Wednesday, October 28, 2015

my christmas quilt

I finished my Christmas quilt over the weekend and what better time to show it off than few days before Halloween, right ? :)


I know I say it a lot, but I really, really love how this quilt turned out. Especially considering I had no clear plan when I started making it. It all started with these sawtooth star blocks I made way back in August. And then I didn't feel like making more of these blocks, so I decided to make a few tree blocks using AmandaJean's Trees! pattern. And then I sort of improv added whatever needed to be filled in :).


 My main inspiration for this quilt was this beauty made by Mary (Molly Flanders). Such an adorable, perfectly perfect little Christmas quilt, isn't it?


I really loved how Mary hand quilted hers, but I was not really in a mood for a major hand quilting project. So, I copied yet another one of Mary's fantastic ideas and combined machine quilting with just little touches of hand quilting. I can't even begin to tell you how very much I enjoyed this part. Pure joy, I'm telling you :). It's like putting sprinkles on a beautiful cupcake.


This, by the way, is my set up for hand quilting. I don't use any frames or hoops, I just spread the quilt on this large table and go for it (but I do try to remove the cats before I start quilting :)). Oh, and yes, I did the hand quilting once the binding was finished. It wasn't planned like that, but in my rush to see how binding would look with the whole layout I totally spaced out and forgot about hand quilting.


I used red and white perle cotton #8 for these lovely chunky stitches and did some randomly spaced long rows of white stitching plus some red stitching around christmas tress.


Oh, and minky backing, of course. To make it all nice and warm and super cozy. (I'm hoping my post on backing quilts with minky will be ready next week).


The quilt finished at 52" x 68", so a nice throw size. Now just to patiently wait for Christmas to come so we can enjoy lots of snuggles under this cozy pile of loveliness.

Thanks for reading, friends. Svetlana

Ooops, I almost forgot. I'm adding my Christmas quilt to Blogger's Quilt Festival - small quilts category over at Amy's creative side.
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61 comments:

  1. CarolineOctober 28, 2015 at 9:27 PM

    Such a beautiful quilt. I'm not a great fan of Xmas in general, but your quilt is so pretty, nordic-like that I could almost start making one. Really, really lovely

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  2. GrandmaOctober 28, 2015 at 9:33 PM

    Great quilt, different but so nice.

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  3. Amy's Crafty ShenanigansOctober 28, 2015 at 9:48 PM

    Absolutely GORGEOUS! I wish I could blink my eyes and have this quilt on my couch :) Beautiful!

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  4. DarcyOctober 28, 2015 at 10:00 PM

    So beautiful - very peaceful and Christmasy. Love it!

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  5. MaluOctober 28, 2015 at 10:22 PM

    This quilt has a wonderful Scandinavia feel to it. I like it a lot.

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  6. AnitaOctober 28, 2015 at 10:22 PM

    Very pretty, it looks like it is cat approved.

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  7. pandchintzOctober 28, 2015 at 10:29 PM

    Oh Svetlana, it's THE nicest Christmas quilt I've seen. So crisp and fresh; it reminds me of snow (not that I've ever had a white Christmas, but.......!)

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  8. UnknownOctober 28, 2015 at 10:33 PM

    Your style is so awesome! I love this because it's not overly Christmas. I love the black, white and gray instead of the typical red and green. Fantastic!

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  9. JolanaOctober 28, 2015 at 10:48 PM

    Ahoj Svetlanko! Mas muj obdiv - jednak jsi strasne rychla, jednak quilt se opravdu moc povedl. Krasne! J.

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  10. mardeeOctober 28, 2015 at 10:49 PM

    This is lovely! I'm also not usually a fan of Christmas-themed quilts, but this one makes me want to start piecing red and white right away! And I love the slight touches of light gray. What is the finished size?

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  11. Mary W QuiltsOctober 28, 2015 at 11:30 PM

    I love it! I'm inspired.

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  12. Judith, BelfastOctober 28, 2015 at 11:32 PM

    Now that's a Christmas quilt I wouldn't mind leaving out well after Christmas! Fresh and modern, beautiful! Jxo

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  13. sew katie didOctober 28, 2015 at 11:57 PM

    It turned out stellar. I need to learn how to hand quilt...

