Use what you have
1. A scrap quilt
Cut every scrap into 2½-inch squares or strips as projects finish, and keep them in a box. When it's full, sew them into a simple patchwork. Scrap quilts look better with more fabrics, not fewer, so the busier the box, the better.
2. A two-color quilt
Red and white, navy and cream, or green and white: two colors make even a simple block look striking. It's also a good way to use a big piece of one fabric.
3. A leftover-blocks quilt
Orphan blocks from old projects, test blocks and swaps, set together with plain sashing. Sashing in one color pulls mismatched blocks together.
Learn something new
4. A sampler quilt
Make one block each of a dozen different patterns, all the same size. It's the classic way to learn: you'll do squares, triangles, flying geese and stars in one quilt. Many shops and quilt guilds run a block of the month.
5. A star quilt
The sawtooth star teaches flying geese, the building block of dozens of star patterns. Start with our star throw.
6. Free-motion quilting practice
Make a plain whole-cloth quilt, just one fabric for the top, and use it to practice free-motion designs. StitchTested has a beginner's guide to free-motion quilting.
Quilts with meaning
7. A signature quilt
Friends, family or a whole class each sign or decorate a block. The 9-11 Memorial Quilt Project worked this way, with 375 stitchers each sending a cross-stitched square. Our guide to organizing a group quilt explains how to keep everyone's squares consistent.
8. A memory quilt from clothes
A loved one's shirts or a child's T-shirt collection become a quilt the family can use. See how to make a memory quilt.
9. A Quilt of Valor
A patriotic quilt awarded to a service member or veteran. The Foundation's size and label rules are in our Quilts of Valor guide.
10. A charity quilt
Hospitals, shelters and children's programs in many towns accept donated quilts. Call first to ask what sizes they need and whether they have rules about fabric or washing.
Small and quick
11. A mini quilt or wall hanging
One block, a border and binding: a finished mini quilt in an afternoon. Minis are also the easiest way to try a new technique without committing to a whole quilt.
12. A table runner
Two or three blocks in a row. Our Christmas star runner works in any colors.
13. A baby quilt
About 36 × 46 inches, small enough to quilt on any machine. Choose soft cotton or flannel and a pattern without tiny pieces. Machine binding holds up better to frequent washing.
Something different
14. A panel quilt
A printed panel in the center (a scene, a map, a holiday design) surrounded by borders or simple blocks. It's the fastest route to a quilt with a picture.
15. A barn quilt
Not fabric at all: a quilt block painted on a wood panel and hung on a barn or fence. Barn quilt trails in many rural counties map dozens of them. A simple block like a sawtooth star scales up well to a 2- or 4-foot square.
Need the basics first? Read how to make a quilt and our supply list.