Needlecrafts Quilting Quilting Patterns

Easy Baby Quilt Patterns for Brand New Quilters

colorful quilt

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Use Plain Squares to Sew These Easy Baby Quilts

Easy Baby Quilt Patterns
The Spruce / Janet Wickell

Easy baby quilt patterns are perfect for beginning quilters who are making their first quilt or for people who don't want to invest in lots of tools.

The baby quilts are made from simple fabric squares. You needn't learn quick-piecing methods because it's easy to arrange each square side by side. Then sew them together with a ​quarter-inch seam allowance.

Experimenting with individual squares is an excellent way to become familiar with color value, an important ingredient that allows the quilt's layout to emerge when patches are sewn together.

Use Precut Squares to Simplify Construction

Try fabric precuts to make assembly even easier. Look for precuts that are called charm packs, bundles that are usually made up of a coordinating assortment of 5" squares. If squares are larger, that's fine—sewing with larger squares will simply change a quilt's dimensions.

Precut packs include an assortment of fabric types. In most cases, some of the fabrics blend into each other, making them a perfect choice if you'd like to make a scrap quilt.​

Take a look at other baby quilt patterns if you're looking for quilts with more variety in their patches.

Cutting the 5-Inch Squares

If you already own rotary cutting equipment, cut the long strips of fabric required for each layout. Cut from selvage to selvage, with each strip 5" wide. 

Square up one end of each strip. Starting at the squared up end, cut 5" squares—eight are usually possible from each selvage-width strip.

If you prefer to cut with scissors, begin by cutting a 5-inch square from rigid template plastic. Use a light or dark pencil or permanent marker to mark around the square onto fabric, butting shapes against each other. Cut out the squares required for each layout.

Do not include selvage edges in square shapes.

Sew a Sunshine and Shadows Baby Quilt

Sunshine and Shadows Baby Quilt
The Spruce / Janet Wickell

This Sunshine and Shadows version of the easy baby quilt finishes at about 41" x 50" and is made with (99) 5" x 5" squares.

Cut Squares for the Sunshine and Shadows Baby Quilt

  • Light warm, shown as gold (other warm colors include orange, reds, pinks, some purples)
    • One 5" wide strip cut from selvage to selvage
    • Cut into eight 5-inch squares
  • Light neutral, shown as white (something without color)
    • 5/8 yard
    • Cut three 5" wide strips from selvage to selvage
    • Cut (24) 5" squares
    • Cut one more 5" square from remaining yardage
  • Light cool, shown as light blue (or other cool colors, include green)
    • 3/4 yard,
    • Cut four 5" wide strips from selvage to selvage
    • Cut the strips into (32) 5-inch squares
  • Dark cool, shown as navy
    • 5/8 yard
    • Cut five 5" wide strips from selvage to selvage
    • Cut strips into (34) 5" squares

Arrange the Squares

  1. Arrange squares to create the rows for the top of the quilt, shown in the diagram. Each row is made up of nine squares. Make two of all rows except the middle row. The remaining five (bottom) rows are mirror images of the top five rows.
  2. Align a square with its horizontal neighbor, right sides together. Sew together with a quarter-inch seam allowance. Repeat to add the next square in the row. Secure the squares with straight pins before sewing to keep fabrics from shifting.
  3. Repeat to sew all rows.
  4. Refer to the illustrations above and at the start of the article. Arrange all 11 rows on top of a table or a design wall.
  5. Press seam allowances in adjoining rows in opposite directions.
  6. Join the rows. When aligned right sides together, seam allowances pressed in opposite directions should butt into each other to help you match seam intersections.
  7. Press the baby quilt. See below for finishing materials and instructions.

Baby Quilt Sewing Option

Long narrow rows of fabric squares can be stretchy. Handle the rows with care or sew the squares into groups of four and then into taller rows. See the method used on the next step for an example.

Sew a Fields and Furrows Baby Quilt

Field and Furrows Baby Quilt
The Spruce / Janet Wickell

This easy baby quilt is assembled with squares that are arranged into groups to create the traditional Field and Furrows layout. The quilt finishes at about 41" x 54 1/2".

Fabric for the Baby Quilt

Light warm (shown as pink)

  • 1 1/8 yard
  • Cut seven 5" strips from selvage to selvage
  • Cut strips into (54) 5" squares

Medium cool (shown as blue)

  • 1 1/8 yard
  • Cut seven 5" wide strips from selvage to selvage
  • Cut strips into (54) 5" squares

Not sure about the definition of 'cool' and 'warm' fabrics. Don't worry, use any fabrics you like that contrast with each other and the layout will be perfect, just learn how to use a simple color wheel.

Make the Quilt Blocks

Refer to the left portion of the illustration for block layouts.

  1. To make the first row of the top block, sew two light warm squares next to each other. To make the second row, sew a light warm square to a medium cool square. Arrange as shown. Press seam allowances in opposite directions, and then sew the rows together. Press the new seam allowance towards the row with two unlike squares.
  2. Make eleven more identical quilt blocks.
  3. To make the second block type, sew two medium cool squares together. Next, sew a medium cool square to a warm square. Arrange in two rows as illustrated and press seam allowances in opposite directions. Sew the rows together, and then press the new seam towards the row with like squares.
  4. Make eleven more identical quilt blocks.
  5. Assemble the next unit by sewing a medium cool square to a light warm square. Press the seam allowance towards the medium cool square. Make five more identical units.
  6. Arrange the components into six rows as shown, above right. Sew the quilt blocks in each row together.
  7. Press seam allowances in adjacent rows in opposite directions. Sew the rows together, butting seams to match.
  8. Press the quilt. See the next step for finishing materials and instructions.

Finish Assembling Your Baby Quilts

Easy Baby Quilt Patterns
The Spruce / Janet Wickell

Here's what you need to finish your baby quilts:

Baby Sunshine and Shadows

  • Backing: 1 1/2 yards
  • Batting: approximately 44" x 55" piece
  • Binding: 200 running inches double-fold binding made from 1 1/2" wide strips cut on the fabric's crosswise grain (buy 1/3 yard)

Baby Fields and Furrows

  • Backing: 1 3/4 yards
  • Batting: approximately 44" x 59" piece
  • Binding: 210 running inches double-fold binding made from 1 1/2" wide strips cut on the fabric's crosswise grain (buy 1/3 yard)

Last Steps

  1. Use a fine pencil or another method to mark the top for quilting. You might not need to mark at all if you either quilt in the ditch or create straight diagonal quilting lines.
  2. Assemble the quilt sandwich
  3. Baste the layers together (using thread, safety pins or spray baste)
  4. Hand or machine quilt the quilt.
  5. Bind the quilt.