Hey there! My name is Jen Daly and I’m so happy to be back at the Moda Bake Shop today with a new project to share with you all! Christmas Baubles is a sweet little 18″ x 24″ quilt that you can make with a mini charm pack of your favorite Christmas fabrics. My quilt features Kate Spain’s “Jingle” fabric line and I think her cheerful colors and fun prints are perfect for this quilt!
Here we go…
- 1 Mini Charm Pack (shown in Jingle by Kate Spain)
- 2/3 yard white or tone on tone background fabric (shown in Jingle Noel Snow)
- 1/8 yard gray fabric (shown in Steel Bella Solid)
- 1 yard backing/binding fabric (shown in Jingle Noel Tonal Crimson)
- batting measuring 22″ x 26″
Also Helpful:
- spray basting adhesive
- sandpaper board
Before cutting, take a few minutes to organize your mini charm squares. You’ll need 22 for the ornament blocks and 20 for the pieced border.
Here’s how I sorted mine:
For the ornaments:
And for the pieced border:
Cutting:
First cut your background fabric into the following:
- 1 strip 1″ x WOF (width of fabric – or one selvage edge to the other)
- 4 strips 1 1/8″ x WOF
- 2 strips 1 1/4″ x WOF
- 1 strip 3 1/2″ x WOF
- 1 strip 7 3/4″ x WOF
Of the gray fabric, cut:
- 1 strip 1 1/4″ x WOF
Of your binding fabric, cut:
- 3 strips 2 1/4″ x WOF
Further cut your background fabric strips into the following:
- from the 1″ x WOF strip:
- 15 – 1″ x 2 3/4″
- from the 4 – 1 1/8″ x WOF strips:
- from 3 strips, 88 – 1 1/8″ x 1 1/8″
- from 4th strip, 2 – 1 1/8″ x 20″
- from the 2 – 1 1/4″ x WOF strips:
- 2 – 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″
- 1 – 1 1/4″ x 5″
- 1 – 1 1/4″ x 7 1/2″
- 1 – 1 1/4″ x 10″
- 1 – 1 1/4″ x 12 1/2″
- 1 – 1 1/4″ x 15″
- from the 3 1/2″ x WOF strip:
- 2 – 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″
- 2 – 3 1/2″ x 2 3/4″
- 2 – 3 1/2″ x 4″
- 2 – 3 1/2″ x 5 1/4″
- 2 – 3 1/2″ x 6 1/2″
- from the 7 3/4″ x WOF strip:
- 2 – 7 3/4″ x 3 3/4″
- 2 – 7 3/4″ x 4 1/4″
Further cut your gray strip into 1 – 1 1/4″ x 20″.
Finally, cut the 20 mini charm squares that you plan to use for the pieced border in half — each half should measure 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″.
Ornament Blocks:
On the back of each of 88 background fabric 1 1/8″ x 1 1/8″ squares, lightly draw a diagonal line from corner to corner. Note: placing the squares on a sandpaper board before drawing lines helps to keep the fabric from shifting or distorting as you draw the lines.
For each ornament:
Place 1 mini charm square on a flat surface with right side facing up. Place 1 background fabric 1 1/8″ x 1 1/8″ on mini charm square with drawn line visible as follows:
Stitch along drawn line. Press away from background fabric.
Trim excess fabric a scant 1/4″ from seam:
Place 1 background fabric 1 1/8″ x 1 1/8″ atop mini charm square with drawn line visible as follows:
Stitch along drawn line, press away from background fabric, and trim excess fabric a scant 1/4″ from seam.
Continue in same manner for all 4 corners of mini charm square. The final ornament unit should measure 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″:
Repeat above steps with remaining 21 ornament mini charm squares and 84 – 1 1/8″ x 1 1/8″ background squares.
Strip Piecing Ornament Tops:
Using a scant 1/4″ seam and with right sides facing together, stitch 1 background fabric 1 1/8″ x 20″ to either side of gray 1 1/4″ x 20″.
Press seams away towards background fabric.
The finished background fabric/gray strip unit should measure 2 1/2″ wide.
From the background fabric/gray strip unit, cut 22 – 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ units.
Assemble Ornament Blocks:
Stitch 1 ornament top unit to 1 mini charm ornament with right sides facing together as follows, pressing seam away from ornament top:
Finished ornament block should measure 2 1/2″ x 2 3/4″.
Repeat above steps to make 22 ornament blocks.
Assemble Quilt Center:
Lay out 22 ornaments blocks in approximation of tree shape as desired. The quilt center is assembled row by row.
