Figgy Pudding: Contemporary Christmas Quilt (Part 1)

Project: Basic Grey Figgy Pudding
Contemporary Christmas Quilt
Finished Size: 66" x 82"
Supplies: Figgy Pudding Quilt Kit
Available at Dakota Cabin Quilts for $120, Plus Optional Backing discounted by 10% (+40.50)
Click here to purchase a fabric kit.
Pattern: Available as a free download from Moda. Click here.

Skill Level: advanced beginner

Introduction: Folded fabric trees in two sizes are combined with scrappy geometric courthouse blocks to create a stunning holiday throw.

Let's Get Started!

Small Tree Block Assembly

You'll need (1) 12 1/2" x 11" of printed tree fabric & (2) 3" x 11 rectangles of background fabric.

Fold the printed fabric in half, wrong sides together, to create a rectangle measuring 6 1/4" x 11".
Lay a ruler across your folded rectangle, carefully aligning along the diagonal.

Cut from corner to corner, away from the fold.

The side with the fold becomes a tree. The other side goes in your "scrap pile" (for a future project).

Align the raw edge of your "tree" with the long edge of the long edge of the background rectangle (Right sides together).

Then, add another background rectangle to top of the stack, and carefully pin. The top of the tree is flush with the background, and the bottom of the tree hangs out the bottom.

Pin, carefully aligning all raw edges. Stitch, using an accurate 1/4" seam.

Working from the right side, fold the tree into position, and finger press a crisp point at the tree top.

Press the central seam open on the back.

Then, finish pressing from the front, carefully aligning the folded tree edges at the bottom corners.

Align the ruler 1/4" from the tree top tip, and cut the extra fabric off.

Then, measure 10" from the top, and trim the bottom of the tree away, creating a block that measures 5 1/2" x 10"

Hooray! The first tree top is finished. Repeat, making a total of 16 small trees.

Okay, now for the tree trunk. My fabric pieces are cut smaller than those in the pattern, as I was using up scraps. Using an accurate 1/4" seam, stitch a 1 1/2" wide strip of blue or green to a 2 1/2" strip of background fabric. Press the seam toward the brown.

Add a second 2 1/2 " strip of background fabric, again pressing the seam toward the brown.

Subcut the strips into rectangles measuring 2 1/2" x 5 1/2". Make a total of (16) tree trunks, in both blue & green (8 of each).

Align each tree trunk with a tree, right sides together. Pin, then stitch. Press the seam toward the trunk. Repeat, until all (16) small trees are assembled.

Finished small tree block measures 5 1/2" x 12".

The large tree block (finished size 10 1/2" x 23 1/2") is created in the same fashion as the smaller trees, but of course the fabric pieces are a larger dimension. Only 8 large tree blocks are needed. Refer to pattern instructions for details.

Sort small tree blocks into pairs, in a pleasing fashion (a plain tree looks nice with patterned tree). Right sides together, join two small tree blocks using an accurate 1/4" seam. Press the seam away from the tree top, toward the trunk. Repeat, making (8) pairs of small tree blocks.


Lay our the large tree blocks in combination with the small tree pairs. Right sides together, pin a small tree pair to the left side of a large tree block, and stitch.

Press the long seam toward the large tree. Repeat, making (8) trio blocks. Each unit measures 15 1/2" x 23 1/2":

Coming next time: we'll make the courthouse squares, then assemble the quilt top.