Birch Gnomes Quilt Pattern

This adorable Birch Gnomes quilt pattern is an easy pattern for even a beginning quilter.  Measuring 56” x 72” this quilt is the perfect size to snuggle under!  This fun quilt is so charming draped on the back of your couch, the end of your bed, or hanging on a ladder or wall in your home!!  You’ll be smitten with it!

No matter your skill level, the simple blocks in this beginner quilt pattern can easily be accomplished even if this is your first quilt!  The step by step instructions in the pattern are written with the beginner quilter in mind.  But even veteran quilters may find some new inspiration in this fun design!

While the Birch Gnomes quilt pattern can be included in your collection of Christmas quilts, the grays and creams allow this quilt to be displayed all winter or even all year long!

Here is a quick video of the Birch Gnomes quilt reveal!

Directions for making this quilt are below. If you’d like to purchase a printable ad-free PDF of the Birch Gnomes Quilt Pattern you can do so in my Etsy shop!

birch gnomes quilt pattern

General Sewing Directions

The directions for this quilt are for rotary cutting, machine piecing, machine quilting, and the binding is hand-stitched to the quilt back.

Accurate cutting and sewing enhances your final product.  Pin your pieces together before sewing them to ensure proper seam alignment.

Sew fabric pieces with right sides together, unless otherwise stated.  Use a ¼” seam allowance.  I recommend using a special presser foot with a ¼” guide if you have one for your machine.  This will help you get uniform seams.

Follow the detailed instructions described below as you press open the seams.  Each row is pressed in the opposite direction of the previous row to help eliminate bulk and allow seams to lay flat. 

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Fabric Requirements for the Balsam Gnomes Quilt Pattern

The gnomes are created using a variety of gray prints, along with white fabric for the beard and peach fabric for the nose. 

The birch trees are created using a variety of cream prints.  If the cream prints have some dark patterns on them even better!! 

For the background I used a medium gray solid fabric to show off the trees and a light gray solid fabric to show off the gnomes.  Have fun choosing your color palette, and remember…there are no rules!!

This easy project can be made from several fat quarters.  I suggest using only high quality 100% cotton fabric, the kind you’ll find at your local quilt shop or favorite online shop like Fat Quarter Shop.

The Fat Quarter Shop is a convenient place to purchase all kinds of precut fabric from fat quarter bundles to jelly roll strips, layer cakes, and mini charm packs made up from many varieties of fabric collections including Moda Fabrics.  Notions are sold there too and you can even find fat quarter patterns in this shop, as well as block of the months patterns.  This online shop has new products arriving all the time. 

Quilt lovers will love the convenience of shopping in the convenience of their home at the Fat Quarter Shop, and the good news is that if you spend $80 you’ll even get free shipping!  No problem, lol!! 

Another fun online fabric shop is Connecting Threads. You might want to check them out too!    

Gray Print Fabric: 

The total fabric needed is about 1 yard.  However, to achieve the scrappy look of this quilt I suggest using a few different prints.  Either purchase a few new fat quarters or raid your own fabrics stash!  The scrappiness of this cozy quilt design is a great way to use up some of your leftover fabric.

gray fabrics

White Fabric: 

The total fabric needed is about ⅝ yard. 

Peach Fabric: 

The total fabric needed is about ⅛ yard (or an 8” x 18” piece). 

Cream Fabric (with minimal black or gray design in it): 

You’ll need a total of about 2 ½ yards.  Use a few different prints.  This will be the fabric that will make up the birch trees for the balsam gnomes quilt pattern.

cream and black fabrics

Medium Gray

The total fabric needed is about 2 3/4 yards.

Light Gray Solid Fabric: 

The total fabric needed is about 1 1/2 yards. 

Binding Strip: 

The total fabric needed is ½ yard.

Backing Fabric: 

You’ll need 2 yards of 108” wide quilt backing fabric or 4 yards of 42” wide fabric.

Batting: 

You’ll need a twin size (72” x 90”) thin cotton batting (like Warm & Natural) to make this quilt.

