How to make a Christmas quilt

The festive period is coming and we’re celebrating the only way we know with a Christmas quilt project! The talented Jessica Entwistle has designed this beautiful pink quilt that features everything from colourful sweets to Christmas trees. Originally from issue 80 of Love Patchwork & Quilting, Jessica shows you how to make Christmas quilt and has included all the steps, diagrams and templates you need to replicate her gorgeous quilt. We love that the design is quite paired back meaning you could keep this quilt out all year round. Pick your favourite fabrics (or raid your craft box for a great stash buster project), grab a cup of hot chocolate, some gingerbread biscuits and get sewing. Remember to pick a bright and cheery colour palette for your backing to match your blocks.

Pick up Love Patchwork and Quilting’s latest issue and check out our round-up of quilt kits for beginners and free English paper piecing templates for more quilting projects. But now it’s over to Jessica and her how to make a Christmas quilt tutorial.

You will need

Quilt

• White fabric (includes binding) ¾ yd
• Grey fabric: ½ yd
• Blue fabric: one (1) fat quarter
• Tan fabric: one (1) fat quarter
• Cream fabric: ½ yd
• Dark green fabric: one (1) fat quarter
• Hot pink fabric: ¼ yd
• Pale pink fabric: ½ yd
• Red fabric: ¼ yd
• Batting: 34in x 44in
• Backing fabric: 1 ³⁄₈yds

If you’re new to the world of quilting don’t worry, head over to our quilting for beginners guide for tips and advice. Oh and discover the best sewing machine for quilting or long arm quilting machines in our round-up.

Finished size

30in x 43in

Layout Diagram

Notes

• Seam allowances are ¼ in, unless otherwise noted.
• Press seams to one side, unless otherwise instructed.
• RST = right sides together.
• WST = wrong sides together.
• HST = Half-square Triangle.
• WOF = width of fabric.
• Templates include seam allowances, where necessary. For templates, see issue 80 templates here on Gathered.
• Instructions are for standard backing.
• Warm and White batting supplied by Sewing Quarter (sewingquarter.com) Print fabrics supplied by Ruby Star Society (rubystarsociety.com

Fabrics Used

Print fabrics are all from the Spark collection by Melody Miller for Ruby Star Society, in Bright Blue, Butterscotch, Pine, Dove, Lipstick, Neon Pink, Peony and Metallic Roadster Red. White fabric is a Kona Cotton Solid in Snow by Robert Kaufman.

How to make a Christmas quilt

Cutting Out

Step 1

From the white fabric cut:

• One (1) 4¾in x 30½ in strip.
• One (1) 8¾ in x 30½ in strip.
• Five (5) 2¼ in x WOF strips for binding.

Step 2

From the grey fabric cut:

•  Two (2) 8½ in x 2½ in pieces.
•  Two (2) 8½ in x 1½ in pieces.
•  Twenty one (21) 3in squares.
• Six (6) 2½ in x 3½ in pieces.
• Eighteen (18) 2½ in squares.
• Six (6) 2½ in x 1½ in pieces.
• Six (6) 1½ in x 5in pieces.

Step 3

From the blue fabric cut:

• Six (6) 3in squares.
• Two (2) 2in squares.
• Fourteen (14) 1½ in squares

Step 4

From the tan fabric cut:

• Twelve (12) 2in squares.
• Five (5) 1½ in x 4½ in pieces.
• Three (3) 1½ in squares.

Step 5

From the cream fabric cut:

• Sixteen (16) 3in squares.
• Ten (10) 2in squares.
• Ten (10) 1½ in x 3½ in pieces.
• Twenty (20) 1½ in x 2½ in pieces.
• Twenty (20) 1½ in squares.

Step 6

From the green fabric cut:

• Six (6) 3in squares.
• Two (2) 2in squares.
• Fourteen (14) 1½ in squares.

Step 7

From the hot pink fabric cut:

• One (1) 4½ in square.
• Fourteen (14) 3in squares.
• Two (2) 2½ in x 4½ in pieces.
• Two (2) 2½ in squares.
• Two (2) 2in squares.
• Two (2) 1½ in squares.
• Two (2) 1in x 15½ in pieces.

Step 8

From the pale pink fabric cut:

• Four (4) 2½ in squares.
• Ten (10) 2in squares.
• Six (6) 1½ in x 3½ in pieces.
• Fourteen (14) 1½ in x 2½ in pieces.
• Eighteen (18) 1½ in squares.

Step 9

From the red fabric cut:

• Two (2) 4½ in squares.
• Eleven (11) 3in squares.
• One (1) 2½ in x 4½ in piece.
• One (1) 2½ in square.
• Two (2) 2in squares.
• Eight (8) 1½ in squares.
• Two (2) 1in x 15½ in pieces.

Piecing the HST rows

Step 1

Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the reverse of eight cream 3in squares. Place each RST with a red 3in square and sew ¼ in either side of the drawn line. Cut down the line, press seams open and trim each HST unit to 2½ in square.

