Download these Free patterns for 2 Christmas projects, gather the fabrics, and get ready for some easy and fun sewing time!
Will you have some downtime during the Thanksgiving long weekend? If so, I have some quilting ideas for you! They are fast to sew and will get you ready for Christmas.
The first idea is a Christmas Tree Skirt. I worked with the All Spruced Up collection by Satin Moon Designs for Blank Quilting. This collection has traditional colors and motifs for Christmas; yet I chose some different ways to work with them, beginning with the shape of the tree skirt!
The All Spruced Up Tree Skirt measures 57″ square with 5″ and 9″ blocks. Because it is square, you may also choose to use it as a table topper or wall hanging. Just skip the hole in the middle and the side slit, and you should be all set. I call this a 2-in-1 pattern…
I love how the placement of fabrics and block orientation create a ribbon around the center square, reminiscent of the garlands we use on the trees, banisters, and doorways. If you have been following my blog for the past 10 years (it has been that long!), you already know I play with value and contrast when auditioning fabrics for blocks and borders. You begin by sewing simple half-square triangles and end up with a border that twists and turns as it surrounds the gorgeous floral fabric in the center of the skirt. The red fabric links them, adding grace and movement to the design.
Take a look at the trees – they display my favorite prints in this collection. Stitch the strips into sets, place the template on top, cut on the sides, and sew background triangles to complete it. Then, assemble the trunk part and you are done.
If you can’t find the same background I worked with, select an off-white or light-cream fabric. Tone-one-tone fabrics work very well as they have cool textures or tiny designs.
The corner stars are also made with half-square triangles. Instead of working with many fabrics, I selected only two. This way, the pinwheels were easy to distinguish and so were the fabrics.
With this tree skirt around my tree, I would pile the gifts on one side so everyone could see my work. Why not? Speaking of gifts, the All Spruced Up tree skirt would make a great gift. Quilts are easy to wash and maintain, and the quilting fabrics on this skirt can withstand spills from tree watering, shattering of ornaments by cats, and muddy footprints of curious little ones.
Hancocks of Paducah has the kit for this tree skirt on sale! I just thought of looking for it and it is there (no commissions, just making it easy for you!).
The second of my free patterns for 2 Christmas projects features the panel in the collection:
Quilt 1 measures 44″ x 62″ and the blocks finish at 6″. As I designed the border, I avoided repeating anything that resembled the panel motifs to keep the center the focus of the quilt. Although the fabrics are traditional, the quilt design involves geometric lines that contrast with the round lines of the ornaments. And you thought I chose blocks haphazardly! To be sure, serendipity plays a role in my quilt designs but, more often than not, the motifs direct my work.
Pinwheels are playful and I incorporate them in my designs when I need to lighten the mood. The log cabin and star blocks provide structure around the panel.
This beginner-friendly project comes together very fast. Save the pattern to use with other panels you may have lying around – as long as they can be trimmed to the same size.
Once you have downloaded these two free quilt patterns, come back here and look at the other free Christmas project ideas I have for you: Dancing Poinsettias, Deck the Halls (a modern Christmas quilt), and Starry Eve. Go shopping (that includes ‘shopping’ in your stash!) and begin sewing. You still have time to whip up some Christmas gifts of the quilty kind!
As for me, I am working this season on knitted scarves. I knit them while listening to audiobooks. I just listened for the 10th time to A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, my all-time favorite book. It is a relaxing pastime at the end of my work day. I choose soft yarn and simple patterns that do not require my looking over directions often. The soul-soothing is complete!
I hope you like these Christmas quilt ideas. Before you begin making them, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
