Quilt Tip - Improv Christmas Tree Block

I love this cute and quick Improv Christmas Tree Block from Amy Smart of DiaryOfAQuilter.com. Make a bunch of them to create a wall hanging, a quilt, a table runner, or even a fabric bag.  Watch this video to learn how to create the block in any size you decide.

​OR IF YOU PREFER -  USE THESE EXACT MEASUREMENTS BELOW FROM AMY SMART TO  MAKE THE MINI QUILT WALL HANGING:

You can make this following the video above, or go direct to her blog post for  more info at ​https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/patchwork-tree-quilt-block-tutorial/

I sewed 25 Christmas tree quilt blocks into a mini quilt. My borders are 2 ½″ wide finished, but you can certainly make yours however you so desire. Remember, this doesn’t need to be perfect. A little bit wonky and a little bit improv-y makes a statement too. Feel free to make it your own.

For my palette I chose a variety of greens in different shades and scales, to create interest and depth. I paired the greens with white-background prints and pulled in just a little bit of red. I like that it gives a hint of Christmas, while still letting the green and white be the dominant colors. You’ll also need a few scraps of brown for the trunks.

Using this method you’ll be making two tree blocks at the same time. First pick two contrasting fabrics. From each fabric cut a 4 ½” x 4 ½” square and two 2” x 1 ½” rectangles. From the brown scraps cut two 1” x 1 ½” rectangles.

Stack the two 4 ½” x 4 ½” squares on top of each other, with both right sides facing up. Using a ruler and a rotary cutter, cut one side of your ‘tree shape. Pull the right side away and make a second diagonal cut to create a triangle ‘tree’ shape. Keep these pairs together, if you are mass-cutting your blocks at once. You can cut all of your pairs the same way (such as 60 degree triangles) or you can cut each pair slightly different by cutting the triangles at different heights, angles, etc. I really loved giving the trees a little bit of personality and making them all different. This project is very ‘improv’ inspired, so have fun experimenting!