19 Free Fat Quarter Quilt Patterns You’ll Love

Quilters like fat quarters, but they love free patterns even more.

How do we know that fat quarters are still popular with quilters?

Quilt shops typically have a section just for fat quarters, and will often offer to cut fat quarters from their bolts of fabrics.

Although other precuts such as jelly rolls and charm packs have increased in popularity, the fat quarter remains the base for many quilts.

It is quite typical for a traveling quilter to buy fat quarters, instead of yardage, as a token of their visit to a new place.

Are they concerned about finding a pattern for their new fat quarters?

Of course not.

What Is a Fat Quarter?

A fat quarter is a precut piece of fabric that measures 18”x22”.

To cut your own fat quarters from yardage, take one yard that measures 36”x44”. Cut that piece in half from selvage to selvage to make a 18”x44” piece.

Finally, cut that piece in half vertically to create a 18”x22” fat quarter. You should be able to get four fat quarters from each yard of fabric.

Today’s savvy quilters know that the internet has a plethora of free fat quarter quilt patterns available.

  • Fat Quarter: Fabric Measuring 18” x 22”
  • Fat Quarter Bundle: Fat Quarters from a fabric collection. 25-42 fat quarters usually make a bundle.
  • Fat Quarter sub-cuts: 10” Squares, 5” and 4” squares, 2 ½” squares, 1 ½” squares, 2 ½ strips, 2 fat eighths.
  • ½ yard of fabric will give you two fat quarters.

19 Free Fat Quarter Patterns

Take a look at these stunning quilt patterns using fat quarters. We guarantee you'll have a hard time deciding on which one you should tackle for your next project.

1. Fat Quarter Fancy II

This gorgeous, modern quilt pattern has a fun 3D effect and is a great beginner-friendly project. The free tutorial gives you directions for making a large throw-size quilt at 64”x80”. 

The pattern calls for 20 fat quarters and 2 ¼ yards to make the completed quilt top. The designer also gives you fabric requirements for the backing and binding.

fat quarter fancy II fat quarter quilt patterns

2. Disappearing Flower Patch

This is an excellent pattern for a beginner quilter.

Known as the disappearing nine patch, it was renamed by Leah to accommodate the use of flower-themed fabric in her design.

It appears complicated, but the trick is in cutting the blocks apart and turning them.

The instructions for this quilt are located right below the first picture.

If you need a small lap quilt or a baby quilt, consider this as for a first project.

disappearing flower patch fat quarter wuilt pattern

3. Stack and Slash Quilt

Do you love the idea of layering several fabrics all at once and cutting them into random shapes?

Then this may be the quilt for you.

The only thing you use a ruler for is to keep the rotary cut straight as you make angled cuts.

Once the layers have been stacked in order, it is time to sew. Stack and whack quilts put fat quarters to good as the entire fat quarter is used in the quilt.


4. Fat Quarter Fizz

Are you looking for an easy fat quarter quilt?

Try this pattern if you want to use odd fat quarters that don’t seem to really fit with anything.

Just be sure to separate them into dark and light piles before you cut. The key to this quilt is the light value in contrast to the dark.


5. Queen Quilt Fat Quarter Cut Up

This charming fat quarter quilt finishes at 92” x 96”.

If you wanted to make it a little larger add borders.

Border strips could finish anywhere from 3”-5” wide depending on how much larger you want the quilt to finish.

The pattern uses Fig Tree fabric; however, a themed assortment would undoubtedly show off in this pattern.

queen quilt fat quarter cut up

6. Oh My Stars

This is a fun project that allows the quilter to work along at their own pace.

It was initially written as a quilt along.

A quilt along is an event where each week a new block is released.

The quilter makes the block and waits for the next week.

By the end of so many weeks, the quilters have enough blocks completed to make a large quilt.

The instructions for each block are found when you click on the pictures of the finished quilt block.

Read through all the links for special instructions before purchasing background yardages.

oh my stars fat quarter quilt pattern

7. Sweethearts Quilt

What could make a better gift for a loved one then this sweethearts fat quarter quilt?

Stay organized when cutting for the blocks.

Sandwich baggies will help keep pieces from escaping your work areas.

The diagrams showing block placement will help you piece the top together correctly.

Again, stay organized, or your blocks may not look like hearts when you are done.

sweethearts quilt fat quarter quilt patterns

8. Cabin Fever

This beautiful quilt will surely warm your lap this winter.

The blocks finish at 12” and only require five fat quarters for the colored blocks.

The background fabric really plays a significant role in the outcome of this quilt.

Audition your five fat quarters against potential background pieces before purchasing the material.

cabin fever fat quarter quilt pattern

9. Fat Quarter Fancy

This bright, beautiful fat quarter quilt uses the same technique involved in making snowball blocks.

This quilt finishes at 54”, which would make a lovely gift for a loved one or a child.

Themed fabric for children that love superheroes, spaceships, horses, or flowers would work well.

Why?

A large portion of the block remains uncovered from the corner units.  

Fat Quarter Fancy

10. Baby Steps

This free baby quilt pattern is a fabulous option if you want to create a small quilt for a new baby. The style of design is a brick layout and looks lovely with soft, warm colors for a baby. 

This free pattern has a well-written and thorough tutorial, and I highly recommend this to any beginner quilter.

The tutorial even shows you how to cut the fat quarters into “bricks.” The finished quilt will be a 42” square.


11. Chains of Love

Cheer up your home during the winter with this heart-themed Valentine’s Day quilt.

Use five fat quarters to make this wall hanging (50” x 42”).

Pay attention to the no-stacking warning in the instructions.

