Use This Free Baby Quilt Pattern To Sew An Adorable Half Square Triangle Baby Quilt. It's The Perfect Handmade Baby Shower Gift!
Are you looking for the perfect handmade baby shower gift? This adorable baby quilt fits the bill!
It's a simple, beginner-friendly quilt that makes a wonderful gift for a growing family. Everyone needs another cozy blanket - especially when it was made with love by a cherished friend or family member!
Plus, if you have leftover fabrics from your quilt, you can make a few other useful baby items to add to your gift, all made with matching fabric! My Baby Bib Sewing Pattern is a great option for leftover quilt fabric!
Table of Contents
About The Baby Quilt Pattern
The finished baby quilt measures approximately 30" x 38", the perfect size for a small, portable baby blanket.
This baby quilt is made entirely from half square triangles, one of the simplest and most-used quilt blocks. This makes it a great quilt for a beginner - or if you just want a quilting project that comes together quickly!
The extra-large, 8-inch half-square triangles are made from 6 different colors set against a white background. You can select any fabrics you like for your 6 colors.
Supplies to Make the Half Square Triangle Baby Quilt
Here are the supplies you'll need to make your half-square triangle baby quilt.
- 1/2 Yard White Fabric
- 1 Fat Quarter OR 1/2 Yard Each of 6 Different Colors
- 34" x 45" Batting Bundle
- 3/4 Yard Backing Fabric
- 1/4 Yard Fabric to Make Binding or Premade Bias Tape
- Fabric Pen or Chalk
- Quilting Ruler
- Basting Spray
- Scissors
- Rotary Cutter
- Rotary Cutting Mat
- Thread
- Sewing Pins
- Iron
- Ironing Board
- Sewing Machine
- Sewing Machine Needle
I designed the fabric shown in this tutorial. If you'd like to purchase fabric with these designs, let me know and I'll upload them to a custom fabric website!
Step One: Cut Your Materials
Let's cut the materials for this half-square triangle baby quilt. Grab that ruler and self-healing mat, and let's get cutting!
First, cut six 12" squares from white fabric.
Then, cut one 12" square each from your six different colored fabrics.
You're ready to start piecing!
Step Two: Piece the Half Square Triangles
Start by pairing up one white square with each colored square. Place the 2 squares in each pair with right sides together, lining up all the edges.
I used the Four-At-A-Time Half Square Triangle Method to create 4 half square triangles from each of the 6 paired-up sets of squares. Click here to see the full step-by-step tutorial.
Pin the squares together and sew around the perimeter of the square 1/4" from the edge.
Cut the sewn square into fourths from the top left corner to the bottom right corner and the top right corner to the bottom left corner.
Open up the half-square triangle blocks and press the seam towards the white fabric.
Once you've pressed each block, be sure to square up each unit to 8 inches.
Step Three: Put Together the Quilt Top
Next, arrange the half-square triangles similarly to the diagram below, with the colors running diagonally across the quilt top.
For 4 of the 6 colors, you will only need 3 of the 4 half-square triangles. You can set aside the extra HST units to use in another project later.
Stitch the 4 units in each row together with 1/4" seam allowances.
Pro Tip: Return the units to the quilt top layout after every seam to make sure everything is still lined up correctly. It's no fun to figure out after the fact that you've stitched the units together out of order!
Next, press the seam allowances in each row in alternating directions. For example, press the seam allowances in the top row to the right, then in the second row to the left, then the third row to the right, etcetera. This will allow the seam allowances to nest together nicely.
Stitch the rows together, taking care to match up the seams between each HST unit.
Press the seam allowances either down or up.
Step Four: Baste the Quilt
With the quilt top done, we're ready to turn this thing into an actual quilt!
Cut a piece of batting approximately 3 inches wider than the quilt top on each side.
Next, cut a piece of backing fabric approximately 5 inches wider than the quilt top on each side.
Baste the 3 layers of the quilt sandwich together, using either pins or basting spray.
I like to use basting spray because I find that it keeps the layers adhered across the entire surface of the quilt better. There's a lot less shifting in the layers than with pin basting!
To baste with spray, start by layering the quilt with the backing on the bottom, batting in the middle, and the quilt top at the top. Smooth out the layers so that there aren't any wrinkles in any of the materials.
Fold back the batting and quilt top to free up half of the backing fabric on your table. Spray basting spray across the open half of the backing. Then, lay the batting and top back down over it, pressing and smoothing it out with your hands.
Repeat this process to baste the batting down to the other half of the backing.
Next, fold the quilt top back to free up half of the batting. Spray a light layer of basting spray across the open surface of the batting. Lay the quilt top back down over the batting and press out any wrinkles with your hands.
Repeat this process to baste down the other half of the quilt top to the batting.
Press the entire surface of the quilt with a hot iron. Make sure to press from both the front and the back of the quilt. This will set the basting spray to keep the quilt layers firmly in place.
Step Five: Quilt the Baby Quilt
Finally, we're ready to quilt!
Quilt the entire surface of the baby quilt using whatever quilt pattern you like.
With this quilt pattern, anything from basic straight lines to loopy free-motion quilt designs can look great!
After quilting, square up the quilt.
Do this by placing a large square ruler in one corner of the quilt. Line it up along the edges of the quilt top. It's OK if a little bit of batting sticks out within the ruler, as long as it's less than about 1/8".
Trim the batting and backing away along the two outer edges of the ruler.
Repeat this process in each of the remaining 3 corners of the quilt top.
Then, using a long rectangular ruler, trim the edges of the quilt straight between the squared-up corners.
Your quilt is squared up beautifully!
Step Six: Bind the Quilt
The last step to making this adorable baby quilt is binding the edges.
Start by making around 4 yards of binding. Either 1/2" double fold bias tape or 1.25" quilt binding will work.
For my quilt, I made 1/2" double fold bias tape using this method: How to Make Bias Tape.
Then, bind all 4 edges of your quilt.
Check out this tutorial for step-by-step instructions on How to Bind a Quilt with Bias Tape.
Give your quilt a good press and trim away any threads.
Hooray! Pat yourself on the back; you've finished your half-square triangle baby quilt!
Looking for even more FREE quilting tutorials? Click here!
Pair this handmade baby quilt with my free baby sewing patterns for a baby shower gift that's sure to be a huge hit!
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