Fusible Web (like Wonder-Under): 

You’ll need an 8” x 18” piece.                      

Cutting Directions for the Balsam Gnomes Quilt Pattern

Using a self-healing cutting mat and your favorite rotary cutters, follow the directions below to cut all of the pieces to make this simple pattern.

Gray Print Fabric: 

Cut 24 – 6 ½” x 8” rectangles* and Cut 24 – 2 ½” x 7 ½” fabric strips.

gray strips for gnome block

White Fabric: 

Cut 24 – 4 ½” x 8” rectangles.*

*Sew 1 large gray rectangle to 1 white rectangle along the 8” side to make an 8” x 10 ½” rectangle, press seam toward gray.  Repeat for all 24.  Then cut 24 triangles from this gray/white unit using Template A (pdf files are available below).  Follow the placement directions on the bottom of the template.

cutting gnome triangle from template

Tip:  The bias edge of the triangles once they’re cut can be a bit tricky to work with.  Just take your time and handle them gently so they don’t stretch out of shape as you sew the pieces together later.

Click below for the template pattern download.

Peach Fabric: 

Cut 1 – 4” x 42” strip or cut 1 – 8” x 18” rectangle.**

Fusible Web: 

Cut 2 – 4” x 18” strips or cut 1 – 8” x 18” rectangle.**

**Iron fusible web to the back side of the peach fabric, paper side facing up.  When cooled, carefully peel off paper backing.  Then use a scissors to cut 24 oval noses from the peach fabric using Template D.  You can trace the noses with a pencil first before cutting them out if you’d like to, but it doesn’t matter if they’re not exact!

Light Gray Solid Fabric: 

Cut 24 triangles using Template B and Cut 24 triangles using Template C.

gray triangles cut from templates

Medium Gray Solid Fabric: 

Cut 48 – 5 ½” x 15” rectangles.

gray rectangles for tree block

Cream Fabric:  

Cut 24 – 2 ½” x 15” fabric strips.  Trim one side of each strip so it’s tapered toward the top so the top measures about 1 ½”.  You don’t need to be exact, just eyeball it!

trimmed truck

Cut 24 – 1 ½” x 42” strips and Cut 24 – 1” x 42” strips.

cut tree branches and trunk

Binding: 

Cut 7 – 2 ½” x 42” strips.

cut binding strip

Backing: 

If using 108” wide fabric trim to measure 64” x 80”.  If using 42” wide fabric cut 2 – 2 yard pieces.  Trim the salvage edges and sew them together along the 2 yard side using a ½” seam to make a 72” x 80” backing piece.  Trim to measure 64” x 80”, with the seam running horizonal along the middle of the backing.  This 64” x 80” size allows the backing to extend 4” beyond all edges of the quilt top.

backing fabric
I used this fun fabric from the Autumn Journal collection by Dear Stella Designs

Batting: 

Trim to same 64” x 80” size as the backing piece.

Sew the Blocks

It’s time to sew the gnome and birch tree blocks that will be arranged across the entire quilt!

Gnome Block: 

Sew a cream triangle cut from Template B to the left side of the gray/white gnome triangle.  Press seam toward cream triangle.  Sew a cream triangle cut from Template C to the right side of the gray/white gnome unit.  Press seam toward cream triangle.  This unit should measure 7 ½” x 10 ½”, carefully trim if needed so gray/white triangle is still centered vertically in the block.

Sew the 2 ½” x 7 ½” gray strip to the bottom of the white gnome beard.  Press seam downward toward the gray strip.  Unfinished block should measure 7 ½” x 12 ½”, trim if needed.  Repeat for all 24 gnome blocks.

sewing strip to bottom of gnome block

Place the peach oval nose cut from Template D on the face of the gnome, right side facing up.  I like the nose to be mostly on the white with a little of the nose sticking above onto the gray.  Press to set nose in place via directions for the fusible web. 

