Christmas in July!

Last week I showed you my Tell Me a Story Block Swap that featured blocks of no particular theme. That swap happened earlier this year and I like I said, I had so much other business to put on the blog first that it took me a while to get it scheduled even though I finished it back in April.

This project is quite the opposite! While it uses the same Tell Me a Story Blocks, the blocks for this project were swapped LAST year! October to be more exact. Last October I joined a winter and red & green Christmas theme swaps with the hope of creating what I have created today… last year. However, that did not happen so my Christmas project got moved to a “Christmas in July” debut!

Please enjoy my Christmas Advent Calendar tutorial. It features 25 TMAS blocks swapped with artists from around the United States. I used my Crafter’s Edge number set die as well as their Crossover II machine. I also used several Thermoweb products including their medium weight fusible interfacing to give stability to the pockets, their basting spray, as well as their Art Deco Foil in silver to add some Christmas sparkle!

Supplies:

• Crafter’s Edge Crossover II Machine
• Crafter’s Edge Numbers Die Set
• HeatnBond Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing cut to 6″ x 5 3/4″
• Thermoweb Hot Melt
• SpraynBond Basting Spray
• Thermoweb Deco Foil Silver
• Pressing paper/parchment paper
• Pattern for the TMAS block can be found in the book Intentional Piecing by Amy Friend (She also hosts the swaps so once you have her book you can join in!) 25 Blocks.
• Iron
• (24) 6 1/2″ squares for the back of the pockets
• (24) 6 1/2″ x 6 ” squares for the front of the pockets
• Batting
• Backing and Binding Fabric
• Choice for hanging. I did corner hangers as well as a large prairie point in the center. The corners were cut to 6 1/2″ squares and the prairie point started at 10″ square. ***see bottom of post for more information.

Instructions:

These instructions show you how to assemble the Christmas Advent Calendar. It assumes you have already purchased and made the TMAS blocks or have used a 6 1/2″ substitute block.

Begin by fusing the medium weight interfacing to the center of your front pocket piece. The fusible is just slightly smaller than the pocket piece so that there is no overage. Next, fold over 1/2″ inch along the 6 1/2″ edge and press. Fold over again and clip/pin in place. Do this to all 24 front pocket pieces.

Next, sew along the fold of the front pocket pieces for all 24 pockets. Baste the front pocket piece to the back pocket piece by sewing a 1/8″ on the three raw edge sides. (Optional)

Begin assembling your quilt top. I started the top row with 4 TMAS blocks and 3 pockets alternating. The next row uses 4 pockets and 3 TMAS blocks alternating. For the rows with 4 pockets, you might want to consider basting the side seams of the 2 edge pockets if you did not baste them in the previous step. Again, this step is optional. The quilt top will finish with 7 blocks across by 7 rows down.

Finish you quilt. Make a quilt sandwich with your quilt top, batting and backing. Quilt your Christmas Advent Calendar how you wish, just make sure to avoid quilting your pockets closed!!! To avoid this, I simply quilted straight lines along the block joining seams.

Deco Foil Numbers:

To make the numbers sparkle with Thermoweb’s Deco Foil, you will need to cut out all the numbers using Crafter’s Edge Crossover II die cutter and their number die set as well as Thermoweb’s Hot melt (the hot melt is the adhesive needed to adhere the foil). When cutting the hot melt, make sure the bumpy side is face up. The number dies are in reverse, and the bumpy side is placed down on the fabric.

For an Advent Calendar you need the following numbers:

• (2) 0
• (13) 1
• (8) 2
• (3) 3
• (3) 4
• (2 each) 5,7,8
• (4 total) 6/9 (they are the same die)

Once you have cut out all the hot melt numbers, follow the manufactures instructions on how to apply the Deco Foil. Make sure to let it cool COMPLETLY! the foil will not peel well if you do not let it cool down all the way. You can watch an educational tutorial on how to use Thermoweb’s Deco Foil for fabrics HERE.

FINISHED!

This year, as my girls and I count down the days before Christmas, I will have each of them use their imagination to conjure up wild stories using the TMAS blocks. My goal is to write these stories down and see how they change each year as they grow.

The pockets are nice and big! They could even hold small gifts or multiple pieces of candy for households with many eagerly awaiting children. Since it is July, I was “fresh” out of Christmas candy, so a large candy bar had to do for the photo shoot!

Thanks for joining me. Happy Sewing!

***You can find my tutorial for corner hangers HERE. When I make a larger hanging quilt, I will add prairie points to the top of the quilt. These are sewn into the binding and then I hand stitch the point down to the back of the quilt. I do not have a tutorial featuring this yet, but it’s in the works! Check out the photo below for a visual reference. You can see how to make a prairie point HERE.

Continuing to bloom by choosing JOY ~ Julia