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How to Make a Little Ghost Halloween Quilt with Machine Embroidery
Make a sweet Little Ghost Halloween quilt inspired by The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt. This machine embroidery project combines patchwork squares, a free ghost face embroidery design, ghost end-to-end quilting, and cuddly backing for story time, gifting, or library fun.
There are some children's books that almost beg to become quilting projects, and The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt was one of those for me!
A Sweet Little Ghost Who's a Little Bit Different
Written by Riel Nason and illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler, The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt tells the story of a little ghost who's different from the other ghosts in his family. While they're made from lightweight sheets, he's made from a warm, colorful quilt, which makes floating and flying a little more difficult. But without giving too much away, being different turns out to be something pretty special.
Even though it's a ghost story, this one is definitely sweet rather than scary. The illustrations are charming, the little ghost is completely lovable, and there's a wonderful message about being different tucked into the story. It's the kind of Halloween book I'd happily read with little ones, and one that grown-ups can enjoy right along with them.
And, of course, every time I looked at that patchwork little ghost, the quilter in me kept thinking the same thing: I need to make one!
Supplies
Check out the DBJJ team’s favorite supplies in the Designs by JuJu Amazon store. For stabilizers, batting, and threads, Designs by JuJu+ has everything you need.
- Assorted quilting cotton scraps in white, blue, purple, and coordinating prints
- Approximately 1 yard dark blue Shannon Cuddle® fabric for backing
- Approximately ⅓ yard coordinating fabric for binding
- Designs by JuJu+ magicMESH Cut-Away Stabilizer
- Embroidery thread
- Bobbin thread
- Basic quilting and sewing supplies
- Sewing machine
- Embroidery machine and hoop
- DBJJ designs used in this project:
Bringing the Little Ghost Off the Page
Rather than trying to reproduce the illustrations exactly, I used them as inspiration for a simple 30" x 30" patchwork quilt.
The little ghost in the book has a wonderful scrappy, handmade look, so this project doesn't need complicated piecing at all. I used 2" finished squares in shades of white, blue, and purple, mixing the fabrics throughout the quilt top to create the same general feel as the illustrations. This would be such a fun project for digging through your scraps!
You could make yours lighter or darker, add more prints, work in a favorite fabric collection, or pull colors from a child's bedroom. There's really no need to overthink the placement. Part of the charm is that wonderful patchwork mix.
And because you're simply piecing squares, this is a very approachable project if you're newer to quilting. It's also a pretty quick one for experienced quilters who want a satisfying little project without committing to a full-sized quilt.
Giving My Ghost His Face
Once the patchwork top was together, he needed a face. The FREE Ghost Face Embroidery Design has exactly the sweet, friendly expression I wanted for this project. I embroidered the 4” design directly into the center of my finished patchwork quilt top, and suddenly all those little squares became a ghost!
I love projects like this because they show how much creative possibility there can be in an embroidery design. A design you originally purchased for one type of project may spark an entirely different idea later.
A Few More Little Ghosts in the Quilting
I couldn't resist carrying the ghost theme into the machine embroidery quilting too. I quilted the project using Cute Ghosts End-to-End Quilting Design. The little quilted ghosts add another subtle layer of Halloween fun without competing with the patchwork or the face.
I especially like that the quilting isn't necessarily the first thing you notice. From a distance, you see our friendly little patchwork ghost. Then when you get closer or look at the back, there are more ghosts hiding in the quilting!
Those little details are part of what makes handmade projects so much fun.
Making It Extra Cuddly
For the back of my quilt, I chose a dark blue Cuddle fabric and decided to skip the batting altogether. The plush backing already gives the small quilt plenty of softness while keeping it lightweight and easy for a child to hold during story time.
That combination gave me exactly what I wanted for this project: a little quilt that's lightweight enough for a child to hold during story time but still wonderfully soft and snuggly.
There's no rule that says every quilt needs to be made the same way. Think about how yours will be used and choose the materials that make sense for you.
Finish It Your Favorite Way
Once the quilting was complete, I finished the edges with binding.
There are several ways to approach binding, so choose the method that works best for your project and your comfort level. If you'd like some help deciding, our Binding 101: Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Quilt & Embroidery Binding Techniques walks through several options.
This is also a great project for practicing a new binding technique. At only 30" x 30", you don't have miles of binding ahead of you!
A Little Ghost Ready For Story Time
Once the binding was finished, my little patchwork ghost was ready for his next adventure. I love how the simple squares, friendly embroidered face, and ghost quilting all work together without making the project feel overly complicated—or too spooky for little ones.
More Than a Halloween Decoration
I'm donating my finished quilt to my local public library along with a copy of The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt. My hope is that the library can use them together for story time, where children can see and touch their own version of the little quilt ghost while hearing his story.
Another possibility is for the library to turn the book and quilt into a kit that families can check out and enjoy together at home. I just love that idea.
A book-and-quilt pairing like this could also make a sweet gift for a grandchild, classroom, preschool, daycare, or other children's reading program. A child can curl up with the quilt while a parent, grandparent, or caregiver reads the book. They can look at the illustrated ghost, find the same colors in the quilt, examine all the different fabric squares, and maybe even hunt for those little ghosts hiding in the quilting.
It turns reading the book into an experience. And isn't that one of the nicest things about making something by hand? Sometimes what comes off our sewing and embroidery machines can become a sweet memory for someone else.
A Quick Project with a Lot of Heart
This little ghost quilt is simple—just patchwork squares, embroidery, quilting, backing, and binding—but I think that's part of what I love about it. The magic isn't in using complicated techniques. It's in seeing a sweet little patchwork ghost in a children's book and thinking, I could bring that to life with fabric and thread. It's in making something a child can hold while hearing the story.
And in my case, it's in sending a handmade quilt and a wonderful book off to the library in hopes that lots of families will get to enjoy them together this Halloween season.
Those are my favorite kinds of projects: the ones that are fun to stitch but become even more meaningful once they're given away.
If you decide to make your own little ghost, or if you've ever created a quilt inspired by a favorite children's book, please share your projects in the Designs by JuJu Embroidery Blessings Group on Facebook, or use the hashtag #designsbyjuju anywhere on social media. We’d love to see what you create!
