Free Easter Quilt Block Patterns – patchwork chicks and eggs

Raid your fabric offcuts for some Springtime shades and paper piece your very own Easter quilts with these quilt block patterns by FPP master Susi Bellingham. This pattern shows you how to make 12 quilt blocks– 6 patchwork chicks and 6 patchwork eggs. They were originally intended to be sewing into Susi's row-by-row quilt but we're sharing them here as a taster as we think they make a lovely stand-alone Easter quilt project too. Simply combine them with coordinating plain blocks to make a mini quilt or patchwork cushion.

If you're on the hunt for fun quilt projects, you might also like our free alphabet quilt templates or sew up a sweet bunny toy with or free rabbit sewing pattern. These Easter quilt patterns are sewn using paper piecing – if you're new to this, we recommend you have a read of our beginners' guide to foundation paper piecing to learn the basics before you dive in.

These patterns were first featured as part of Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine's The Farmer's Market Row-by-Row sewalong. See more of Susie's work in her Etsy store TinyToffeeDesigns.

A few tips before you begin...

• When adding fabric pieces, keep your seam allowance at ¼in and avoid trimming it too small.
• Choose a small stitch length on your machine to make it easier to remove the paper once you finish your block.
• Lay fabrics out in advance to see if they work together.
• Print out spare paper templates so you can write down fabric choices and use them as templates for cutting the fabric.

You will need

• Background fabric: ½yd – we've used Sprinkle in Jelly Bracelet from the Basics collection by Cotton+Steel
• Chick fabrics: six (6) 6½in squares
• Beak fabrics: six (6) 2in squares
• Egg fabrics: six (6) 5in squares – Basics collection by Cotton+Steel.
• Black embroidery thread
• Right Chick Template (below – A and B) three (3) copies each
• Left Chick Template (below – A and B) three (3) copies each
• Egg Template: below – six (6) copies

Fabrics used

• Fabrics supplied by Fat Quarter Shop

Finished size

Each finished quilt block will measure 6in square (finished)

Download our free Easter quilt patterns

Free Foundation Paper Piecing Easter Quilt Patterns (PDF)

Notes

• Seam allowances are ¼in throughout, unless otherwise noted.
• Press seams to the side, unless otherwise instructed.
• Shorten your stitch length to 1.5 for Foundation Paper Piecing.
• FPP = Foundation Paper Piecing.
• Templates include seam allowance around the outer edges only.

How to make Easter quilt blocks

Step 1

Using the template above as a guide, cut the fabric pieces for each section of the FPP templates, making sure the pieces will be at least ¼in larger than the section they will cover, all the way around.

Always trim the seam allowance once you have added a new piece and always press as you go.

To make the chick quilt blocks

Step 2

Foundation Paper Piece one each of Left Chick Block Sections A and B, sewing the fabrics in place in numerical order (Sections 1A–8A and 1B to 8B). If you've never tried it before, read our Beginner's Guide to Foundation Paper Piecing before you begin.

Step 3

Arrange the two sections along the edge. Pin together carefully, matching the block edges and intersecting parts of the chick.

Step 4

Return your machine stitch length to normal, for piecing, and sew Sections A and B together, then press the seam open. Carefully trim around the outer dashed line of the paper templates.

Step 5

Remove the paper templates from the back of the block to complete one Left Chick Block. Repeat to make a total of three (3) Left Chick Blocks and three (3) Right Chick Blocks.

Step 6

Embroider a single French knot, referring to the templates for placement, for each chick’s eye.

To make the egg quilt blocks

Step 7

Foundation Paper Piece the Egg Block, sewing the fabrics in place in numerical order (Sections 1–14).

Step 8

Neatly trim around the outer dashed line of the paper template. Remove the template paper from the back to complete one Egg Block. Repeat to make a total of six (6) Egg Blocks.