Get this free quilt pattern and make a modern quilt with Christmas ornaments and trees. Work with the fabrics I did or your favorite or Christmas fabrics!
I can’t believe I forgot to write a post about the quilt Deck the Halls that I designed for Dear Stella Fabrics. I worked with their collection Sparkle All the Way but it would look great with any of their Holiday fabric lines (I love “Baby it’s Cold Outside”. No, wait… so many options!).
Deck the Halls measures 53-1/2″ x 64″ – a perfect lap quilt size. The blocks are large enough to display fun holiday prints and they come together quickly. You can begin now and have a few of these quilts ready to gift come Christmas, avoiding the rush at the end of the year.
This has always been me, you know – slowly I make projects throughout the year and earmark them for this or that loved one. By the end of November, I just need to wrap everything up. Unless, of course, the year begins and ends with a “20”…
The bow atop the ornaments is paper pieced instead of using regular piecing for the two-color rectangles. I like to introduce simple paper piecing elements on some of my designs to encourage beginner quilters to learn and master this technique.
I do have tutorials that can help you so go to the tutorials page on this blog to see how easy paper piecing can be. One of the most attractive aspects of quiltmaking to me is the fact that there are so many ways to stitch a block together – you just need to get out of your comfort zone and try one at a time. But I digress.
The unicorn fabric above is so cute! Both blocks on this modern quilt with Christmas ornaments and trees allow for customization: you can work with prints that will enchant girls, tickle little boys, match the cabin or home decor of your favorite friends and family members. Think of the possibilities!
The tree is also paper pieced – I find it easier to get the 1/4″ above the treetop when using this technique as opposed to regular piecing. Yes, you can oversize the white triangles and then trim everything down but for my patterns, I want to make sure you will have the 1/4″ seam at the tip, so that’s how I do it.
The position of the blocks adds movement and whimsy to the quilt design. For a modern look, I chose blocks with simple lines and a straight border featuring a dark print to frame the quilt center. The light-colored binding offsets the border, too, with a fun contrasting effect.
I designed another holiday quilt for Dear Stella fabrics – this one called Tree of Joy and showcasing the Not Ameowsed collection with moody cats. For a more traditional [free] quilt, you can check out Dancing Poinsettias, with machine applique’. Finally, Flights of Whimsy is my most popular Christmas pattern so far.
If you are looking for more inspiration for Holiday quilts, check out this affiliate link to the book Countdown to Christmas: Quilts and More That Span the Seasons by Susan Ache. You can make any of her quilts with fabrics to match your taste, whether it is modern or traditional.
The emphasis here is on ‘make’. From choosing a pattern, gathering (or buying!) the fabrics, and seating at your sewing machine to create a masterpiece, all steps help you focus on the project and give your mind a rest from whatever else is going on around you. This is my favorite form of mindful meditation.
Speaking of focus… I have a boatload of Christmas quilts at home. I can decorate every room of the house with different colorways, and have given many away at the end of the year. I also like to make table runners and toppers as quick gifts. What are your favorite projects to make for Christmas?
