Beginner quilt patterns

The easiest quilts are made only of squares and strips: every seam is straight, and nothing is cut on the bias. Of our 76 patterns, 14 use squares and strips only. The list below ranks them by how many pieces a 60" × 72" throw takes, then adds the easiest patterns with half-square triangles.

A rag quilt is easier still: no binding, no matching seams, and the raw edges are meant to fray. See how to make a rag quilt.

By Editorial Staff

The easiest quilts first

The six easiest, each drawn at throw size to the same scale: Jelly Roll Log Cabin, Charm Square, Rail Fence Baby, Rail Fence, Modern Plus, Easy Four Patch Baby.

Beginner quilts
Pattern	Made of	Pieces in a throw
Jelly Roll Log Cabin	strips	153
Charm Square	plain squares	168
Rail Fence Baby	squares and strips	189
Rail Fence	squares and strips	297
Modern Plus	squares and strips	378
Easy Four Patch Baby	squares and strips	396
Double Irish Chain	squares and strips	480
Nine Patch	squares and strips, plain squares	499
Log Cabin	strips	510
Straight Furrows Log Cabin	strips	510
Courthouse Steps	strips	510
Scrappy Sixteen Patch	squares and strips	896
Barn Raising Log Cabin	strips	1360
Double Nine Patch	squares and strips	1583

Pieces are counted from the cut list for the throw size, sashing included. Squares cut for half-square triangles count once.

What makes a quilt easy

Big pieces: fewer seams to match. A 6" square takes the same seam as a 2" square and covers nine times the area.

No points to match. Squares and strips meet at plain crossings; triangles have points that disappear if a seam is off by ⅛".

A scrappy look. Prints that vary from block to block hide small mismatches better than two solid colors do.

A size you can quilt at home. A crib or throw fits under a home sewing machine; a queen is a lot of quilt to push through.

Plan your next quilt in your own fabric

Quiltspiration draws any pattern in the fabric you own and works out the cut list for any size.