They want you to cut each fat quarter individually to get precise squares.

chains of love fat quarter quilt pattern

12. Starburst Fat Quarter Pattern

Beautiful and vibrant, this pattern is an excellent example of how just 20 fat quarters can create an amazing quilt. The finished quilt for this pattern will be a lap quilt of 48”x60”.

The pattern has diagrams showing how to piece the blocks together step by step. The designer also gives cutting instructions to get the most “bang for your buck” from the fat quarters.


13. Simple Bricks

This easy fat quarter quilt pattern would be stunning in flannel.

It has straight seams and finishes at a lap quilt size of 63” x 72”.

Do you need a gift for a student going off to college?

Consider this pattern.

It does not require a lot of tedious cutting and the strips go together quickly.  

simple bricks fat quarter quilt pattern

14. Garden Path

Did you say a picnic quilt?

I am ready to take my wicker basket filled with wine, cheese, and grapes and set this quilt out on a sunny day.

It features a 9 patch block set against contrasting squares alternating across the row.

Time to dig through those fat quarters and get to work.

I have a picnic to go on.

garden path fat quarter quilt pattern

15. Fat Quarter Flowers

This downloadable PDF pattern is another beginner-friendly project that is sure to impress the recipient of the quilt. The finished quilt will measure 52 ½”x65” — which is the perfect size for a throw quilt.

The designer has also made video tutorials to help you along the way. Neat, right?

fat quarter flowers

16. Backyard Roses Churn Dash

With well-written instructions and easy-to-follow diagrams, this sweet quilt pattern can be sewn together quite quickly. The finished quilt will measure 59”x68”, which is a great size for a large throw-size quilt.

. Backyard Roses Churn Dash

17. Fat Quarter Whirlwind

The Fat Quarter Whirlwind quilt pattern is an excellent option for beginner quilters that want to use a fat quarter bundle to create an entire quilt top. This pattern will show you how to make a 66”x55” quilt that uses just ten fat quarters. You can easily adjust the size of the quilt by adding or subtracting “whirlwind” blocks. 

Fat Quarter Whirlwind

18. The Novice

If you are looking for your first quilt project ever, The Novice is a FANTASTIC choice to learn the basic skill set you will need to create quilts. This pattern allows the fabrics to be center stage and only require ten fat quarters. The finished quilt will be 56”x64”.

 The Novice

19. Fat Quarter Bundle Rag Quilt

Are you a fan of rag quilts? Look at those fun ragged edges. Cute right? This tutorial will show you how to make a similar baby-size rag quilt measuring 30”x36”.

Fat Quarter Bundle Rag Quilt

More Related Articles

All You Need To Know About Fat Quarter Sizes

21 Of The Most Gorgeous Dresden Plate Quilt Patterns You’ll Ever See

11 Free Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns


Why Do Quilters Still Choose Fat Quarters?

They remain popular for two reasons.

First, the fat quarter bundle takes the guesswork out of planning a quilt.

Get a bundle, which is already color-coordinated, and then search the internet for fat quarter quilt ideas.

Second, a fat quarter is easily manageable with its smaller size and ability to provide a wide variety of pieces.

Beginner quilters like fat quarter quilts because they can learn to cut blocks on a smaller piece of fabric. If they make a mistake, it only costs a couple of dollars to fix.

On the other hand, if they cut yardage incorrectly, it may cost them more than $10 to fix.  

If your local quilt shop does not stock fat quarter-friendly quilt patterns, then this article provides some great designs for all themes and styles of fat quarter quilts.

How Many Fat Quarters Do I Need for a Quilt?

This is quite a loaded question and there really isn’t a “right” or “wrong” answer to it. The amount of fat quarters you need for a certain quilt relies heavily on the quilt pattern that you choose.

Thankfully, many pattern designs give fabric requirements specific to fat quarter bundles since they are so popular.

What Size Quilt Will a Fat Quarter Bundle Make?

Again, this is one of those questions where the answer will vary tremendously depending on (1) the quilt pattern and (2) how many fat quarters are in the bundle you have selected.

For me personally, if a fat quarter bundle has less than 20 fat quarters in it, I purchase two bundles to ensure I have plenty of fabric for a queen-sized quilt. The actual quilt pattern you choose plays a big role in how many fat quarter bundles you need as well.

How Do You Make a Quilt with Fat Quarters?

Fat quarters can be used to create a limitless variety of quilt blocks and designs. Normally, I recommend using fat quarters like you would regular yardage. Be sure you cut your pieces so that you get the most out of each fat quarter.

There are even diagrams you can look up online that will show you the best way to cut up fat quarters for different size blocks and pieces.

What Can I Make with 12 Fat Quarters?

Twelve fat quarters could easily be used to create several different baby quilt patterns or even a throw size with some help from a couple of yards of solid color fabric.

You could also create a table runner with matching placemats with a fat quarter dozen.

There are so many different smaller projects that could be achieved using twelve fat quarters — from a quilted vest to tote bags for you and your girlfriends.

What Can I Make with 19 Fat Quarters? 

There are countless projects that you can make using 20 fat quarters. If you are making a quilt, the number of fat quarters you will need depends heavily on the pattern you choose and the types of blocks you will make. But what if you want to make something else? 

Here is a short list of other things you could make using 20 fat quarters (or less.)

  • Placemats
  • Table runners
  • Matching handbag and wallet
  • Quilted jacket/coat
  • Coordinating gifts for you and your friends such as makeup bags or simple tote bags
  • Throw pillows
  • Throw quilt

Now that you have some great ideas to make a fat quarter quilt take a trip to your local quilt shop and see what they have to offer in the way of fat quarters.

If you already have a stash of fat quarters pick out the ones that color coordinate and get started.

Your quilt will be beautiful, and you will discover that fat quarters are a great base for any quilt.

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