Christmas pantographs: trees, ornaments and holly
Three Christmas edge-to-edge designs: a row of trees, ornaments hanging from a garland, and a holly vine. Preview any of them across your own quilt size for free in PantoMaker. The machine files (QLI, HQF, IQP, DXF, PAT, BQM and more) and the paper pantograph come with PantoMaker Pro.
Which design for which quilt
- Christmas Trees are the boldest of the three: tiered trees with a small star loop on top, standing on a straight line. They read clearly on throws, wall hangings and table runners, where each tree is big enough to recognize from across the room.
- Ornaments are round baubles, each hanging from a swag of garland. The shapes are simple, so they hold up on kids' quilts and busy scrappy tops where a detailed design would get lost.
- Holly is a wavy vine with a pair of spiky leaves and three berries at each crest. At its library size the rows are only about 1.65 in tall, so it stitches as a dense all-over texture rather than a picture.
Set the size before you judge the look
All three library versions use a 12 in repeat: the trees are 4.9 in tall, the ornaments 2.9 in and the holly 1.65 in. Those rows are small for most bed quilts, so plan on scaling up. When a design opens, check Repeat width and Row height. It opens at 12 x 7 in, or the size you used last, which stretches these designs (round baubles turn into ovals); type in the library size first. To enlarge a design evenly, enter its library size with Keep proportions unticked, then tick it, raise the width and let the height follow.
Here is what that means on a 60 x 72 in throw, with rows running 2 in past each edge, as the designer lays them out, and spaced at their own height. The designer shows the same two figures under its whole-quilt preview; here they are rounded:
| Design | Repeat x row height | Rows | Stitching |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Trees | 12 x 4.9 in | 16 | about 160 yd |
| Christmas Trees | 18 x 7.4 in | 11 | about 110 yd |
| Ornaments | 12 x 2.9 in | 27 | about 145 yd |
| Ornaments | 18 x 4.4 in | 18 | about 95 yd |
| Holly | 12 x 1.65 in | 47 | about 400 yd |
| Holly | 24 x 3.3 in | 24 | about 200 yd |
The row count tells you how many passes you'll make at the machine, and the stitching length helps you estimate thread. For another quilt, pick its size under Your quilt and read the same two numbers under the preview before you quote a customer.
Alternate trees and ornaments row by row
For a quilt that looks less like one repeat, stitch trees on rows 1, 3, 5 and ornaments on rows 2, 4, 6. Open Christmas Trees in PantoMaker, choose Alternate rows under Your design, and Ornaments fills the second slot. Both designs get the same repeat width and row height, so the rows line up across the quilt. The ZIP puts the ornaments in their own "every other row" folder, and the READ ME says which file goes on which rows.
- Because the ornaments are sized to the trees' row height, the baubles stretch into tall ovals at 4.9 in. For a middle ground, untick Keep proportions, leave the repeat width at 12 in and set Row height to about 4 in: the trees get a little squatter and the baubles rounder. Compare both in the preview.
- Rows spaced at their own height touch: each tree's star meets the bauble above it. Add a little Row spacing if you want air between them.
- The preview is free; downloading alternate rows is part of PantoMaker Pro.
Thread
- Green or red on a white or cream background reads as Christmas at a glance. Gold or white on red or green fabric is quieter.
- The trees and ornaments are outline designs, so a thread that contrasts with the fabric shows the shapes. On a busy print, the holly texture is the safer choice because nobody needs to recognize a picture.
- Metallic and specialty threads often need tension changes. Try yours on a scrap sandwich before the real quilt.
After Christmas: winter designs
For quilts that stay on the couch through January, the winter designs say "winter" instead of "Christmas": snowflakes, mittens and snowmen. Same terms: preview free, files with PantoMaker Pro.
Looking for free Christmas pantographs?
The Christmas and winter designs above are not free to download. For a holiday look at no cost, the Stars design is free all year in every format, with a paper pantograph, and it looks festive in red or gold thread. Download it from the free pantographs page, along with the other classics (Baptist fan, clamshell, meander and more).
Paper pantographs and machine files
With Pro, each Christmas design also downloads as a paper pantograph on Letter or A4 sheets for hand-guided longarms. How to print a paper pantograph at home covers printing at 100% and taping the sheets into one strip. Not sure which file your computerized machine reads? See longarm quilting file formats.
Before a customer quilt
Each file is one repeat that starts at 0,0 and ends level on the right, the same layout as pantographs you buy from designers. As with any new pantograph, load it, check the size your software shows, and stitch a test row on scrap fabric first. If something looks wrong, email support@pantomaker.com with your machine and software version.
