Easy Plaid Quilt Block Tutorial

Looking for an easy plaid quilt block tutorial? 

You are in the right place!

As I was pulling out the fabrics for this quilt, it didn’t occur to me that this is my fourth very, very pink quilt this year!

I don’t dislike pink, but I don’t think I’ve ever made four bright pink quilts in one year before.  And, the year is not even close to over!  There is still plenty of time for more pink.

The easy plaid quilt block in this quilt is set on point, and this quilt block came about as I was considering a more complicated plaid as a new quilt pattern.  That may come next year, it’s still coalescing in my mind.  But for today, an easy plaid quilt block in pinks and greys.

Fabric Cutting Tutorial

This quilt block starts with strips of fabric 2” by width of fabric and 3½” by width of fabric.  I found that I ended up with less scraps leftover when I used the full width of fabric rather than fat quarters, however, fat quarters can work too.

My finished quilt measures at approximately 39” by 45” and contains 98 blocks.  Making a larger or smaller quilt will change the number of blocks needed, and therefore, the number of strips cut.

Pink 3½” – cut 9

Pink 2: – cut 5

Grey 3½” – cut 5

Grey 2” – cut 9

Don’t worry, there will be scrappy cutting directions as well, these directions are for strip piecing.

Easy Plaid Quilt Block Tutorial – Strip Piecing

Start by sewing the 3½” pink strips to the 2” grey strips to make Strip Set A and the 2” pink strips to the 3½” grey strips to make Strip Set B.  Press all strip sets towards the pink fabric.

Sub-cut Strip Set As at 3½” to make Unit A.  You can get up to 11 cuts from a strip set that is 40”. 

98 total are needed.

Sub-cut Strip Set Bs at 2” to make Unit B.  You can get up to 20 cuts from a strip set that is 40”. 

98 total are needed.

Pair one Unit A and one Unit B.

Pin where the seams meet and sew the two units into the quilt block.  Repeat to make 98 total.

Scrappier Plaid Quilt Blocks

The above directions use fabric yardage to make the quilt blocks, but scraps can be used as well, either for more variety in fabric placement or to use up smaller bits of fabric.

For a scrappier block, you will need to cut a pink 3½” square, and pink 2” square and two grey rectangles 2” by 3½”.  If the grey fabrics are directional, you’ll want one to be 2” wide by 3½” tall and the other 3½” wide by 2” tall.   If your fabrics don’t have direction to the prints, the two rectangles are interchangeable.

Sew the pieces into Unit A (top) and Unit B (Bottom).  Always press towards the pink fabric.

At this point, the units go together to make the block, just like the strip piecing directions.

For the remainder of this quilt tutorial, the blocks will be turned 45* to the right to make a diamond.  The largest pink square is at the top of the block and the smaller pink square is at the bottom.

Putting It All Together – Easy Plaid Quilt

Place 56 diamonds into 8 rows of 7 blocks.  Note the placement of the larger and smaller pink squares within each block.

Fill in the remaining spots with the 42 remaining blocks.

Rather than rows or columns, this plaid quilt is sewn together on the diagonal.

Once all of the diagonals have been sewn together, you have two choices.  You can square the edges at this point.  Or, you can do what I do, baste and quilt first, then trim to square.

Either way, this easy plaid quilt block goes together in a hurry and makes a delightful baby quilt.  

As a reminder, my quilt finishes at approximately 39” by 45”  but you can definitely make a larger quilt by adding additional blocks.