Santa in the Trees Quilt Pattern: How to Pair Holiday Fabrics
By Quilt in a Day - Helping Quilters Since 1978 | Published: 2026-11-01
Category: How-to Guides
Learn how to choose fabrics for the Santa in the Trees quilt pattern by Cynthia Muir. Pair prints or solids for a festive wall hanging or couch quilt.
Quick answer
Choose a fabric plan that matches the quilt's pieced trees and raw-edge appliqué Santa: use a controlled scrappy palette of green prints for the trees, a contrasting red or cream for Santa, and a background that lets both stand out.
Why fabric style changes the look of this pattern
The Santa in the Trees pattern combines traditional piecing with raw-edge appliqué. That mix means your fabric choices do two jobs: the pieced trees benefit from variety or repetition, while the appliqué Santa needs enough contrast to read clearly against the background.
A scrappy look using many green prints gives the trees a folk-art feel, while solids create a modern, graphic result. Neither is wrong, but decide before you cut so you buy enough of each fabric.
Background fabric: the quiet workhorse
The background sits behind both the trees and Santa, so it should contrast with both. A very busy background can swallow the raw-edge appliqué shapes, especially if Santa's suit is also patterned.
If you want a scrappy tree look, a low-volume or solid background keeps the prints from competing. For a modern solids version, a crisp white or soft cream background makes the green and red pop.
When to use a fabric collection versus your stash
A coordinated holiday collection removes the guesswork, but it can make the quilt look more planned than scrappy. Pulling from your stash is thriftier and gives a one-of-a-kind look, but you must check value contrast between adjacent trees.
If you go scrappy, sort your greens into light, medium, and dark piles before cutting. That step prevents a muddy cluster of similar values.
Step-by-step fabric pairing for Santa in the Trees
- Read the pattern's fabric requirements first: Before shopping, note the sizes of pieces for the pieced trees and the appliqué Santa. The pattern does not specify a required number of fabrics, so decide whether you want a scrappy or solid look and estimate yardage from the cutting instructions. Checkpoint: confirm you have enough background fabric for both piecing and appliqué background.
- Choose a color scheme: For a traditional holiday look, use green prints for trees, red for Santa's suit, and a neutral background. For a modern look, use solid greens and reds with a crisp white background. Avoid adding too many colors that distract from the focal Santa. Checkpoint: limit your palette to three or four main colors so the design stays cohesive.
- Select tree fabrics with value contrast: If piecing scrappy trees, pick greens in distinct light, medium, and dark values. Lay them side by side and squint to check contrast. A common mistake is choosing all medium greens, which makes the trees blend together. Checkpoint: separate fabrics into value groups before cutting.
- Pick Santa fabrics that stand out: Santa's suit should contrast with the background and the trees. A solid red or a red print with small motifs works well. For the appliqué, consider using a fabric with a tight weave to minimize fraying on raw edges. Checkpoint: place Santa fabric next to background and tree fabrics to confirm contrast.
- Plan backing and binding: Choose a backing that complements the front without competing. A low-volume print or a solid that matches one of the main colors works well. For binding, use a fabric that frames the quilt, such as a dark green or red. Checkpoint: buy backing and binding at the same time to avoid dye-lot mismatches.
Pattern facts to guide your fabric choices
- Santa in the Trees Quilt Pattern by Cynthia Muir: The pattern combines traditional piecing with raw-edge appliqué and is designed by Cynthia Muir of Ahhh...Quilting. Knowing both techniques are used helps you plan separate fabric pulls for the pieced trees and the appliqué Santa.
Santa in the Trees Quilt Pattern by Cynthia Muir
