Easy Quilt Patterns

Rag quilts are soft and cuddly, so they are excellent lap quilts for a chilly day. A soft rag quilt makes an nice gift for both children and adults, but be sure to make a few for yourself, too. Rag quilts go together quickly and without the stress of sewing absolutely perfect seams, a real plus if you're a beginning quilter. You can complete this easy rag quilt pattern in just a day or two, even if you've never made a quilt before.

Use this link to find more rag quilts, some made with squares and rectangles, but others made using curved pieces (still simple) and triangles. Rag quilts are sewn a bit differently than traditional patchwork quilts, but they are super easy to make.

This small strippy-set quilt has four columns made with panels that are surrounded by five narrower strip-pieced columns. You can alter the fabrics to make the quilt suit any theme. Try large to small scale florals in the columns, or turn it around completely with bright juvenile prints or softer baby fabrics -- any theme will work, including a totally scrappy look. The quilt finishes at 59" x 63", but you can make smaller or larger by altering the width or number of columns and borders.

The Spools quilt shown is designed with thirties reproduction prints -- simply alter the fabrics to create your own look. Make a 36-inch square wallhanging from 6-inch blocks or an 18-inch miniature quilt from 3-inch blocks, your choice. Stitch additional blocks to create a larger quilt.

These 6-inch heart blocks were used for a previous event in the Quilting Forum, but the pattern will always be available, just like all patterns on the Quilting site. You'll find instructions for this scrappy hearts wallhanging on the last page of the quilt block pattern. Give this easy pattern a try it the next time you need a quick project (add more blocks for a larger quilt).

I couldn't decide what to call this quilt block, because there are at least ten traditional blocks that are very similar to it. It can be called an "O," but I'm stubborn enough to want a longer name. The Shoo Fly quilt block is a match if you look at the block's basic bone structure, so let's go with that -- but we'll make a few adjustments to the Shoo Fly's standard color value arrangement.

Bonnie Scotsman is assembled with straight grain bars and squares -- no stretchy bias edges to deal with, and that means it's definitely a beginner-friendly patchwork pattern. You'll find instructions for assembling it one patch at a time, which is perfect for scrappy quilts, and also a strip piecing option for anyone who wants to make a batch of identical blocks. I've included two layout suggestions for 35 blocks (plus yardages), but many more arrangements are possible for this versatile design.

Quilt blocks like the Bright Hopes block look like they are assembled using set-in seams, but they are actually constructed with another sewing technique -- partial seams. Partial seams are simple, and result in a block that looks a bit complicated, but is really very easy. I made the sample block in about 10 minutes, from cutting the patches to sewing the last seam. The block finishes at 12" square. Make several Bright Hopes blocks for a quilt or put a few together for a colorful -- and easy -- wallhanging.

This Bug Jar quilt block is a little different than some you'll see around the Web. I wanted it to be wider than the typical jar, short and fat to resemble an old fashioned glass cookie jar. If you're not into bugs, fill your jar with anything you like... candy, cookies, flower fairies, dogs, cats, even people -- and one of our Forum Hostesses remarked that it looks like a pickle jar. The bug jar pattern includes instructions for 12-inch and 6-inch finished blocks.

More Easy Jar Blocks

Rectangular Jar Block
Jar Block Duo

This easy Mock Basket Weave quilt block proves that easydoesn't have to mean boring. Instead of piecing multiple stripes within each square, like a regular basket weave, you'll simply choose one or two striped fabrics, then alternate the stripes and the directions they flow when you make the quilt blocks. The result will be a quilt that looks a whole lot like a true basket weave, but without all of the extra sewing. Try stitching this block in colorful, whimsical stripes to make a fun quilt for a child. The instructions include yardage and cutting charts for twelve 6-inch blocks and twelve 12-inch blocks.