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  14. S StaumOctober 29, 2015 at 12:15 AM

    This is the best Christmas quilt I've ever seen!

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  15. Sandra WOctober 29, 2015 at 1:03 AM

    Re your table set-up: do you baste the quilt before putting it on the table? Do you start in the middle? Can we see what the table looks like? I'm wondering why it doesn't get needle nicks.
    Thanks!

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  16. MelanieOctober 29, 2015 at 1:08 AM

    I love this quilt!!!!

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  17. DebbieOctober 29, 2015 at 1:15 AM

    I don't know what it is, but I adore everything you make!! I want to make a Christmas quilt now! ;-) This is precious and I especially love your combination quilting. My daughter does that sometimes and I love the effect. Another winner, Svetlana!

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  18. Anne RustOctober 29, 2015 at 1:20 AM

    Love love this quilt!

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  19. AnonymousOctober 29, 2015 at 1:42 AM

    Even though in Australia a quilt is the lat thing we need in the Christmas heat, this looks wonderful and cool to me! Last year I made Christmas tree potholders and everyone loved them. I might try a light-weight quilt too in the future.

    I love this version - modern and abstract.

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  20. AnonymousOctober 29, 2015 at 1:44 AM

    PS I forgot to mention the kitty-cat - good to see that other quilters have some cat-love on their quilts! :)

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  21. Little Black Cat QuiltingOctober 29, 2015 at 1:46 AM

    This is the kind of Christmas quilt I would like, it reminds me of peppermint candy! It's just simply happy, I can't think of any other way to describe it! Such a great finish! :)

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  22. Sharon TOctober 29, 2015 at 3:10 AM

    I am totally in love! Every thing you do is totally amazing!

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  23. Jak and Will by StephanieOctober 29, 2015 at 3:23 AM

    That minky looks like fur, so luxurious... and I do love the top.

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  24. SueOctober 29, 2015 at 3:25 AM

    Love the way you've set the blocks in this quilt - just right!!!

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  25. the girlfriend gapOctober 29, 2015 at 4:32 AM

    Delightful Svetlana! it is perfect in every way. How do you make everything so cute ?? Janita

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  26. AllisonOctober 29, 2015 at 4:35 AM

    I absolutely love it!

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  27. AllisonOctober 29, 2015 at 4:35 AM

    I absolutely love it!

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  28. SusanOctober 29, 2015 at 7:12 AM

    Absolutely delightful!! I love everything about it- from the clean red and white palette, to the hand quilting and minki backing! I also combine both hand and machine quilting because it seems to add something extra to the finish! I wonder if Mary has seen it?

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  29. RobertaOctober 29, 2015 at 7:15 AM

    Che spettacolo ....bellissimo lavoro!!
    Un saluto
    La Sportina

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  30. RobertaOctober 29, 2015 at 7:15 AM

    Che spettacolo ....bellissimo lavoro!!
    Un saluto
    La Sportina

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  31. margaretOctober 29, 2015 at 7:42 AM

    a real beauty for Christmas time. The minky backing will make it extra cosy to snuggle under

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  32. UnknownOctober 29, 2015 at 8:02 AM

    superbe, j'adore et tellement original.
    Bravo

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  33. AnonymousOctober 29, 2015 at 8:08 AM

    a lovely quilt, those trees are fab!

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  34. Kim B.October 29, 2015 at 8:27 AM

    Oh Svetlana, it's BEAUTIFUL!!! Deceptively simple-looking and so peaceful. A true classic. Congratulations and thank you for sharing it with us.

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  35. JuliaOctober 29, 2015 at 9:40 AM

    What a wonderful, bautiful quilt! So cheerful. Love it very much.

