Last week, Clodagh Coker reminded us that quilting can carry a meaningful message with Teach Peace Flower Power Quilt. This week, I’m turning to Christmas and one of those projects that may make you wonder, ‘why haven’t I made something like this already?’ Heather McArthur’s Oh, Christmas Tree Advent Calendar Quilt from ANPTmag Issue 55 combines a classic quilting technique with a Christmas decoration you can bring out year after year.
If you’ve been looking for a holiday project that adds something extra special to your decorating while letting you practice your piecing, this one deserves a closer look. Heather builds her charming advent calendar primarily from flying geese blocks, arranging them into the shape of half a Christmas tree. It’s a clever reminder that a familiar quilt block can become something completely unexpected when you change how you use it!
skill level Easy
time A satisfying holiday project you can work on now and enjoy as part of your Christmas decorating for years to come
ideal for Quilters who want to build confidence with flying geese, make a memorable Christmas decoration, and create a handmade advent calendar for the family
you will practice making flying geese blocks, accurate piecing, block placement, assembling a shaped quilted project, quilting, and finishing a Christmas banner
finished size The finished dimensions are not listed on the current pattern page, but the project is designed as a hanging advent calendar banner shaped like half a Christmas tree.
Oh, Christmas Tree Advent Calendar Quilt by Heather McArthur was featured in ANPTmag Issue 55; photo by Heather McArthur for ANPTmag
Heather’s Oh, Christmas Tree Advent Calendar Quilt appeared in ANPTmag Issue 55, an issue inspired by the beauty, strength, and quiet presence of trees.
Issue 55 explored trees from many creative perspectives. Our contributors interpreted their shapes, textures, colors, changing seasons, and even the fascinating ways trees support one another beneath the forest floor. Quilting, knitting, embroidery, fibre art, and other needlework techniques all became ways to celebrate them. The projects ranged from familiar Canadian imagery and seasonal trees to more imaginative interpretations, inviting us to look a little more closely at something we see every day and translate that inspiration through needle and thread.
What I especially like about Heather’s project is what you can learn from it. Flying geese are one of those wonderfully useful quilting units that appear again and again in quilt making, so every one you piece here builds a skill you can carry into future quilts. And instead of simply making rows of blocks, you get to see how changing their arrangement creates the recognizable shape of a Christmas tree!
Then there’s the Christmas factor. An advent calendar becomes part of the anticipation of the season itself. Bring it out every December, fill it as part of your family tradition, and suddenly the quilt you made is not just decoration. It becomes part of Christmas.
If you’ve been wanting to add one really special handmade piece to your holiday decorating this year, this could be the one you don’t want to miss.
Get Oh, Christmas Tree Advent Calendar Quilt here
https://www.aneedlepullingthread.com/product/oh-christmas-tree-advent-calendar-quilt/
Get ANPTmag Issue 55 in print here
https://www.aneedlepullingthread.com/product/issue-55/
Get ANPTmag Issue 55 in digital here
https://www.aneedlepullingthread.com/product/issue-55-digital-version/
Pockets of the beautiful Oh, Christmas Tree Advent Calendar Quilt by Heather McArthur was featured in ANPTmag Issue 55; photo by Heather McArthur for ANPTmag
Would you make this advent calendar in traditional Christmas colors, or choose fabrics that coordinate perfectly with your own holiday decor? Let me know!
Join me next week to see which inspiring ANPTmag quilting project I’ll share!