Then carefully stitch ⅛” or so around the edge of the nose, 2-3 times around.  Use a wider length of stitch than normally used. 

sewing on gnome nose

It’s ok if the stitching overlaps and looks a little messy, that adds to the charm of this gnome block and makes each one unique! 

gnome nose

Birch Tree Block: 

Lay two 5 ½” x 15” medium gray rectangles vertical on your cutting mat, about 2” apart from each other.  Use your ruler and rotary cutter to cut apart these rectangles in the places you want the branches to be.  Here is an example of how you could cut these lines to represent the branches. 

gray rectangles with branch areas cut out

You don’t need to follow this exactly, nor do you need to make the branches of your birch blocks look alike.  Keep the narrow branches close to the inside edge or they’ll be cut off when the block is trimmed to size.

Narrow Branches

Use the 1” strip of cream fabric to sew in the narrow branches.  Start with one branch at a time rather than sewing in all the narrow branches at once. 

Select a branch to start with.  Sew the strip between the cut sections for where the narrow branch will go.  After you sew the two gray pieces of cut fabric to the cream strip, trim both ends of the cream strip to be close to the angle of the gray pieces.  You don’t need to be exact when trimming, just eyeball it.  You’ll trim it again later!  Press seams toward gray background.

Repeat until you have all of the narrow branches sewn in for both rectangles.  Use your ruler and rotary cutter to trim the sides of the branch units that will connect with the wider branch.  Trim at the same angle of the gray pieces, just enough so the unit doesn’t have any cream overhang and is nice and straight.  You don’t need to trim the outside edges of the unit right now. 

Wider Branches

Next you’ll sew in the wider branches!  Use the 1 ½” strip of cream fabric to sew in the wider branches.  Follow the same directions as when you sewed in the narrow branches, only now you’ll be working with gray pieces that have a narrow branch sewn into them.  Press the seams toward the wider cream branch this time!  Repeat until you have all the wider branches sewn in for both rectangles. 

gallery to trim the birch tree block of the birch gnomes quilt pattern
Refer to this gallery to trim the birch tree block!

Tree Truck

Use your rotary cutter to slightly trim along the edge of each rectangle where the tree trunk will be sewn in (picture 1).  Trim inside of rectangles at a straight 90° angle. 

Sew the 2 ½” x 16” trimmed cream strip to each gray unit to connect them and form the tree trunk (picture 2).

Trim block to measure 7 ½” x 12 ½”.  Use an 8 ½” x 24” ruler like the Omnigrip ruler. I love this ruler for how it holds firm to your fabric as you cut along the edge of it. 

trimming birch tree block
Trim Using the Lines on Your Cutting Mat

Or you can use your plastic ruler and the lines on the cutting mat.  To do that start by laying the block vertical and trimming the right side of the block (picture 3). 

Now turn the block around and line up the trimmed edge with the first vertical (zero) line on the cutting mat.  Find the 7 ½” line on the cutting mat (picture 4). 

Line up the horizontal lines on your plastic ruler to the lines on the cutting mat so the ruler is square, and trim the overhang so that your block measures 7 ½” wide (picture 5). 

Lay the block horizontal along a horizontal line on the cutting mat.  Make sure the complete top short side of the block extends beyond the left edge of the cutting mat so you can’t see any of the first line on the cutting mat.  Locate the 12 ½” vertical line on the cutting mat and trim the short bottom side of the block (picture 6).  You can decide if you want more branches or more trunk by adjusting the block to the left or to the right before you cut it! 

Turn the block around and line up the trimmed end to the first vertical (zero) line on the cutting mat and again locate the 12 ½” vertical line on the cutting mat (picture 7).  Line up your plastic ruler along this line.  Make sure the horizontal lines on the plastic ruler also align with the long trimmed edge of your block. 

Trim the top short side of the block so that it now measures 7 ½” x 12 ½” (picture 8). 

Repeat all of these steps to create the other 23 birch tree blocks!

Sewing and Pressing the Rows

Now that you have the blocks sewn, pressed, and trimmed it’s time to sew them together into rows! 

