But what you WON’T have to do is follow a pattern! All of the quilt blocks in my list, below, are ones that you can construct as you go or that are so dead simple that you don’t need a pattern to make them. Even if you’re the most beginning-est of beginners at sewing, I promise that you can hold all the instructions for sewing a nine-patch quilt block or a log cabin quilt block–even a set in circle!–in your head!
Log Cabin
A log cabin quilt block is one of the easiest to sew, which makes it perfect for beginners. But if you know your way around a sewing machine and you like to experiment, the log cabin quilt block also lends itself to a fascinating variety of construction techniques for an almost infinite number of looks. Play with color, width, and line to really make the log cabin your own!
Square in a Square Log Cabin
This variation on the traditional log cabin quilt block, above, lets you show off a special fussy cut square of fabric. My favorite sub-variation of this specific type of block is to play with the widths to make a block that looks like a Polaroid picture! These blocks lend themselves really well to I Spy quilts, in particular.
Nine-Patch Quilt Block
If you can cut and sew a straight line, you can make a nine-patch quilt! A single block requires two different fabrics and squares cut to identical dimensions; alternate them in rows of three, and that’s a nine-patch quilt block. You can also sew this quilt block quite easily by hand using a back-stitch.
Disappearing Nine-Patch
Can you believe the block in the image above is a nine-patch?!? The Disappearing Nine-Patch block requires making a traditional Nine-Patch block, then cutting it into corners, rotating the new pieces, and sewing it back together. Play with how you rotate the pieces to get totally new looks! This is one quilt block that you’ll appreciate having a design wall for.
Wave Block
In this project you get a little bit of strip piecing AND the chance to sew curves! The block is much easier to make than it looks, which is my favorite kind of block!
Bookshelf Quilt Block
The bookshelf quilt block is strip piecing set on its side. Sew strips together at the short ends, using one background fabric and one book fabric, and watch your bookshelf appear. The only rule is to vary the heights of your books, as that’s what makes it look like a realistic bookshelf.
Hidden Wells Block
There is so much that you can do with the simple method of strip piecing! To work this block without a pattern, ignore the dimensions that the tutorial calls for, and just focus on piecing a square block evenly divided by its strips. Whether you choose an 8″x8″ block with 2″ strips (finished) or a 10″x10″ block with 1″ strips (finished), this method will work!
Set In Circle
A compass and some freezer paper are the closest things we’ll get to a pattern here, but if you want to try to freehand your circle, or choose a different shape altogether, feel free!
Quilt As You Go Method
The quilt-as-you-go method might be a little too tricky for a flat-out beginner, but anyone else who’s got a few sewn projects under their belt is going to find this a delightful change of pace from following a pattern. I love to use it to make small items like bookmarks and greeting cards, but you can expand it to whatever size you can dream of.
Ticker Tape Quilt
The ticker tape method is a really fun way to quilt a custom shape without agonizing over the piecing. Blow up a line drawing (or freehand one!), trace it onto your background fabric, and have fun filling in the middle! You can accomplish the same look in several different ways–for the dragon quilt that I sewed for my older kid’s dorm room bed, I combined the ticker tape and quilt-as-you-go methods. Do YOU have a favorite quilt block that doesn’t require a pattern? Tell us about it in the Comments!
