Christmas in July with Nordic Holiday and Fabric Giveaway

Amanda Murphy's Nordic Holiday fabrics (by Benartex Fabrics) is refreshing, modern and appeals to just about any quilter. Snowflakes, reindeer, bears and a non-traditional holiday color palette combine to inspire all sorts of patterns.

Amanda included a lovely reindeer in her collection.

Nordic Holiday reindeer

I have a similar one I designed in 2004.

Reindeer from my Merry Merry quilt

I initially was going to bring out my Merry, Merry patterns from 2006. But then I thought "Lone Star."

Here are the set of fabrics Benartex sent me.

Nordic Holiday fabrics

I call this easy because I took out all the y-seams traditionally associated with a Lone Star quilt.

I selected two fabrics with good contrast for my star center. I cut two strips of each. Offset the red one as shown here and sewed with 1/4" seam, pressing toward the red print . Using the 45 degree line on my ruler, I lined it up with the seam as shown below. Slice off the side. (This pattern can be found in my Etsy store for $6.00!) This makes a whopping 29" Lone Star.

Seam and slice at 45 degree angle on left side 

Re-cut the wedges as shown. You are measuring from the CUT edge. Do NOT use the lines on your cutting mat for this. It's all in relation to your ruler.

Cut Two-Patch 45 degree wedges

Place the red diamonds at the pointed ends

Two wedges become a Diamond 4-Patch

 Sew together and press seam open.

Diamond 4-Patch, seam pressed open.

 Make 8 of these units

Make 8 Diamond 4-Patch units

Now we cut the setting triangles, large and small. Remember, there are no y-seams! I selected the wonderful gray scroll print.

Cut four small squares and four large squares. Recut each into two triangles each. You will now have 8 small and 8 large triangles.

Large and small setting triangles

It's important to audition your triangle placement before you sew. It's easy to get things mixed up. Sew the small triangle on first. Press toward the triangle. Then add the large triangle (which is slightly oversized). Again, press toward the triangle.

Make 4 of these units

Make 4 units that are the mirror image of the above unit. This is how they will look when sewn together.

These are mirror images of each other

Use your long ruler and the 45 degree line to help you slice off the excess large triangle. I also like to align the ruler markings for inches along one or more seam line. Sewing diagonal seams can be tricky!

Slicing excess fabric

Now, place the two units together and sew with 1/4" seam; press seam open. Make four.

Make 4 of these units

And what does it look like with all those seams pressed? Here is the 29" star from the back.

Seams pressed open make for a very flat quilt center

Now for the borders. I wanted to use the reindeer print, but I only had enough for 2 borders (without chopping off parts of the reindeer!) So, I took that awesome red snowflake print and used that for the sides. Who says your borders have to match?

I also wanted to introduce a green. Inner border was cut 1-1/2". Outer reindeer print was cut (VERY CAREFULLY) at 6-1/2". The snowflake print only allowed me to cut two 5-3/4" strips. Again, who says your quilt's borders have to be the same size?!

Here she is: Holiday Star, 41-1/2" x 43"

I also made some very quick, small projects using my new workshop pattern, Double Hexie Stars. Let me show you!

Double Hexie Star (16" x 18") using the Snowflake fabric for the center

I fussy cut this awesome reindeer for my next star

 I couldn't toss the remaining bits of the red reindeer print. I cut 5 hexagons, set with triangles and this was given a few months ago as a housewarming gift for a newly wed couple.

Small quilt using those reindeer fabrics!