How To Make Little Quilts

photo of Easy Patch Quilt Front_Finished — A 22-1/2″ Square Little Quilt Used As A Chair Seat Cover.
This little quilt is made from the scrap pile and is a perfect seat cover to protect my office chair.

What Are Little Quilts

There are many different kinds of little quilts and you can easily learn how to make little quilts. Mini quilts and art quilts are beautiful small pieces to hang on your wall to enjoy. They may be abstract or intricately designed with many tiny patterns. Even a coaster, mug rug, place mat or table runner can be considered a little quilt.

How To Use Little Quilts

My little quilts are the functional ones used at home, in the car, or outside. You can use these little quilts to protect your sofa or back seat from spills or pet hair. A set of lovely matching little quilts make perfect seat covers around the dining room table. Little quilts also make a nice mini picnic blanket for a special tea party.

Little Quilts are a perfect solution to keep furniture tidy. Does your family enjoy lounging on the sofa playing games or watching TV? Do your little ones have sticky fingers that touch everything? Does food get spilled on your sofa or chairs? If you have pets, where do they sleep? Where do they sleep when you’re not home? Maybe you can use a little quilt too.

Why Make Little Quilts

My First Little Quilt

We all realize how much our furniture gets used and how difficult it can be to keep clean. That’s what prompted my first little quilt.

I’m allergic to cats. Unfortunately the adorable lost kitten that found and adopted us last year didn’t know that. I’m sure he still doesn’t understand. Regardless, Toby is now a full-time resident in our home. He also rules the house and especially the seating arrangements when we’re all together. Does this sound familiar? Do your pets think they own the place?

My solution was to make him a quilt for his favorite spot on the couch. It kept the hair off the furniture and off me so I wouldn’t be sneezing all the time. It worked perfectly and he loves it.

Toby’s quilt used left over blocks from my son’s Wild Rails quilt. Little quilts are a perfect way to use up leftover blocks. They look nice as a matching chair cover next to your beautiful quilt. Little quilts are simply a small and easy quilt project with endless ways to use them.

Photo of Wild Rails Little Quilt — This Wild Rails Little Quilt is a companion quilt to larger Wild Rails Batik Quilt

A Gifted Pair of Little Quilts

Then Toby got sick. He got very sick and required a lot of attention from not only our vet, but also from our vet’s office cat. As a gift for all they did to take care of Toby, I made them a pair of little quilts. They loved them.

A Little Quilt For Me

My desk chair is very comfy. Toby thinks so too. Instead of keeping it covered with beach blankets when not in use, I decided to make a little quilt for my chair. This little scrap quilt has the brightest fabric scraps I could find. It’s the wild looking little quilt pictured up top.

My little quilt looks great, brightens up the room, and keeps me and my chair free of cat hair. That’s what it’s all about.

A Coordinated Little Quilt

photo of Easy Rail Fence Little Quilt with a Pinwheel Layout — Easy Rail Fence Little Quilt with a Pinwheel Layout

With blocks left over from a recent Double Rail Fence Quilt, I decided to make a matching little quilt. While the fabrics are the same, the layout of the blocks is turned a bit to make a completely different look. This pinwheel pattern also produces a secondary pinwheel with the light colored rails.

The original Double Rail Fence Quilt measured 42″ x 48″ and was intended to be a baby quilt. BUT, the size is perfect as a lap quilt for a desk chair. Now pair that with a coordinating little quilt to cover the seat cushion and your desk chair never looked so good!

An Easy Patch Quilt

This little quilt is made with 5″ blocks. You may know this pattern as a 25-patch because it’s 5 blocks wide by 5 blocks high. Follow along with the photos and instructions below to make your own little quilt.

You can vary the number of blocks you use or the size blocks you make your quilt with. However you decide to design your little quilt, enjoy making it. Then perhaps you’ll even decide you need another!

