Happily Ever Green: A Modern Christmas Tree Quilt

It may be the middle of summer, but quilters know there's no such thing as the "wrong" season to think about Christmas projects.

In fact, Christmas in July has become a tradition in the quilting community. It's the perfect excuse to dust off festive quilts, start planning handmade holiday gifts, or finally share a project that's been waiting patiently in the photo archives.

But that is just my excuse to post a forgotten finish of mine: my Happily Ever Green quilt. I finished this quilt a couple of years ago, enjoyed every stitch of making it, and somehow never wrote about it. Since we're celebrating Christmas in July, it feels like the perfect time to finally share this beautiful holiday quilt.

Some quilts stay folded away for a while before they finally get their moment to shine.

My Happily Ever Green quilt is one of those projects. I finished it a couple of years ago, enjoyed every minute of making it, and somehow never got around to sharing it here on the blog. Now feels like the perfect time to give it the attention it deserves.

Designed by Megan Collins, Happily Ever Green is a fresh, modern take on the classic Christmas tree quilt. It's festive without feeling overly traditional, making it a design that I could happily display throughout the winter season.

A Modern Christmas Quilt

What first drew me to this pattern was its simplicity. Instead of featuring lots of holiday motifs, the quilt focuses on a single oversized Christmas tree made up of simple curves. The clean lines and modern layout let the colors become the stars of the design.

The pattern is really straightfroward, one blocks exist only and you just follow the correct placement.

Quilting

The quilting was made with wavy lines on my Janome 6700p, an easy solutions that gives me freedom to be fast and effective.

Quilt dimensions

This quilt is queen sized quilt and it measures 90” x 100” inches.I added bigger borders.

Dates

Quilt started: December 2023

Quilt Finished: December 2024

Materials

For my version, I chose a deep red background paired with multiple shades of blue, green and turquoise for the tree. Using a variety of green prints gave the tree depth and movement while keeping the overall look cohesive.

The rich red background makes the tree stand out beautifully and gives the quilt that unmistakable Christmas feeling.

Backing: A solid turquoise fabric with a Cotton and Steel fabric (no photos).

Binding: Blue red fabric

Batting: 100% cotton

A queen size quilt made for cozy days

One of the things I love most about this project is its scale. I like Big Quilts and I cannot lie!

This isn't a small holiday wall hanging or a table runner, it's a queen-size quilt, perfect for wrapping up on cold winter evenings or adding a festive touch to the bedroom during the holiday season.

Large quilts always feel like a commitment, but they're incredibly rewarding. There's something special about watching hundreds of individual pieces gradually become a quilt that can be used and loved year after year.

Why I love seasonal quilts

I'll admit that I don't make many Christmas quilts.

Most of my quilts stay out all year, so I naturally gravitate toward designs that aren't tied to a particular season.

But every now and then, a pattern comes along that's simply too beautiful to resist. Happily Ever Green was one of those quilts.

It's festive without feeling overly busy, modern while still feeling warm and inviting, and large enough to become part of my holiday traditions. One of the joys of quilting is that every handmade piece becomes part of a home's story.

When I pull out a seasonal quilt, I don't just remember the finished project—I remember choosing the fabrics, stitching the blocks together, quilting late into the evening, and finally binding those last edges. Those memories become stitched into the quilt just as much as the fabric itself.

I'm sure this quilt will continue to come out every Christmas for many years to come.