taco-style.

{I just tucked the pieces between the folds, pinned into place,

and stitched along one edge.  Easy!}

This decoration will be so easy to store until Christmastime.

Look at my little bundle of JOY!

If you want to, you could add more pennants,

to make it as long as you like.

Today I'm decking the deck with boughs of holly.

This winter I should take new photos,

with snow, instead of grass, in the background.

I hope you'll join us and stitch up something

for Christmas in July.

You can add your photos to the ATPSA Flickr group.

If your December is super busy, like most people I know,

you won't be sorry you've planned ahead!