Beginner Baby Quilt Pattern: Easy Patchwork Squares, 36 x 45

The first quilt I ever finished was a baby quilt for my sister, and it was crooked, puckered and the binding wandered. She still has it. A baby quilt is the right size for learning: small enough to finish in a weekend and big enough to teach all the steps. This pattern is the one I wish I had been handed then.

What you will make

Eighty squares, eight across and ten down, each 5 inches when cut and 4.5 inches finished, for a quilt that measures 36 x 45 inches, a perfect crib size. There are no triangles, no points to match and no special rulers. If you can sew a straight line with a quarter inch seam, you can make this quilt.

Skill level: beginner, first quilt friendly. Time: a weekend. Seam allowance: 1/4 inch.

Fabric and supplies

• 7 fat quarters of coordinating prints (twelve 5 inch squares come out of each, with 4 spare)
• 1 1/2 yards of fabric for the backing
• 1/2 yard for the binding
• Crib size batting, 45 x 60 inches, trimmed down
• Cotton thread, rotary cutter, 6 x 24 inch ruler and mat, a walking foot, safety pins, clips and an iron

What the pattern gives you

The 8 page PDF has the full cutting chart for squares, backing, binding and batting, with a layout drawing to scale for one fat quarter, the backing and the binding strips. There is a grid layout with squares labeled A to H and 1 to 10 so you can plan the arrangement and keep track while sewing. Ten numbered steps follow, each with an illustration: cutting, laying out, sewing rows, pressing in alternate directions, joining rows with nested seams, making the quilt sandwich, quilting in straight lines, trimming, making the binding, attaching it and mitering the corners.

Three tips that make the biggest difference

Test your seam. Sew two squares together and measure: they should be 9.5 inches wide. If not, adjust your seam allowance before you sew all 80.

Press in alternating directions. Row one to the right, row two to the left. When you join rows, the seams lock together so the corners match almost on their own.

Use a walking foot. It feeds the top and bottom layers evenly and stops the puckers that frustrate new quilters.

Choosing fabrics

I like a mix of two or three colors and a few different print scales: a small floral, a gingham, a dot. Avoid putting two similar prints side by side; the layout grid is there so you can rearrange before you sew. If you are nervous, start with a precut pack of 5 inch charm squares and skip the cutting.

Get the pattern

The Beginner Baby Quilt pattern is an instant PDF download for personal use, and your purchase includes the free Sewing Project Planner so you can track fabric and hours as you go.