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  36. KayOctober 29, 2015 at 10:21 AM

    I love the simplicity of this. I have to say I would use it all year round. x

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  37. Teje KarjalainenOctober 29, 2015 at 10:53 AM

    Hi Svetlana! This is my favourite Christmas quilt and not only for the Christmas! I have tried to avoid red because didn't ever consider it my colour but lately it's popping out all the time and I decided to give up. Thank you for inspiration! Red/white quilt will be my next project - I hope nothing comes between. x Teje
    www.nerospost.wordpress.com

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  38. shelleyOctober 29, 2015 at 1:11 PM

    Your style, your color and design placement, your craftsmanship - everything you make, makes my heart go pitter patter. But THIS one.....I'm absolutely swooning. Can't stop looking at every little thing about it. And can't wait to hear what you have to say about minky backings since I've never tried one. So so lovely beyond words, Svetlana.

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  39. sueOctober 29, 2015 at 1:42 PM

    So wonderful!

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  40. ✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾October 29, 2015 at 1:43 PM

    Very beautiful! The hand stitching is such a nice touch! And the Minky backing will make it totally snuggly for the winter.

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  41. JuliaOctober 29, 2015 at 2:35 PM

    I love love love this! And I don't usually like Christmas quilts, so that really is saying a lot! It's beautiful!

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  42. LeanneOctober 29, 2015 at 3:07 PM

    I love it. It is stunning and so you, and the handstitching is a perfect last touch.

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  43. SewsaOctober 29, 2015 at 4:08 PM

    I really love your quilt. You did a fantastic job!

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  44. TennjennyOctober 29, 2015 at 8:08 PM

    I can't even describe how much I love this.

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  45. BeckyOctober 29, 2015 at 8:50 PM

    Amazing quilt! And, I look forward to the minky post! I am ready to make a quilt with that as a backing and know I can learn a ton from your experience.

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  46. NinaMeOctober 30, 2015 at 6:13 AM

    Svetlana! I love it, love it, love it! Really perfect! Write your article please soon. I was thinking about minky as backing for some time now. :) Thank you very much for sharing and have a good day :) Nina

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  47. Christine SOctober 30, 2015 at 6:20 AM

    I love this!! It's unlike any other Christmas quilt, just wonderful :)

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  48. GinetteOctober 31, 2015 at 12:10 AM

    I love this quilt! The handstitching is the perfect touch. Good job!

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  49. tiffanyOctober 31, 2015 at 5:04 PM

    Oh my, this is gorgeous! I adore every single stitch.

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  50. adnohrNovember 1, 2015 at 3:32 AM

    What kind of batting do you use when you back with Minky? I've used wool, but I haven't tried hand quilting it with Minky.

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  51. I'm Feelin' CraftyNovember 1, 2015 at 5:28 AM

    Such a beautiful quilt! I love it!

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  52. Live a Colorful LifeNovember 1, 2015 at 11:16 PM

    I think this might be the most perfect Christmas quilt. Ever. I want to copy it exactly. Love love LOVE!!

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  53. Kathy@KayakQuiltingNovember 2, 2015 at 1:12 AM

    I love everything about this! I am a BIG Christmas fan and am always looking to update the look of my holiday decorations. This is modern and charming. The hand stitching is beautiful (the white in particular is a great effect). Just lovely!

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  54. CindyNovember 2, 2015 at 5:08 AM

    This quilt is just beautiful- I love everything about it!! I too want to copy it and make it....right....now!!!!:)

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  55. BethNovember 2, 2015 at 7:14 PM

    Love this! A perfect combination of all things red, white, improve, quilting. Amazing and inspiring for sure.

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  56. Amanda JeanNovember 6, 2015 at 3:08 PM

    It's utterly fantastic! Well done, Svetlana, well done!

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  57. JenNovember 9, 2015 at 5:08 PM

    This is inspiring for the holidays! I love your fabrics and that you hand quilted this through the minky backing? Impressive.

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  58. Cathy MelanconNovember 11, 2015 at 5:52 AM

    I love, love, love this quilt! I have kept your web site up on my computer all day so I can keep looking at this quilt!!! It is so modern and amazing! What I wouldn't give for a pattern!!!! Beautiful!!

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  59. JenSDecember 31, 2015 at 4:15 PM

    This is beautiful! Gorgeous really.

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  60. JenSDecember 31, 2015 at 4:15 PM

    This is beautiful! Gorgeous really.

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  61. UnknownFebruary 6, 2016 at 5:18 AM

    I just finished up this same quilt! I'll post a picture after I've quilted it, onto Facebook.

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