Start By Cutting 25 Blocks Measuring 5″ Each

photo of Easy Patch Quilt cutting layout — Layer 3 or 4 10″ squares evenly. Then cut through the center from top to bottom, and from side to side. You now have four 5″ blocks per layer.

photo of Easy Patch Quilt 5 in Blocks Pieced together — These blocks were cut from a long strip of fabric. There was only enough fabric for 3 1/2 blocks. By sewing the two smaller pieces together, another block is made.

photo of 3 Easy Patch Quilt 5 in Block Layout — Lay out all 25 blocks into a pleasing pattern.

photo of Easy Patch Quilt 5 in Block Layout with Stacked Row — Beginning with the right side row, stack blocks from the top to the bottom. This will prepare blocks for chainstitching.

Now It’s Time To Chainstitch Your Little Quilt Top

photo of Easy Patch Quilt 5 in Block Layout with three Rows Stacked — With the three rows to the right side stacked, it’s time to start chainstitching the first two rows together.

photo of Easy Patch Quilt Front_Showing Row 1 Chainstitched — Prepare to sew the two rows on the left. Keep the 1st row right side up. Then place the second row on top with right side down. With right sides together, stitch a 1/4″ seam along the right hand side of the blocks.

As you come to the end of the first block, place the second pair below in place. Stitch a few stitches before starting on the second pair, then feed the blocks to be sewn. Continue this chainstitching method for all five pairs of blocks. Cut your threads and return to the top.

Sew Your Rows Together And You’re Nearly There

photo of Easy Patch Quilt Front_All Rows Chainstitched — Continue sewing all 5 rows together until your quilt top looks like this.

photo of Easy Patch Quilt Front_Chainstitched Finished — Next, sew the rows together from side to side. Align and nest seams to match blocks nice and straight. Then press quilt top before quilting.

Get Ready To Quilt

photo of Easy Patch Quilt Backing — Flannel makes a nice backing for a small quilt that will be used on furniture. Flannel won’t slide around and stays where you put it. Since this is a scrap project, I also pieced the backing to use as much from the scrap pile as possible.

photo of Easy Patch Quilt Batting Joined — The batting is also pieced. By using a wave stitch, both sides are sewn together when held side by side.

photo of Easy Patch Quilt Batting Joined_Closeup — This close up shows how the wave stitch joins two pieces of batting nicely. You may also use a wide zig zag stitch too. Be sure to set the stitch length longer so the stitching isn’t bunched together.

Try This Easy Quilting Method

photo of 12 Easy Patch Quilt Batting only Quilted with quilt top — Small quilts are quick to machine quilt. Since this quilt will get lots of use and be washed frequently, I want to stitch well where the seams join. The diagonal quilting will go from corner to corner, and cross each sewn corner as well. This will reinforce those seams. I used a quick quilting method here you should try.

When machine quilting will cross over previous quilting, there may be tucks where the backing bunches up. This method machine quilts all the diagonal rows in one direction first on only the quilt top and batting. Once that’s complete, spray baste the pre-quilted top to the backing.

Now machine quilt your diagonal lines in the opposite direction. This will make diagonal quilting easier and eliminate a lot of the bunching that may occur on the back. Just be sure you lay the back out smooth, then apply spray basting adhesive, and place the quilt top and batting on top. Smooth it out gently but don’t stretch it.

Bind Your Little Quilt And You’re Finished

photo of 13 Easy Patch Quilt Back_Finished — While the front has diagonal quilting in both directions, the back is only quilted in one direction. This is a great way to finish a quilt quickly and not have to worry about getting tucks on your quilt back.

Also notice that you can’t really see the seams where the backing is pieced. Don’t be hesitant to do extra piecing beyond your blocks. You’re making a quilt and it’s all about putting together what you have to create a beautiful quilt that will be cherished for many years.

You can use any quilt pattern to make your own little quilt. Or use a simple block pattern like mine. Little quilts provide nearly instant gratification as they are so quick to make. They are a perfect opportunity to use up your scraps and create a fun quilt for a multitude of uses. Don’t forget to make a couple to have on hand for last minute gifts. But once you get started, you might get hooked!