On your design wall or floor, lay out all of the blocks for each row.  Arrange the blocks of each row according to the diagram shown here.

birch gnomes quilt layout by rows 1 through 6

Starting with ROW 1 pin the first and second blocks right sides together.  When sewing two gnome blocks together align the seams.  Place a pin where the seams nest, and place a few pins along the edge to hold the blocks in place.  Stitch the blocks together using a ¼” seam, removing pins as you come to them. 

Repeat until you have all of the blocks sewn to each other for each of ROWS 1 – 6.  As I sew a row I lay it back down in order, or label it with a piece of paper pinned to the row so I don’t mess up the order of the rows.

How to Press Quilt Seams so They Nest

Press the seams of ROWS 1, 3, and 5 to the right.  Press the seams of ROWS 2, 4, and 6 to the left.  By using this rotating direction of pressed seams, you will have nicely nested seams and less bulk when you sew the ROWS to each other.  This method of pressing distributes the bulk, which will make you happy when machine quilting your project!  Bulky seams can lead to bumpy quilting patterns, broken thread, and overall unevenness of your quilt top.

Pin ROW 1 to ROW 2, pinning all nested seams in place.  Sew ROWS 1 and 2 together, removing pins as you come to them.  Repeat until all rows are sewn to each other, in order, and the quilt top is completed!

Press the seams connecting each of the rows upward toward ROW 1.

How to Sandwich Quilt Layers – Layering the Top, Batting, and Back

I refer to layering the quilt as “sandwiching”.  You need to sandwich the top and back with the batting in the middle.   

Tape the Backing Down

On a hard surface floor, or with two large tables pushed together, use painter’s tape to tape down the backing fabric.  As you tape the back down you’ll want to make sure the fabric is smooth, without wrinkles.  Also, make sure the right side of the fabric is facing down! 

Add the Batting  

Lay the batting on top of the taped-down quilt back, and move your hands across it to smooth it all over.  This will get rid of any wrinkles in the batting, and help to adhere it to the backing fabric. 

Place the Quilt Top  

Once you have the batting placed on top of the quilt back, center the quilt top over the two bottom layers.  Right side facing up, of course!  The two bottom layers of the quilt (the back and the batting) should extend about 4” all around the outside edges of the quilt top.

Move your hands across the quilt top to smooth it all over, and help remove any wrinkles.  This will also help adhere the quilt top to the batting a little bit. 

Baste the Layers

You can either spray baste your quilt layers or pin them together with 1 ½” stainless pins.  Place pins around the entire quilt every 4-5 inches so the three layers don’t move around when you’re machine quilting this project.  Again, make sure all wrinkles are smoothed out.  Adjust basting if needed to remove any wrinkles. 

Machine Quilting the Quilt

Use whatever free-motion stitch you’d like. You’ll need a darning foot to free-motion quilt on your domestic sewing machine, and you’ll need to either be able to lower the feed dogs on the machine or place a special cover over them.  If you’re using a straight stitch to machine quilt you’ll need a walking foot to allow the layers to move smoothly through the sewing machine without bunching up.  You could also hand-quilt or tie the quilt to secure the layers together.

How to Bind a Quilt

When you’ve finished securing the layers together, it’s time to bind your quilt! 

Prepare the Binding

Fold each of the cut binding strips in half end to end.  Use the 45° line on your plastic ruler to trim the ends at a 45° angle. 

When you open the strips the angles on the ends will be facing in opposite directions.

preparing binding steps 1 and 2

Place the ends of two strips perpendicular, right sides together, and sew ¼” seam. 

Repeat to join all strips into one long binding strip.  Press in half lengthwise, right sides facing out.

preparing binding steps 3 and 4

Sew the Binding to the Quilt

Begin to sew the raw edge of the binding to the quilt by pinning it along one side.  Be careful to sew the raw edge of the binding strip to the quilt, not the folded edge!  I usually start sewing the binding strip in the middle of the quilt side that I’m starting with.  Start sewing about 12” in from the end of the binding strip, leaving a hanging “tail” on the binding.  You’ll sew this to the other end of the binding strip when you finish sewing all along the sides of the quilt.

