We are half way through the year. All quilters know what that means: Christmas in July! In this blog post I’ll be sharing a free reindeer pillow pattern with you.
Christmas in July
It might be the middle of summer right now, but planning wise, it’s the perfect time to start on your Christmas projects.
Last year I hosted a Christmas Quilt Along with an Advent Calendar. Every day, during Advent, we would open a present from the box. These presents could contain a piece of the pattern, fabric, thread, quilting notions, everything needed to complete the whole project by December the 24th.
What we were sewing was a complete mystery to all participants. It was such a fun project to host! I would love the share the pattern we made with you today.
Advent calendar 2024
This weekend, 12-14 July, the orders are open for the Sugaridoo Advent Calendar for 2024. A brand new secret project which we will be sewing together starting on the 1st of December.
The orders for Advent ’24 are closed
Materials
Let’s get started on our Rudolph the Reindeer pillow. Here’s what you’ll need.
Background
- Light teal: Fat quarter
- Dark teal: Fat quarter
Rudolph
- Dark brown: 12 x 10″ (antlers)
- Cream: Fat eighth (muzzle)
- Caramel: Fat eighth (head)
- Red: 5 x 6″ (nose)
- Off white: 2 x 2″ (nose detail)
- Black: 5 x 6″ (eyes + mouth)
Christmas ornaments
- Christmas fabric: 3 x 3″
Batting
- 22 x 22″
- 30 x 22″
Backing fabric
- 22 x 22″ inch
- 30″ x width of fabric
Binding
- 10″ x width of fabric (stripey fabric)
Pattern
We will start with Foundation Paper Piecing. Go ahead and download the pattern. Print or trace it to you favourite paper for FPP. Make sure to print the pattern to 100%, no scaling. Do check the inch squares to see it the pattern turned out the correct size.
Paste the pattern pieces together on the dotted lines the total width of the pattern should be 20 inch without seam allowance.
Cutting the fabric
You will need to cut the following strips, these measurements include seam allowance.
- 20 1/2 x 1 3/4″ from light teal
- 20 1/2 x 3″ from light teal
- 20 1/2 x 3″ from dark teal
For cutting the pieces for FPP I like to use the paper pattern as template pieces. Make sure to place a template piece on the wrong side of the fabric since FPP works mirrored.
Sewing
Now you can start sewing all the FPP sections.
Here is what we started off with during the Advent calendar last year. Would you have guessed what it would turn in to from just these sections?
Adding the ears, this could turn as well turn in to a monkey :)
Assembling the reindeer
When you finished sewing all the sections, you can sew them together.
Sew section …
… D to B
… C to E
… DB to H
… CE to G
… BDH to F
… BDHF to CEG
… I to BDHFCEG to A
Finally add the strips to the top of the block
Applique
Adding some appliqued shapes will transform the pattern into a fun red nosed reindeer.
You will find the applique pattern on the last page of the FPP pattern.
Use your favourite appliques technique to add the eyes, mouth, nose detail and antlers to the reindeer.
For applique I love using Steam-a-seam 2 Lite. But feel free to make the applique with your preferred materials and method.
Adding ornaments that are hanging from the antlers is optional, it can give a nice Christmas touch.
Quilting
Before we can assemble the pillow we will quilt the front and back pieces.
Quilt top
Use a piece of about 22 x 22 inch for the batting and the 22 x 22″ backing fabric for the quilt top sandwich. To make a sandwich you can use some basting spray, pins or even do some big stitches to keep everything together. (I did not baste my sandwich and that also worked out just fine.)
Use a Crease Marker, or your favourite marking tool, to make a triangle pattern on your quilt sandwich. Put a ruler on with its 60 degree angle line on the horizontal lines.
Follow these lines with your machine to quilt your top with straight lines. If you have a BERNINA walking foot, this would be a great time to use it. I like to set my stitch length a little bigger when I’m quilting with 30wt thread so the stitches will show even more.
I did not quilt the horizontal lines, but you can do so if you like of course.
Feel free to pick a totally different pattern for quilting! It’s your project, do what you like best.
You can add some details by hand quilting with 12wt thread in happy colors. I traced some of the triangles.
Backing pieces
Open the fabric, and place the left over batting inside. You will now have a sandwich, grey fabric at the front and back, of about 21 x 30 inch big. After quilting we will cut this in half so we have two back pieces for the pillow.
Baste this sandwich with your favourite basting method. (Or go the lazy route like me and trust that it’s small enough to stay in place while quilting.)
Quilt the back sandwich any way you like. You can go for straight lines, do some free motion quilting. Repeat the triangles from the front. Go have some fun!
I used Silly Moons Drop 2 ruler. To make some fun flowers. And filled in the gaps with a few circles.
Assembling the pillow
Square up your Rudolph to 20 1/2 x 20 1/2″. No problem if yours turned out a little smaller. 20 x 20 inch is also just fine.
Cut your quilted back piece in two pieces of 20 1/2 x 12 1/2″. If your Rudolph turned out smaller, you adjust the length of your grey pieces to that.
Binding
Cut 2 strips from the binding fabric, 20 1/2″ long and 2 inch wide (or a little wider if you like). Fold your binding fabric in half length wise. Give it a good press.
Line up the open side of the binding piece to the long side of the grey piece. Stitch on a 1/4″ from the side.
Fold the binding over to the back and either hand stitch or machine stitch it in place.
I stitch my binding with the 30wt thread, just dding a little colour.
Assembly
Time to put everything together.
Place the quilt right side down. Place one back piece right side up on top of your quilt. Line it up at the sides.
Place the second back piece, also right side up, on top. This should be line out with the other side.
Keep everything in place with clips or pins and sew around the outer edge with less then 1/4″seam allowance.
Now prepare the binding for your pillow. Cut 2 inch strips (or a little wider if you like) and sew them together into one long strip. Fold in half lengthwise and press.
Sew the binding to the front of the pillow with your sewing machine. Fold it over to the back and stitch in place by hand or machine.
Aaaand we’re done!
You did it! There is the Rudolph the red nosed reindeer pillow all done. Here is the Insta video I shared at the end of the Advent project last year. Showing the finished pillow.
The orders for Advent ’24 are closed
Merry Christmas in July!
Irene
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