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Family Christmas Quilt: Let the Kids Choose The Fabrics!

By 24 Comments

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom. This post contains an affiliate link.

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom.
What is a Christmas memory quilt? It's a quilt that the whole family came together to create. One that will be pulled out every year on the day that you set up the Christmas tree and put away when the holiday season is over. It is the quilt that everyone grabs to keep warm by the fire, to snuggle under on a cold morning, and to get cozy in while watching Christmas movies.

It is a quilt that represents everyone's favorite Christmas characters and traditions! A quilt that will become part of the holiday season for years to come.

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom.
(DIY Quilt Ladder Tutorial here)
Most women tackle cleaning projects when they hit the nesting phase in pregnancy. Not this one. I tackle projects that I want to finish up! Like this Christmas quilt. I've been wanting to make one for years and decided that this year was the year that I was going to finally do it! Just 3 weeks shy of my due date, ha! Since I kept it so simple with squares, it came together very quickly!

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom.
Originally I thought that I would pick out my own fabrics--- beautiful coordinating ones. Then a friend shared that she made one years ago with her kids and let them each choose a few fabrics that would go into the quilt. Genius! We were quite the sight at Joann's, picking out all of the fabrics that would go into our special quilt. The kids each chose 3 fabrics that they wanted. We had everything from Minions to pigs, Star Wars to Frosty, and penguins to puppies. I picked out a snowflake flannel for backing and we were all set. I was feeling a bit nauseous with the array of fabrics when we were walking out of the store, wondering how on earth it would come together!

For 60 more sewing projects, check out my sewing book for kids!

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom.
It soon became apparent that it didn't matter how busy the quilt ended up being. As soon as I started putting the top together the kids were already gathering around, pointing out the fabrics that they contributed and choosing which squares were their favorite!

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom.
I was able to put the top together in a few hours and then quilted it the next week. Since I use my home machine to quilt, I can't create any fancy designs, just straight lines, but it works out just fine! This is the biggest quilt I've ever made on my machine and it was pretty simple to push through. I use Warm & Natural batting and basting spray to adhere it to the fabric so that the quilt stays nice and flat during the process.

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom.
My favorite part of the whole quilting process is pulling the completed quilt, all wrinkly and fresh, out of the dryer. It smells so nice and is so cozy!

Christmas Memory Quilt
I finished the quilt on Halloween. I had planned on packing it away for a month and pulling it out the day we set up the tree, but we were all so excited to have it around that we decided to keep it out. After all, it's the first year!

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom.
Ruby came downstairs the night I finished it, and was busy cutting off the loose strings, to ask if she could sleep with it. I couldn't say no. The next morning I had to snap a photo of the little darling all cuddled up and warm. Of course this started something so the kids have all been taking turns sleeping with it. It totally warms my heart to see it being treasured already.

Make a Christmas quilt to pull out each year! Let the kids choose their favorite holiday fabrics to include and create a treasured family heirloom.
So here's my question: If you were to make a Christmas quilt, what fabric would you insist on including? My favorite is the vintage Santa 🙂

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About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

Comments

  1. Kate says

    Do you by chance remember how much fabric you needed for the backing?

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      Hi Kate! I THINK I used 5 yards for the backing.

      Reply

  2. joy Parker hudson says

    What size did your squares turn out to be and you had 4 materials in each square, what are the sizes of those. and how many full squares did the full take. Also how wide was the strip down the side of the sqaures . Gorgeous blanket and New sewer. Thank you

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      Hi Joy! I kind of just made it up as I went so I don't have the dimensions that I used before sewing it together. I'll measure the finished quilt and hopefully that will give you an idea!

      Finished quilt block: 13.25"
      Smaller solid squares inside: 6.5"
      Smaller 4-block squares inside: 3.25"
      Strips: 2" wide

      So you can add 1/2" seam allowance to those measurements to get an idea of what size I cut out. I'm not a professional, and don't know how to write up quilt tutorials or patterns, but I hope this was helpful for you!

      Reply

  3. Octavia says

    I really like this quilt. Thank you for sharing it. Is there a pattern for the quilt? I can't seem to find it. I am new to quilting.

    Thank you.

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      Hi Octavia! I don't have a pattern for this quilt, unfortunately. I kind of eye balled it and sewed the squares together. It was pretty basic so I think you would be able to make it too!

      Reply

  4. Carol says

    What was the yardage of each fabric, and finished size of the quilt? This is truly darling. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      Hi Carol! I kind of just eyeballed it as I went and it ended up being about the size of a FULL. We bought 1/4 yard of the 12 fabrics the kids chose and a yard of each of the red snowflake and black mittens fabric 🙂

      Reply

  5. purpleslobinrecovery says

    So precious that you involved the kids! Now they own it! So cute, ruby sleeping!
    Wow, you were ambitious to do this 3 weeks before birth date!
    2ut

    Reply

  6. Melissa says

    Your quilt is so pretty! Love the vintage Santa!

    Reply

  7. Heidi says

    Great idea to have the kids help pick the fabrics. It will truly bring back memories every time you use the quilt. Congrats on the soon Christmas baby!

    Reply

  8. Julie says

    What a fun Christmas quilt. Good job, I love it!

    Reply

  9. Casserole Gal Rhonda says

    Beautiful job and wonderful memories!

    Reply

  10. Theresa@DearCreatives says

    Lovely quilt. Thanks for joining us at the Inspiration Spotlight party.Shared. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  11. Kathi says

    My favorite saying is "when you sleep under a quilt, you sleep under a blanket of love." This is a precious idea.

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      Oh, I love that!

      Reply

  12. Debbie Mayfield says

    Very pretty!

    Reply

  13. Natasha Mairs says

    This is really pretty amazing!! really love all the different fabric you used #ThePinJunkie

    Reply

  14. Charlene b Asay says

    What a beautiful quilt. I should really make one. Love it!

    Reply

  15. Camille says

    A Christmas quilt! What a lovely idea! I'll be making one for the family. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  16. Carol says

    I've seen memory quilts - not necessarily a Christmas memory quilt - and I love the idea. I've even been collecting clothing from my sister, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, etc. for a memory quilt. Hope to make it some day. Yours is adorable!

    Reply

  17. Roseann Hampton says

    Love how your quilt turned out!

    Reply

    • Kate says

      Where is the link for the instruction for the quilt?

      Reply

      • Brandy says

        Hi Kate! There isn't one. I just gave a description of how I made it, using a bunch of fun fabrics. It's more of an idea post vs. a tutorial.

        Reply

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