Free pattern: Winter Ball

Chilly weather has us thinking of wrapping up cozily in a new winter quilt. That’s why we’re so excited to share this month’s free piecing pattern from APQS. Winter Ball is a radiant quilt that will leave you surrounded by warmth and playful patchwork perfection.

Planning the quilt

“This is a large representation of the traditional quilt block Burgoyne Surrounded,” Megan said. “It reminds me of a snowy day with lots of kids in bright jackets playing in the snow while I am inside being toasty and warm under my quilt, sitting by the fireplace.”

The bright shapes in the big blocks do stand out beautifully against the white background!

The large blocks sew up relatively quickly, meaning you can be sleeping under this wonderful quilt before spring arrives.

Quilt dimensions

Finished size: 102″ x 102″

Finished blocks: 30″

Cutting and piecing tips

When preparing the bands, press all seams towards the colored fabrics to ensure that the seams nest nicely when you sew the Four-Patches and Nine-Patches; do the same when sewing the units. Sew a consistent ¼” seam allowance throughout so that all elements of the quilt fit  together well.

Quilting and finishing tips

Quilt as desired. Consider stitching a large texture like the circles in the sample picture.  Or try a custom quilting plan that accentuates the large white areas of the quilt.

For inspiration and tips about quilting in negative space, check out this APQS blog about utilizing negative space to your advantage:

How to utilize negative space in longarm quilting to your advantage

The Winter Ball quilt was designed and made by Megan Best.