Step 2

You should have sixteen cream/red HST units – discard one. Sew the HSTs together to form Row 3, referring to the Layout Diagram for placement. Repeat steps 10–11 with hot pink and cream 3in squares to make Row 7.

Piecing the holly row

Step 1

Sew a pale pink 1½ in x 2½ in piece either side of a red 1½ in square. Join three pale pink 1½ in squares and two blue 1½ in squares into a row, alternating the colours. Sew a blue 1½ in square either end of a pale pink 1½ in x 3½ in strip. Press each row and join together as shown to make one blue holly block (Fig 1).

Step 2

Repeat step 12 to make three blue holly blocks and three green holly blocks. Sew the six blocks together in alternate directions, to complete Row 2.

Piecing the tree row

Step 1

Follow step 10 to make twelve grey/hot pink HSTs and six grey/red HSTs, trimming each to 2½ in square.

Step 2

To make the red tree, join two HSTs together to make a red triangle. Join a grey 2½ in x 3½ in piece either side. Sew an HST either side of a red 2½ in square, then join a grey 2½ in square either side. Add an HST either side of a red 2½ in x 4½ in piece, then join a grey 2½ in x 1½ in strip either side. Sew a grey 1½ in x 5in strip either side of a tan 1½ in square. Press each row and join together to make one tree block (Fig 2).

Step 3

Repeat step 15 to make a two more tree blocks, using hot pink pieces instead of red. Sew the three tree blocks together to make Row 3.

Piecing the sweets row

Step 1

Follow step 10 to make HSTs, using 2in squares and trimming the units to 1½ in square, in the following combinations:

• Four red/cream.
• Four green/cream.
• Four tan/cream.
• Four hot pink/cream.
• Four blue/cream.

Step 2

To make a hot pink sweet block 1, sew a cream 1½ in x 2½ in strip to the left of a hot pink/cream HST. Join a cream 1½ in square either side of a hot pink 1½ in square. Sew a cream 1½ in x 2½ in strip to the right of a hot pink/cream HST. Sew the three rows together, joining a cream 1½ in x 3½ in strip to the bottom (Fig 3).

Step 3

To make a hot pink sweet block 2, repeat step 18 with the HSTs on the other side of the cream strips to make a mirror image block. Add the cream 1½ in x 3½ in strip to the top, instead of the bottom (Fig 4).

Step 4

Repeat steps 18–19 to make a block 1 and block 2 from each colour, for a total of ten sweet blocks. Sew the blocks into a row, to complete Row 6.

Piecing the star row

Step 1

Make twelve grey/blue HSTs and twelve grey/green HSTs, as in step 10, trimming to 2½ in square.

Step 2

Sew the HSTs into pairs with one grey/blue and one green/blue each. The grey triangles should join in the centre to make a triangle. Join a grey 2½ in square either side of six HST pairs.

Step 3

Join the remaining HST pairs either side of the two red and one hot pink 4½ in squares. Add a one of the longer HST strips from step 22 to the top and bottom of each unit to make three star blocks (Fig 5). Sew the three blocks together, with a grey 8½ in x 2½ in strip in between each one. Add a grey 8½ in x 1½ in strip either end of the row to complete Row 5.

Piecing the crown row

Step 1

Follow step 10 to make twenty pale pink/tan HSTs, using 2in squares and trimming the units to 1½ in square.

Step 2

Sew the HSTs into pairs, then sew the pairs into rows of four HSTs, referring to Fig 6. Join each row of HSTs to the top of a tan 1½ in x 4½ in strip to make five crown units. Sew the crown units into a row, with a pale pink 2½ in square in between each one. Add a pale pink 2½ in x 1½ in piece either end to complete Row 6.

Assembling the quilt top

Step 1

Sew the rows together, referring to the Layout Diagram for row order. Join the hot pink 1in x 15½ in strips together along the short edges to make one 1½ in x 30½ in strip. Press the seam open and sew to the top of the quilt top, matching the seam with the centre of the quilt. Repeat with the red strips and join to the bottom.

Step 2

Add the white 4¾ in x 30½ in strip to the top of the quilt, and the white 8¾ in x 30½ in strip to the bottom to complete the quilt top. Press the seams towards the pink and red strips.

Quilting and Finishing

Step 1

Press the quilt top and backing well. Make a quilt sandwich by placing the backing fabric right side down, the batting on top, then place the quilt top centrally and right side up. Baste the layers together using your preferred method.

Step 2

Quilt as desired. Jess quilted around the individual elements and along the rows, with a free-motion wavy design to echo polar bear fur vertically along the white bands. Trim off the excess batting and backing fabric and square up the quilt.

Step 3

Sew the binding strips together end-to-end using diagonal seams. Press the seams open and trim away the dog ears. Fold in half lengthways, wrong sides together, and press.

Step 4

Sew the binding to the right side of the quilt, creating a neat mitre at each corner. Fold the binding over to the back of the quilt and hand stitch in place around the edge to finish.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to make a Christmas quilt! For more Christmassy projects check out our free Christmas knitting patterns and our crochet Christmas decorations.