Poinsettia and Pine

Designer: Tammy Johnson of Joined at the Hip

• 3⁄4 yard red shirting (border, binding)
• 1-1⁄2 yards solid dark gray (background, border)
• 3- 1⁄8-yard pieces assorted red prints (poinsettia appliqués)
• 8×20" rectangle green felted wool (pine needle appliqués)
• 6×12" rectangle gold print (star appliqués)
• 4×20" rectangle tan felted wool (pine branch appliqués)
• 23×63" backing fabric
• 23×63" batting
• 1 yard fusible web
• 6-5⁄8"-diameter off-white buttons

Finished quilt: 56-1⁄2×16-1⁄2"

Quantities are for 44⁄45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics unless otherwise specified.

Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Cut pieces in the following order. Click on "Download this Project" for pattern pieces. To felt wool, machine-wash it in a hot-water-wash, cold-rinse cycle. Machine-dry on high heat and steam-press. To use fusible web for appliquéing, complete the following steps.

1.    Lay fusible web, paper side up, over patterns. Use a pencil to trace each pattern the number of times indicated in cutting instructions, leaving 1⁄2" between tracings. Cut out fusible-web shapes roughly 1⁄4" outside traced lines.

2.    Following the manufacturer's instructions, press fusible-web shapes onto wrong side of designated fabrics; let cool. Cut out fabric shapes on drawn lines. Peel off paper backings.

From red shirting, cut:

• 4--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 68--2-1⁄2" squares

From solid dark gray, cut:

• 1--12-1⁄2×52-1⁄2" rectangle
• 32--2-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangles

From each assorted red print, cut:

• 12 of Pattern A

From green wool, cut:

• 4 of Pattern B
• 9 of Pattern C
• 6 of Pattern D
• 2 of Pattern E

From gold print, cut:

• 2 of Pattern F

1.    With a pencil, mark a diagonal line on wrong side of 64 red shirting 2-1⁄2" squares.

2.    Align a marked red shirting square with one end of a solid dark gray 2-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangle (Diagram 1). Sew on marked line. Trim excess fabric, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle.

3.    Align a second marked red shirting square with opposite end of solid dark gray rectangle (Diagram 2; note direction of drawn line). Stitch, trim, and press as before to make a Flying Geese unit. The unit should be 2-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 32 Flying Geese units total.

5.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join 13 Flying Geese units to make a long border strip. Press seams open. Repeat to make a second long border strip.

6.    Again referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join two red shirting 2-1⁄2" squares and three Flying Geese units to make a short border strip. Press seams open. Repeat to make a second short border strip.

7.    Sew long border strips to long edges of solid dark gray 12-1⁄2×52-1⁄2" rectangle. Add short border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward dark gray rectangle.

1.    Center and fuse a fusible-web 3×18" rectangle to tan wool 4×20" rectangle. Cut fused rectangle to make:

• 3--3⁄8×16-1⁄2" branch appliqués
• 3--3⁄8×9" branch appliqués

2.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, position green wool B, C, D, and E pine needle appliqués on quilt top. Arrange tan wool branch appliqués over centers of needles. Place red print A leaves on quilt top in sets of six matching leaves. Arrange gold print F stars, covering ends of two branches with one of the stars. Fuse all pieces in place.

3.    Using matching thread, machine-blanket-stitch around each appliqué. (Designer Tammy Johnson often prefers to wait until the quilt top is layered for finishing before she sews around appliqués, quilting and appliquéing at the same time.

1.    Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste.

2.    Quilt as desired. Tammy used gray thread to free-motion-quilt the solid dark gray background, echo-quilting around the appliqué shapes. She also outline-quilted 1⁄4" from the seam lines in the border.

3.    Hand-sew a button in the middle of each poinsettia.

4.    Bind with red shirting binding strips.