Figgy Pudding Quilt

1 figgy pudding layer cake

1 3/4 yards of a focus fabric for the center panel

3/4 yard for binding
6 3/4 yards background fabric (this will be used for the backing as well)

batting and thread

First, cut your focus fabric. Trim off the selvage edges and square up the ends. The center panel measures 43" x 63".

From the background fabric, cut 2 pieces 4" x 63". Sew to the sides of your center panels, press your seams.
Cut 2 pieces of 4" x 50". Sew to the top and the bottom of your center panel. Trim any excess. (there should be about 1/2" extra, depending on how exact your seam allowance is.) Press well.
The first border is complete.
Take 7 squares from the layer cake and cut each piece into 4 strips---each 2.5" wide, for a total of 28 strips. These will be for the next border. Mix up the fabrics so they will be placed randomly around the quilt.
Join 6 strips of fabric end to end. Make 2.

Join 8 strips of fabric end to end. Make 2. Press all seams.
Attach these borders to the sides of the quilt first, centering them along the edge, cutting off the excess after sewing the border on.
Then attach the top and bottom borders, again centering them and then cutting off the excess.
Now, to finish off the quilt, cut 6" strips for the final border. I cut two pieces 53" x 6" for my quilt, but you will want to measure your own quilt top at this point.

When you measure, measure in the center or your quilt, not at the outside edge. This will help prevent wavy borders. Each person's seam allowances will cause these lengths to vary, that is why I'm recommending this method. My final two borders measured 6" x 88". Again, you will want to measure your own quilt at this point for the exact measurement that you will need. After attaching borders, press all seams and the top of your quilt is done! Easy enough, right?
I like to make a pieced backing for my quilts, so I added a little checkerboard to the top and the bottom of the quilt using more of the layer cake pieces. Of course you can skip this step and back the quilt with one fabric if you would like.

To make the pieced back, cut one piece 40" x 68" from the background fabric. This will be the center panel of the back.

Select 12 layer cake pieces and cut them into quarters to make 48 5" squares. (You will have 2 extra.) Also, cut 44 5" squares from the background color. Assemble them to make a checkerboard 3 blocks high and 15 blocks wide. Make 2.
Attach to the checkerboard strips to the top and the bottom of the center panel.
Cut two more pieces of background fabric 11" x 68". Attach to the top and the bottom of the checkerboard strips.

Press well and you are ready to baste your quilt.

I baste my quilts on a tile floor which has a built in grid. It makes it easier to center the front and back of the quilt while keeping everything fairly square. It's especially helpful in cases like this where both the front and the back are pieced.

To quilt this, I did an all over meander in a sand colored thread.

Bind and enjoy!
Here's the front, complete:

And the back.

A two sided Christmas quilt that measures 64" x 88". Large enough to use on a twin sized bed or perfect for snuggling on the couch.
by amandajean of crazymomquilts