Snow Days

Designer: Tammy Johnson of Joined at the Hip

• 4­--1⁄3-yard pieces assorted blue prints (appliqué foundations)
• 1⁄2 yard cream felted wool (snowman appliqués)
• 1⁄8 yard orange felted wool (nose appliqués)
• 1⁄3 yard black felted wool (hat, eye, and mouth appliqués)
• 3--1⁄3-yard pieces assorted off-white prints (snowflake blocks)
• 2⁄3 yard light blue plaid (snowflake block appliqués)
• 1-1⁄4 yards blue star print (inner and outer borders, binding)
• 1⁄4 yard navy stripe (middle border)
• 2-1⁄2 yards backing fabric
• 43×61" batting
• Variegated blue thread
• Lightweight fusible web

Finished quilt: 36-1⁄2×54-1⁄2"

Finished blocks: 9" square

Unless otherwise indicated, quantities are for 44⁄45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics.

All measurements include a 1⁄4" seam allowance. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

To make the best use of your fabrics, cut pieces in the following order. Steam-press all felted wool before cutting.

Felted wool (available in many quilt shops) doesn't fray, so there is no need to turn under the edges of appliqué pieces. If you want to felt your own wool, machine-wash it in a hot-water-wash, cool-rinse cycle with a small amount of detergent; machine-dry it on high heat.

Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces. To use fusible web for appliquéing, complete the following steps.

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

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

From assorted blue prints, cut:

• 8--9-1⁄2" squares

From cream wool, cut:

• 8 of Pattern A

From orange wool, cut:

• 8 of Pattern C

From black wool, cut:

• 8 of Pattern B
• 48 of Pattern D

From assorted off-white prints, cut:

• 7--9-1⁄2" squares

From light blue plaid, cut:

• 28--3-1⁄2" squares
• 56 of Pattern E

From blue star print, cut:

• 8--2-1⁄2×42" strips for inner and outer borders
• 5--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 4--5" squares
• 4--2-1⁄2" squares

From navy stripe, cut:

• 4--1×42" strips for middle border
• 4--3" squares

1.    Center a cream wool A snowman head along the bottom edge of a blue print 9-1⁄2" square; fuse in place. Using cream thread, machine-blanket-stitch around snowman head.

2.    Referring to Snowman Appliqué Placement Diagram, position a black wool B hat and an orange wool C nose on the snowman head; fuse in place. Using thread to match the appliqués, machine-blanket-stitch around each piece. Position six black wool D circles on the snowman head for eyes and a mouth; fuse in place. Using two strands of black thread, hand-stitch a large X on each D circle to complete a snowman block.

3.    Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make eight snowman blocks total.

1.    Mark a diagonal line on wrong side of the light blue plaid 3-1⁄2" squares. (To prevent fabric from stretching as you draw lines, place 220-grit sandpaper under squares.)

2.    Align a marked light blue plaid 3-1⁄2" square with one corner of an off-white print 9-1⁄2" square (Diagram 1; note placement of marked line). Stitch on marked line; trim excess fabric, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press attached triangle open.

3.    Repeat Step 2 with remaining corners of the off-white print 9-1⁄2" square to make a Snowball unit (Diagram 2). The unit should be 9-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

4.    Referring to Snowflake Appliqué Placement Diagram, lay out eight light blue plaid E triangles on the Snowball unit; fuse in place. Machine-blanket-stitch around each triangle using variegated blue thread to complete a snowflake block.

5.    Repeat steps 2 through 4 to make seven snowflake blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks in five horizontal rows, alternating snowman and snowflake blocks.

2.    Sew together blocks in each row. Press seams toward snowman blocks. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 27-1⁄2×45-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

1.    Mark a diagonal line on wrong side of the navy stripe 3" squares and the blue star print 2-1⁄2" squares.

2.    Align a marked navy stripe 3" square with the bottom right-hand corner of a blue star print 5" square (Diagram 3; note horizontal placement of stripes). Stitch on marked line, trim seam allowance, and press attached triangle open. Align a marked blue star print 2-1⁄2" square with the same corner; stitch, trim, and press as before to make an A border corner (Diagram 4). Repeat to make a second A border corner.

3.    Repeat Step 2, adding a navy stripe 3" square and a blue star print 2-1⁄2" square to the bottom left-hand corner of each remaining blue star print 5" square to make two B border corners (Diagram 5).

4.    Cut and piece blue star print 2-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 4--2-1⁄2×45-1⁄2" strips
• 4--2-1⁄2×27-1⁄2" strips

5.    Cut and piece navy stripe 1×42" strips to make:

• 2­--1×45-1⁄2" strips
• 2--1×27-1⁄2" strips

6.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join two long blue star print strips and a long navy stripe strip to make a long border unit. Press seams in one direction. Repeat to make a second long border unit. Join long border units to long edges of quilt center. Press seams toward border units.

7.    Using short blue star print strips and short navy stripe strips, repeat Step 6 to make two short border units. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, add A and B corners to each short border unit; press seams toward border units. Join pieced border units to short edges of quilt center to complete quilt top. Press seams toward border units.

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

2.    Quilt as desired. Tammy echo-quilted around each snowman appliqué and quilted a wave pattern on the inner and outer borders. On each snowflake block, she stitched concentric circles in the cream print, a loopy snowflake design in the center, and stipple-quilted each triangle appliqué.

3.    Use blue star print binding strips to bind quilt.