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Saturday, January 14, 2023

Scrappy Gradient Block Tutorial

Ready for a simple but really fun quilt block tutorial? You're going to love this one. It's perfect for using up those scraps that I KNOW we've all be saving. These are fast to make, and it's fun to dig into your scraps and play with colors and values.

This is called the Scrappy Gradient quilt block and I created it for an online quilting bee that I was a part of a couple years ago. 

Scrappy Gradient quilt block tutorial by Andy Knowlton of A Bright Corner a scrappy free quilt block pattern

This block is great for quilting bees and block swaps because it's easy enough for even beginner quilters, it's a quick block so you can have each quilter make 2-3 blocks, and in the end you get such a great variety of scrappy fabrics and different prints. 

Scrappy Gradient quilt block tutorial by Andy Knowlton of A Bright Corner a scrappy free quilt block pattern

Ready to get started? First of all, for each block you'll need one light, one medium, and one dark print from the same color. 

The image below shows examples of prints that I had pulled for three blocks.

Gradient fabric stacks found on A Bright Corner quilt blog - you have to see what she made with these!

You'll notice that I didn't just stick to fabrics that were all the same blue but I used a range of colors in the same color family. And in my final quilt I added in greens as well. So feel free to play around with color here!

You'll also need some background fabrics. I chose to do a completely scrappy background and cut the strips from a lot of different prints. You could also use a single background fabric - like a solid white or off-white. Or even a striking charcoal gray or navy would be awesome!

Low volume scrap fabric found on A Bright Corner quilt blog

Here are the size of strips you'll need to cut

Scrappy Gradient quilt block tutorial by Andy Knowlton of A Bright Corner a scrappy free quilt block pattern

  • Cut four background strips, 1 1/2" x 10 1/2"
  • Cut one light print strip, 2" x 10 1/2"
  • Cut one medium print strip, 2 1/2" x 10 1/2"
  • Cut one dark print strip, 3" x 10 1/2"
That's it! Now sew them together using a SCANT 1/4" seam. Press seams either open or press toward the print strips - which ever way you prefer. 

Scrappy Gradient quilt block tutorial by Andy Knowlton of A Bright Corner a scrappy free quilt block pattern

Block should measure 10 1/2" x 10 1/2" square. 

Now just keep going! Have fun pulling fabrics and making groups of light/medium/dark prints. That was my favorite part!



Scrappy Gradient Tips

  • Keep an eye on your seam allowances. You'll need to use a scant 1/4" seam for these blocks to end up at 10 1/2" square.

  • Have fun with the gradient aspect - take your time combining fabrics into groups of three... dark, medium, and light. Sometimes it helps to take a pic with your phone and then edit the photo to be black and white - that makes it easier to see the value of a fabric when compared to others.

  • I like to cut enough scraps for 8-10 blocks at a time and then sew those together. Then go back and cut more and sew those. Working in groups like that helps me get a feel for what the quilt might need more or less of. As I put the blocks on the design wall (or lay them on the floor together) I can see if I need to add more variety, or more or less of a certain color. 

Scrappy Gradient quilt pattern by Andy of A Bright Corner a scrap friendly quilt pattern and free quilt block pattern

Here's what a finished Scrappy Gradient quilt looks like. This size (60" x 70") needs 42 of the Scrappy Gradient blocks and as you can see, I didn't just stick to one color. There are different shades of blues and greens and I think that helps add to the overall gradient quality of the finished quilt. 

Scrappy Gradient quilt pattern by Andy of A Bright Corner a scrap friendly quilt pattern and free quilt block pattern

If you'd prefer a printable PDF version of this block tutorial I'm sharing one for a limited time with all newsletter subscribers. 


The PDF includes single block instructions, instructions for the throw size quilt, and a handy chart for making 5 different sizes of the Scrappy Gradient quilt.

If you make some Scrappy Gradient blocks I'd love to see them. Use the hashtags #ScrappyGradientBlock or #ScrappyGradientQuilt, and #abrightcorner so we can all see what you create!

You can find the quilting fabric and supplies for your own Scrappy Gradient project at Fat Quarter Shop.



Be sure to pin this image below to Pinterest so you can find it later!

Scrappy Gradient quilt block tutorial by Andy Knowlton of A Bright Corner a scrappy free quilt block pattern





9 comments:

  1. Thank You Andy for this cute pattern, it looks like a very fun quilt to make! Thanks for sharing it!

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  2. Thank you for the tutorial and quilt pattern. Look forward to pulling my scraps together to make this quilt.

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  3. Great tutorial. I know it calls for 10 1/2" strips but I have a layer cake and I wasn't sure what I wanted to make. This will make a great quilt and with the extra strip from each square I can make a scrappy border or binding.

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  4. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to get started on a lap size. Love it!

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  5. Love your patterns…this would be so fun with scraps!

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  6. Thank you...can't wait to use up some of my scraps on this quilt...

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  7. Looks like a great project; but is there a way to pin it to Pinterest? I would like to save it without printing it out. Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. yep - Click on the blog post title, then scroll to the bottom of the post (right above the comment section) and you'll see a row of small gray buttons. Click on the one of the Pinterest logo and it will let you pin an image to the board of your choosing.

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  8. Is there a link to pin this to Pinterest? Thank you.

    ReplyDelete