Moda Fabrics Candlelight Tree Skirt Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Candlelight Tree Skirt Quilt – Free Downloadable PDF Pattern

The Moda Fabrics Candlelight Tree Skirt Quilt is a festive holiday sewing and quilting project designed to create a beautiful, full circular tree skirt. Featuring fabric designed by Alexia Marcelle Abegg and Melody Miller (fabric line reference PS RS5033-3), this free downloadable PDF pattern is published by Moda Fabrics and is rated as an intermediate difficulty project. It is an ideal seasonal decoration that combines classic quilting construction with a striking pieced panel design, resulting in a cozy, heirloom-quality tree skirt ready to display beneath your Christmas tree.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a circular quilted tree skirt made from sixteen wedge-shaped panels sewn together in a ring. The finished skirt is intentionally left open along one straight edge so it can be wrapped around a tree trunk. The layered quilt construction — consisting of a pieced top, batting, and backing — gives the skirt warmth, body, and a beautifully finished appearance. The pattern offers three distinct design variations, allowing quilters to customize the look based on their fabric choices and personal style.

Design Variations

One-Fabric Skirt

The simplest version of the pattern uses a single fabric for all sixteen panels. The fabric is folded with selvages together and two pattern pieces are nested across the width of the fabric, cutting through both layers at once. The grainline on the pattern piece runs parallel to the selvage or fold. This approach is efficient and creates a uniform, elegant look — ideal for a bold print or a classic holiday fabric that makes a statement on its own.

Two-Fabric Skirt

This variation alternates between two coordinating fabrics, with eight panels cut from each fabric. The cutting and assembly instructions mirror those of the one-fabric version, but the alternating fabrics create a striking pinwheel or starburst effect when the panels are arranged in a circle. This is a great way to showcase two complementary prints from the Candlelight fabric collection.

Scrappy Skirt

The scrappy version is the most creative and fabric-stash-friendly option. One panel is cut from each of sixteen different fabrics — each cut from approximately one-third of a yard — with the grainline running perpendicular to the selvage, unlike the other two versions. Before sewing, the pattern recommends laying all sixteen panels out in a circle first to evaluate print placement and ensure a pleasing arrangement. This version celebrates variety and is a wonderful way to use coordinating prints from across the Candlelight collection or from your existing fabric stash.

Techniques Used

• Template cutting: A printed paper template is provided within the PDF. Pages are taped together by overlapping edges and aligning printed circles and squares, then the template is cut out and used to cut fabric panels accurately.
• Wedge panel piecing: Sixteen identical wedge-shaped panels are sewn together sequentially, right sides together, to form the circular skirt top.
• Quilt sandwich assembly: The pieced top is layered with batting and a backing fabric to create a traditional quilt sandwich. The backing yardage is cut in half and the two pieces are stitched together along the selvage edges before being trimmed to approximately 62 inches square.
• Basting, quilting, and binding: The pattern instructs quilters to baste, quilt, and bind as desired, leaving the specific quilting design open to personal preference. This flexibility makes the project adaptable to both hand quilting and machine quilting styles.
• Bias tape application: The finishing of the inner circle and open edges involves bias tape. The pattern includes instructions for cutting six 18-inch lengths of bias tape and piecing bias tape together as needed to achieve the required length.
• Seam pressing: All seams are pressed open throughout the construction process, which helps the circular skirt lie flat and reduces bulk at the center point.

Stitches and Sewing Details

• Seam allowance: A consistent ½-inch seam allowance is used throughout the project unless otherwise noted on the pattern.
• Straight stitch: Standard straight-stitch piecing is used to join all panels and to ass