Heart Quilt Block Pattern Tutorial

This easy heart quilt block pattern can be made from jelly rolls or scraps. Not only for Valentine's Day, heart quilt blocks could be used for any holiday, say Christmas, that you love. Just change your fabrics!

scrappy heart quilt block pattern

For most of us a heart represents love. We usually associate them with the color red, but in quilting we don't have to be so literal.

Use any color, shades of a color or multiple colors to have the heart shape represent the holiday that you want to celebrate.

Also, look to the motif in the fabric to help out. For example, if you love coffee use fabrics that have coffee cups, coffee related words, etc.

If you just love Christmas and want to express that use fabrics that have Christmas motifs and/or words.

Your options are unlimited!

Use Scraps or Leftover Jelly Roll Strips

To create this scrappy heart quilt block I used scraps to make mini strip sets.

With some of the strip sets I was able to get only one 2 1/2 inch by 6 1/2 inch segment and with others I was able to get two or three strip set segments. It just all depends upon how long your strips are.

For the most efficient cutting, use strips of similar lengths to make the mini strip sets.

Heart Quilt Block Size

For a 12 inch finished size block, make strip sets from 2 1/2 inch strips.

This makes using jelly rolls a great option for this quilt block.

Heart Quilt Block Pattern Instructions

• All seams are 1/4 inch unless otherwise noted.
• Fabric A: prints for heart shape (scraps in shades of red and pink)
• Fabric B: background color (light blue print)

Step 1 Gather and Cut Scraps Your scraps should be at least 2 1/2 inches wide by at least 2 3/4 inches long to make a mini strip set.

With right sides up, longest fabric placed first, stacked one on top of the other with longest side oriented horizontally.

Place a 2 1/2 inch quilting ruler lengthwise and horizontally on top of the stack.

Trim to 2 1/2 inches wide. The short ends can remain uncut.

Step 2 Make Strip Sets Stitch 3 strips together to make a strip set. Subcut into 2 1/2 wide units.

What's a strip set? Find out how to make and subcut strip sets here.

Save any unusable units for a future scrap quilt project.

Make 12 (2 1/2 inch) wide 3-patch strip segments. Each segment should measure 2 1/2 inches x 6 1/2 inches.

Press both seams in one direction (down or up).

Step 3 Stitch 4 Squares Arrange the segments into four groups of three over 2 rows with seams opposing one another.  For example, Row 1: segment one seams up, segment two seams down, segment three seams up, etc. Repeat for Row 2.

When you're satisfied with the arrangement, stitch three 3-patch segments together to make a square. Repeat for each 3-patch segment.

Press the seams of each square as follows:

• Row 1: Press seams to the right.
• Row 2: Press seams to the left.

Making the Heart Quilt Block Pattern

To reveal the heart quilt block pattern we need to make some cuts. For each of the nine patch squares we are going to cut off a little fabric before stitching the background squares to them.

Step 4a Clip Top Corners of squares in Row 1.

Square 1: Place the 1/4 inch measurement line of your quilting ruler diagonally through the middle of the first square patch on the left. Using a rotary cutter, make a cut along the cutting line. (You are cutting off the upper left corner of the square, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.)

Square 2: Place the 1/4 inch measurement line of your quilting ruler diagonally through the middle of the third square patch on the right. Using a rotary cutter, make a cut along the cutting line. (You are cutting off the upper right corner of the square, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.)

Step 4b

Square 1: Place the 1/4 inch measurement line of your quilting ruler diagonally through the middle of the third square patch on the right. Using a rotary cutter, make a cut along the cutting line. (Cut off the upper right corner of the square, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.)

Square 2: Place the 1/4 inch measurement line of your quilting ruler diagonally through the middle of the first square patch on the left. Using a rotary cutter, make a cut along the cutting line. (Cut off the upper left corner of the square, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.)

Step 5a Cut Off Bottom Half of squares in Row 2.

Square 3: Place the 1/4 inch measurement line of your quilting ruler diagonally through the middle of the square oriented so the cut will be from top left to bottom right (think backslash (\)).

Using a rotary cutter, cut along the ruler's edge.

The ruler’s 1/4 inch measurement line should be placed diagonally along the path of intersecting seams that bisect the square in half. You are cutting away the lower left side of the square, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Step 5b

Square 4: Repeat as done with Square 3, but reorient the ruler to cut away the lower right side of the square.

Place the 1/4 inch measurement line of your quilting ruler diagonally through the middle of the square oriented so the cut will be from top right to bottom left (think forward slash (/)).

Using a rotary cutter, cut along the ruler's edge.

Step 6 Heart Shape Revealed When you have finished cutting all four squares as directed in Steps 4 and 5, the heart quilt block pattern is revealed.

Step 7 Cut Background Squares Cut 2 (3 inch) squares and 1 (7 1/4 inch) square from Fabric B.

Cut each of the squares in half diagonally, making half square triangles.

Step 8 Attach Background Triangles

Note: Pressing the background triangles and heart quilt block pattern pieces with an alternative starch product will make stitching them easier.

With right sides together, place the background triangles on top of
the heart shapes as shown in the picture below. The triangles are oversized. You'll trim in the next step.

Stitch a 1/4 inch seam.

Square Up Heart Quilt Block

Step 9 Press the background fabric back right side up with the seam toward background fabric.

Square up each square to 6 1/2 inches. Using a 2 1/4 inch measurement line along the seam line of Columns 1 and 3.

Step 10 All 4 squares are trimmed to 6 1/2 inches square.

Step 11 With right sides together, stitch squares 1 and 2 using a 1/4 inch seam. Then, stitch squares 3 and 4 together.

Press seams open.

Step 12 With right sides together, nest seams and stitch together Rows 1 and 2 using a 1/4 inch seam.

Step 13 Press the seam open.

The heart quilt block pattern is completed. Isn't it gorgeous!

Easy Heart Block Quilt Pattern Ideas

Here's what a queen size quilt would look like with scrappy heart quilt blocks.

Short on time? Try making a bed runner using the heart quilt block pattern...

or a table runner!

Also, check out our other free easy quilt patterns!