Needles 'n' Knowledge: Decorating with Christmas quilts

Friday, August 10, 2012

Decorating with Christmas quilts

As a quilter with a long history, I have created and accumulated many seasonal quilts over the years. My Christmas collection is by far the largest, and probably includes many of my favorites. Difficult to miss the mark with the red and green color scheme, after all.

Small stocking hung from a lamp

Many of these quilts are small. Sometimes these were class samples, sometimes something made in the harried days of December amidst all the other festivities. When uninformed individuals (usually non-quilters) see my small quilts, they often ask what I do with them. I guess for most people, a quilt is large and found only on a bed. If it is NOT big, it is a crib quilt, and found around or under a baby.

Each December 1st or earlier, I get out my wonderful red-and-greens and incorporate them into my holiday decor. Many are Christmas subject quilts, but some are just fun two-color quilts. These can be used on the wall, behind figurines, under lamps, on the piano, as focal point singles, or grouped in a wall-filling vignette.

Each year the arrangements are somewhat the same as the previous year, but always a little different. Usually there is at least one new quilt that can be used, or one missing because it was given away. Here are some pictures of how they were arranged last year in my home, just to get your own imagination and excitement going.

A Snail's Trail behind a collection of 12 Days figurines.

A Pinecone variation (this one is made of wool fabrics) behind a Willow Tree creche.

Log Cabin quilt under the poinsettia. Poinsettia quilt on-point on the wall. Large quilts folded over the banister. Mini quilt on a stand on the floor.