Christmas Joy Sew Along Hourglass Quilt Project

It’s time for the final project of the “Christmas Joy” sew along and we hope you’re as excited as we are to put all your blocks together into a quilt. If you missed what this sew along is all about, we released four applique block patterns for the “Christmas Joy” sew along: a Snowman, Santa, Christmas Tree, and Stocking.

There were also instructions for making pieced hourglass blocks to go with the applique patterns. Each block, appliqued and pieced, measures unfinished at 8½” x 8½”. The “Christmas Joy” quilt is 50” x 58” when finished. “Christmas Joy” was designed by Carol Swift from Just Let Me Quilt.

Christmas Joy Sew Along

HeatnBond

If you haven’t made the applique and hourglass blocks yet, you can find the links for them listed below. Using Heat n Bond EZ Print Lite Sheets for the applique blocks means no tracing…just run the pattern through your inkjet printer. It makes applique preparation so easy!

Applique Block One – Snowman (make two): Pattern can be found HERE

Santa (make two): Pattern can be HERE

Christmas Tree (make five): Pattern can be found HERE

Stockings (make four): Pattern can be found HERE

Hourglass blocks (make 12): Instructions can be found HERE

Hourglass Block Christmas Joy Quilt

Are you ready to put all those blocks together into a quilt? Here’s a reminder of what you need to make this quilt:

Applique background fabric: 1 yard
Applique fabrics: 10-12 fat quarters in coordinating colors
Hourglass blocks fabrics: 5/8 yard each of two different fabrics
Sashing fabrics: 1/4 yard each of two different fabrics
Border A fabric: 3/8 yard (pieced strips) or 1 1/4 yard (non-pieced strips)
Border B fabric: 7/8 yard (pieced strips) or 1 3/8 yard (non-pieced strips)
Quilt backing: 3 1/4 yard (allow extra if needed for quilting)
Binding: 1/2 yard
Batting to fit 50” x 58” quilt

These products always make applique and sewing easier:

Heat n Bond Lite, Iron-on Adhesive or Heat n Bond EZ Print Lite Sheets
Aurifil Thread
Oliso Iron
Optional for finishing quilt:
Spray n Bond Basting Adhesive and Stitch n Sew Fleece Sew-in High Loft

Cutting instructions (does not include cutting instructions for applique and hourglass blocks):

Cut 10 – 2½” x 8½” Sashing Fabric 1
Cut 10 – 2½” x 8½” Sashing Fabric 2
Cut 2 – 1½” x 48½” left and right Border A
Cut 2 – 1½” x 42½” top and bottom Border A
Cut 2 – 4½” x 50½” left and right Border B
Cut 2 – 4½” x 50½” top and bottom Border B
Cut 6 – 2½” x 43” strips (Binding)

*Colors aren’t the same as photographed quilt, but show the process for assembly:

Step 1: Prepare applique blocks following pattern directions.

Step 2: Prepare hourglass blocks following post directions.

Step 3: Assemble sashing rows – With right sides together, sew two 2½” x 8½” yellow strips and three 2½” x 8½” light green strips together as shown below. Make two sets. Press seams towards green strips.

With right sides together, sew two 2½” x 8½” light green strips and three 2½” x 8½” yellow strips together as shown below. Make two sets. Press seams towards green strips.

Step 4: Assemble applique blocks and hourglass blocks – With right sides together, sew rows together in order shown below. Press seams towards applique blocks.

Step 5: Assemble applique/hourglass rows with sashing rows – With right sides together, sew sashing rows between applique/hourglass rows as shown below; match seams. Press seams down.

Step 6: Border A – With right sides together, sew 1½” x 48½” dark green strips to left and right of Step 5’s rows. Press seams towards borders. With right sides together, sew 1½” x 42½” dark green strips to top and bottom of Step 5’s rows. Press seams down.

Step 7: Border B – With right sides together, sew 4½” x 50½” red strips to left and right of Border A. Press seams towards borders. With right sides together, sew 4½” x 50½” red strips to top and bottom of Border A. Press seams down.

Step 8: Finish quilt using your favorite method of quilting and binding.

*Optional quilt assembly with Spray n Bond Basting Adhesive and Stitch n Sew Fleece Sew-in High Loft:

Protect the area where you will be working by placing an old sheet or paper under and around the area you’ll be spraying. Place the batting on work area, smoothing to remove wrinkles. Place the quilt backing, wrong side down, on top of batting. Smooth to remove wrinkles. Having the batting a bit larger than the backing is suggested.

Roll back about six inches of the quilt back to expose some of the batting. Using the basting spray, spray batting from one edge to the other. Carefully lay the wrong side of quilt backing over the sprayed surface of batting. Smooth fabric to ensure it adheres to the sprayed fabric and remove any wrinkles. Roll back the rest of the quilt back to continue spraying and smoothing about six inches at a time until you reach the bottom of the quilt back. Check for creases or folds you might have missed.

Turn backing and batting over to have batting facing up. Lay quilt front, wrong side down, on batting. Make sure quilt front is lined up correctly; smooth out wrinkles. Use the same spray and smooth method as the backing. Trim edges and square-up quilt. Quilt as desired and add binding.

We’d love to see your finished blocks and quilts! Tag your posts with #thermoweb so we can see them!