Row 1:
Lay out 1 ornament block, 1 background fabric (“BF”) – 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ (above ornament block), and 2 BF – 3 3/4″ x 7 3/4″s as follows:
Stitch together ornament block and 1 background fabric (“BF”) – 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″. Press seam away from ornament top. Then stitch 1 BF – 3 3/4″ x 7 3/4″ to either side, pressing seams away from ornaments:
Row 2:
Lay out 2 ornament blocks, 1 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″ (in between ornament blocks), 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 5″, and 2 BF – 3 1/2″ x 6 1/2″s as follows:
Stitch together 2 ornament blocks with 1 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″ in between ornament blocks. Press seams away from ornaments. Then stitch 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 5″ to top of previous unit. Press seam away from ornament tops. Then stitch 1 BF – 3 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ to either side, pressing seams away from ornaments:
Row 3:
Lay out 3 ornament blocks, 2 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″s (in between ornament blocks), 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 7 1/2″, and 2 BF – 3 1/2″ x 5 1/4″s as follows:
Stitch together 3 ornament blocks with 2 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″s in between ornament blocks. Press seams away from ornaments. Then stitch 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 7 1/2″ to top of previous unit. Press seam away from ornament tops. Then stitch 1 BF – 3 1/2″ x 5 1/4″ to either side, pressing seams away from ornaments:
Row 4:
Lay out 4 ornament blocks, 3 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″s (in between ornament blocks), 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 10″, and 2 BR – 3 1/2″ x 4″s as follows:
Stitch together 4 ornament blocks with 3 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″s in between ornament blocks. Press seams away from ornaments. Then stitch 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 10″ to top of previous unit. Press seam away from ornament tops. Then stitch 1 BF – 3 1/2″ x 4″ to either side, pressing seams away from ornaments:
Row 5:
Lay out 5 ornament blocks, 4 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″s (in between ornament blocks), 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 12 1/2″, and 2 BF – 3 1/2″ x 2 3/4″s as follows:
Stitch together 5 ornament blocks with 4 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″s in between ornament blocks. Press seams away from ornaments. Then stitch 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 12 1/2″ to top of previous unit. Press seam away from ornament tops. Then stitch 1 BF – 3 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ to either side, pressing seams away from ornaments:
Row 6:
Lay out 6 ornament blocks, 5 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″s (in between ornament blocks), 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 15″, and 2 BF – 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″s as follows:
Stitch together 6 ornament blocks with 5 BF – 1″ x 2 3/4″s in between ornament blocks. Press seams away from ornaments. Then stitch 1 BF – 1 1/4″ x 15″ to top of previous unit. Press seam away from ornament tops. Then stitch 1 BF – 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ to either side, pressing seams away from ornaments:
Row 7:
Lay out 1 ornament block, 2 BF – 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″s (above and below ornament block), and 2 BF – 4 1/4″ x 7 3/4″s as follows:
Stitch together ornament block and 2 BF – 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″s (to top and bottom of ornament block). Then stitch 1 BF – 4 1/4″ x 7 3/4″ to either side of previous unit:
Lay completed rows out in order to create tree shape — Row 1 at the top and Row 7 at the bottom:
Stitch rows together to complete quilt center, pressing seams towards bottom of quilt.
Add Pieced Border:
Lay out 2 borders of 11 – 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″ mini charm rectangles for top and bottom of quilt and 2 borders of 9 – 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″ mini charm rectangles for sides of quilt:
For each border, stitch together 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″ mini charm rectangles, pressing seams in one direction.
Stitch long borders to either side of quilt center, matching centers and pressing seams towards border.
Stitch short borders to top and bottom of quilt, matching centers and pressing towards borders.
Done!
Finish quilt:
Layer the quilt top with batting and backing fabric. Baste and quilt as desired. I basted the quilt using both spray basting adhesive and thread just to make sure it stayed still during machine quilting. I wanted the quilting for this project to be something fast and simple that I could do on my own at home, so I used my sewing machine to stitch both a tree shape around the ornaments and vertical lines in the background of the quilt.
One cheerful and fun 18″ x 24″ quilt, perfect for adorning your wall at Christmas!
Jen Daly
{jendalyquilts.com}
Jen-your quilt is so cute and your directions are the best I’ve read in a long time! Thank you for sharing your design/pattern!
This is so nice!
Very clear instructions (I notice HOW ACCURATE you’re sewing ON THE LINES for the ornament blocks !!!)
I will definitely keep this design in mind for replacing my ‘old Christmas wreath quilt’ which I have been hanging up every year so far.
Thanks for sharing this “Christmas in June”-design.
Thank you for such a lovely pattern. Great pictures and directions. I am itching to make one!
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I love it! My maiden name is Daly and my birthday is on Christmas so I was destined to like it. Great job.
So adorable! Great instructions. Thanks.
Very cute and novel!
This is an adorable pattern and will go to the top of my Christmas list. I’m starting now for my Christmas items as last year I waited too long, ah procrastination is my biggest quilting error. Thank you for sharing your talent and I have some Moda mini charms that I know exactly where they are waiting.
This is such a sweet quilt, and really a happy Quilt.
Some how I could see even making something with your pattern as an advent calendar!
This is wonderful.
I am searching for the printable version… is it missing? or maybe I am just not looking properly.
Thank you so much for sharing this marvelous pattern
Okay, I just found it. Either Firefox is having a headache or ??
Thank you again. I adore this
This is so cute! I love using mini charm packs and this is perfect for Christmas. Thanks for the great tutorial!
I love it – those are so cute. Great tutorial!
This is so cute, thanks! I’m always looking for mini charm ideas 🙂
this is gorgeous – thanks!
I adore it! The fabrics are beautiful and the design is super sweet. I have to make this one. Thank you for the tutorial. I appreciate it!
What about using larger cuts? Like charms or layer cakes and make a lap quilt for the holidays? Would those work as well? What do you think?
I asked her the same question on her website..check out her reply. Seems possible and she is willing to help if we get stuck!
Thank You! I’m going to check it out right now!
I’ll be making this! Thank you for the tutorial. 🙂
So festive and pretty! I really want to make this lovely project!
Love love love! Thank you for this great idea, can’t wait to make it!