How to Quilt with BENARTEX Highland Glen Santa Panel

By Quilt in a Day - Helping Quilters Since 1978 | Published: 2026-10-26

Category: How-to Guides

Learn to turn the BENARTEX Highland Glen Santa panel into a holiday wall hanging or quilt block. Step-by-step instructions for fabric prep, cutting, and finishing.

Quick answer

Use the BENARTEX Highland Glen Santa panel as the center of a holiday wall hanging or quilt block. Trim carefully, add borders, and quilt with a simple all-over pattern.

Why start with a panel?

Panels like the Highland Glen Santa by Jim Shore give you a ready-made focal image. You avoid piecing a complex Santa block from scratch. The blue palette works well with white, cream, or silver accents for a cool winter look.

Choosing fabric for borders and background

The panel uses a cool blue Santa motif. Pair it with solid white, silver, or a light blue tone-on-tone for the borders. Avoid busy prints that compete with the Santa artwork. A 2½-inch inner border and a 4-inch outer border frame the panel nicely.

Step-by-step instructions

Prepare the panel: Press the Highland Glen Santa panel with a dry iron on medium heat. Use a ruler to trim it to a clean rectangle, leaving a ¼-inch seam allowance on all sides. Common mistake: cutting too close to the design—leave at least ¼ inch beyond the printed border.
Add borders: Cut two strips of your chosen border fabric 2½ inches wide and the length of the panel. Sew them to the top and bottom, then press seams toward the border. Repeat for the sides. Common mistake: stretching the border fabric—use pins to match lengths exactly. Check that the panel lies flat after each border addition.
Quilt the layers: Layer the quilt top with batting and backing. Baste with safety pins or spray adhesive. Quilt with a simple meandering or stipple stitch to avoid distorting the Santa image. Common mistake: quilting too densely on the panel face—keep stitches ½ inch apart or more.
Finish the edges: Trim the batting and backing even with the quilt top. Bind with a double-fold binding strip 2¼ inches wide. Attach a hanging sleeve if making a wall hanging. Common mistake: skipping the hanging sleeve before binding—add it to the back before the final binding pass. Press the binding over the edge and hand-stitch the back for a clean finish.

Product details

BENARTEX - Highland Glen by Jim Shore - Highland Glen Santa - Blue: This 100% cotton quilting fabric features artwork from the Highland Glen collection by Jim Shore, showcasing a Santa motif in a cool blue palette. The panel is ready to use as a quilt center without additional appliqué or embroidery, saving you time while delivering a professional look.
BENARTEX - Highland Glen by Jim Shore - Highland Glen Santa - Blue