Moda’s Countdown to Christmas 2020 Quilt

by Power Tools With Thread · Published December 2, 2019 · Updated November 29, 2019

Hi everyone! My name is Becky Thompson from the YouTube channel “Power Tools With Thread” and a blog by the same name. I am so honored to be part of Moda’s Countdown to Christmas 2020 quilt! This is a great quilt block if you are a beginner quilter or if you are teaching the next generation of quilters. It is a very simple block that is cut down to size at the end so everything fits just right. It’s layer cake friendly so you can make an entire quilt using this cute Christmas gift block. The finished block measures 12″ x 12″.

Ingredients:

Choose which block will be your “wrapping paper” (Fabric A) and cut it in half so you have two 5″ x 10″ rectangles. Set aside.

From Fabric B cut one 3″ x 10″ rectangle and one 4″ x 4″ square.

From Fabric C (background), cut one 4″x4″ square and two 3.5″ squares.

Let’ make the “package”. Sew the 3″x10″ Fabric B rectangle between the two pieces of Fabric A to create a ribbon that goes down the middle of your package.

Now for the bow. Draw a diagonal line on one of the 4″x4″ B or C squares.

Place the two 4″ x 4″ squares from fabrics B and C right sides together (RST) and sew them together stitching 1/4″ away on both sides of your drawn diagonal line.

Cut the block you just sewed in half on the drawn line to create two half square triangles (HTSs). Press the seams in different directions: one to the dark side and one to the light. This will help them nest together when sewn.

Align your “bow” pieces so they will align on top of your package properly and sew them together in the middle making sure you have a 1/4″ seam where they meet at the bottom of the bow.

Sew a Fabric C background square to each end of the bow. The finished unit will be a bit longer than your package but that’s OK because we’ll trim it down in a bit.

On your “package” piece, fold the sides together matching the ribbon seams and create a finger press crease to mark the center. You can also do this with a ruler if you like.

Now lay the bow section face down on the package matching the center seam of your HSTs to your newly marked crease.

Stitch together making sure to stitch directly on the bottom of the “V” where the HTSs meet. I like to pin going in one side of the seam and coming out on the other.