The finished cat quilt block in this pattern comes out to a measurement of 12 inches square. If you have some quilting experience, you can easily change the size of the block and may want to paper piece the blocks if they are tiny.
Materials
To begin, cut the following fabric pieces to create one cat quilt block. Quarter yard cuts will work just fine for your cat bodies as long as they are at least 8 1/2-inches long after prewashing the fabrics. Scraps of fabric, fat quarters, and fat eighths are other options. Fabric for the cat body:
One 4 1/2 8 1/2-inch rectangleOne 3 X 4 1/2-inch barTwo 2 X 2-inch squares
Fabric for the background
Two 2 1/2 X 8 1/2-inch bars for the frame (can be a different fabric from cat background)Two 2 1/2 X 12 1/2-inch bars for the frame (can be a different fabric)One 4 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch squareOne 2 X 4 1/2-inch barOne 2 X 2-inch square
Quick Piece the Ears and Body
Sew the cat’s ears and body patchwork together with this quick piecing technique:
Assemble the Cat Quilt Block
Use a 1/4-inch seam allowance to assemble the cat quilt block, placing units right sides together for sewing and matching raw edges carefully. Use straight pins to hold fabrics together if it helps you keep the patches aligned. Refer to the illustration as you assemble the cat quilt block. The frames shown are sewn with the same fabric used for the background behind the cat, so yours may differ, depending on the fabric you choose to frame the cat with. Your cat quilt block is finished and should measure 12 1/2 X 12 1/2 inches, including the 1/4-inch seam allowance used to assemble a full quilt. If your quilt block is smaller than it should be, or skewed, press again and recheck it. If it still isn’t quite right, use a squaring-up method before sewing it to other blocks. Make additional cat quilt blocks, and sew them together side by side into rows to complete your quilt. If you like, add plain or pieced sashing strips between the quilt blocks.
Make a Mirror Image Cat
It’s easy to make mirror image cat quilt blocks. Simply sew the 4 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch background square to the opposite side of the head unit, and the 2 X 2-inch background square to the opposite side of the cat’s body.
How to Customize Your Cat Quilt
It’s simple to make your cat quilt unique:
Sew the cats in small-print cat fabrics or tone-on-tone fabrics. Add variety by using at least a couple of different frame fabrics. Add beads or lace to create a collar at the cat’s neck. Dress the cat up for a Christmas quilt by putting a bow or bells around its neck. Embroider or applique eyes and whiskers on your cat.