Stop sewing on the first side ¼” from the corner, use a pin to mark this location and sew right up to it.  Backstitch a bit, and cut your thread but DON’T cut the binding strip.

sewing binding on quilt

How to Make a Mitered Corner

Now, remove the quilt and binding strip from your machine and fold the binding strip straight up beyond the edge of the quilt so it’s perpendicular from the side you were just sewing on. 

Fold the binding strip back down on itself and match it to the edge of the quilt you just sewed it to, and the next edge of the quilt you’re about to sew it to.  Pin this fold in place, and pin the binding strip to this edge of the quilt and continue to sew it, again stopping ¼” from the next corner and repeating the folding process described above.  Continue in this manner until you are on the last side of the quilt, the side you started on. 

Connecting the Ends of the Binding

Stop stitching about 14” – 16” from where you started.  Backstitch and cut the thread (but not the binding strip, not yet!), remove the quilt and binding strip from the machine.

You now have two “tails” of the binding strip, tail #1 from where you started stitching it to the quilt and tail #2 from where you ended.  You’ll need to join these tails together so that you have a continuous binding strip to finish sewing down to the quilt.  Follow the steps below to join the tails!  

STEP 1

Lay tail #1 of the binding strip along the unsewn edge of the quilt.  Trim it at a 90° angle about half way between this unsewn edge.   

trimming binding tail #1

STEP 2

Lay tail #2 of the binding strip over tail #1 along the unsewn edge of the quilt.  Measure 2 ½” beyond the trimmed straight edge of tail #1.  Mark this 2 ½” measurement with a pin or pencil, and trim the tail #2 at a 90° angle also.  The two trimmed binding strip tails should overlap by 2 ½”.

trimming binding tail #2

STEP 3

Unfold the two tails so they lay flat. Pin the two tails together perpendicular to each other (right sides together).  Use a fine pencil to draw a diagonal line from the corner of tail #2 to the opposite side. 

Sew along the drawn diagonal line.  Trim the outside corner ¼” from the seam and finger press the seam open.  Fold binding strip in half again.  The continuous binding strip should now lay flat along the unsewn edge of the quilt.  Finish sewing the binding strip to the quilt.

connecting binding ends

Trim the Batting and Back

Trim the batting and quilt back to ¼” from the edge of the quilt top.  I use a ruler and a rotary cutter to accomplish this task.  Work carefully, so you don’t cut into your quilted project!

Hand-Stitch the Folded Binding Edge to the Quilt Back

Hand-stitch the folded edge of the binding strip to the back of the quilt.  When you get to the corner, carefully turn the corner right-side out to make a crisp, mitered corner.  I tack a few stitches up the corner to hold it in place, and then continue stitching along all sides and corners until…VOILA!  Your quilt is complete!  Make sure to add a label to the back!! 

stitching binding on the quilt back

More Free Patterns!

Check out some of my other free patterns in the Gnome Series like the Balsam Gnomes Quilt, the Balsam Gnomes or Birch Gnomes Table Runners or the Balsam Gnomes Christmas Tree Skirt (a super fun Christmas quilt pattern!!!).  As always, these patterns are available as downloadable pdf patterns in my Etsy shop.  The gnome quilts have been some of my best sellers, I hope you enjoy them too!!

FaveQuilts

If you like free quilting patterns like I do, check out the website FaveQuilts.  They have new arrivals of new free quilt patterns updated daily.  You’ll find lots of easy quilt patterns whether you’re looking to make a charm quilt, wall quilts, bed quilts, a baby quilt or a throw quilt.  This site is loaded with free tutorials and patterns that are easy quilts for the beginner quilter to make. 

Sometimes the easiest quilt patterns make the most beautiful quilt tops.  Less can be more!! 

I love this site for getting new ideas and inspiration in the world of quilting.  All of my patterns are found there too, including my free quilt block patterns!

Enjoy making this fun project!! Happy Quilting!!!! =)

~Bonnie

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