Free 3 Yard Quilt Pattern: XOXO Hugs and Kisses

Sew a beautiful hugs and kisses quilt pattern with just 3 yards of fabric! The free XOXO 3 yard quilt pattern would make a darling baby quilt, Valentine’s wall hanging, or cuddly throw quilt. If you have 3 one yard cuts of fabric in your stash you are ready to sew! This XOXO hugs and kisses design from SewCanShe is a 47” x 47” lap quilt pattern. There is only one block to learn, and I’ll share optional AccuQuilt cutting instructions to help you get done even faster.

Don’t miss these other 3 Yard Quilt Patterns:

This blog post has been converted to an optional PDF that’s optimized for printing. Find it here. The free XOXO Quilt Pattern is included in the blog post below and is totally free to read, print, and sew! Just hit CTRL +P on your computer to print. The PDF download is inexpensive and optional. Did you know you can get ALL the Optimized for Printing PDF files organized in a library for you to access anytime you want? Check it out.

What size quilt does 3 yards make?

Most 3 yard quilts are throw quilts or lap quilts because they don’t require a lot of fabric. This particular quilt pattern would make a darling baby quilt for a boy or a girl. Since this type of quilt isn’t very big, you can finish your quilt quickly and give it as a gift or use it in your home. Because of the size, throw quilts like this one are easy to quilt on a domestic sewing machine. This hugs and kisses quilt pattern is especially easy and great for beginners.

You’ll have enough fabric to finish the quilt top including 16 blocks and the border. More fabric is required for the backing and binding.

If you love to use your AccuQuilt fabric cutter like I do, I’ll share the optional cutting die numbers to make this pattern Accuquilt-friendly. Using an Accuquilt is optional, but I love it! See all my Accuquilt-friendly quilts. Look under the cutting dimensions below for a list of fabric-cutting dies you may use instead.

How to Choose the Right 3 Yards of Fabric

The XOXO 3 Yard Quilt Pattern makes it easy to pick your fabrics. First find a beautiful ‘focus fabric’ in your stash or at your local quilt shop. This should be a fabric that really sings to you – or that makes you think of the intended recipient of the quilt.

In the example above, I wanted a flowery Valentine’s themed quilt, so my focus fabric is a pink and blue floral from the Chic Escape collection by Tilda.

After you have chosen your focus fabric, choose one coordinating fabric that is lighter and one coordinating fabric that is darker. My darker fabric is a polyester sateen (medium weight home decor fabric) that I had in my stash. I know that polyester home decor fabrics aren’t usually made into quilts, but this one was easy to sew with, could take a hot iron, and added a lustrous sheen to my quilt. I love how it turned out! My lighter fabric is a Moda Grunge print.

Wouldn’t an aqua and navy baby XOXO quilt look adorable? I used EQ8 quilt design software to see what it would look like using a print from Ruby Star Society’s Florida 2 collection. So cute!

If you follow these instructions for choosing your fabrics, you can’t go wrong, and you probably already have 3 fabrics in your stash that will work great.

XOXO Free Three Yard Quilt Pattern

This free quilt pattern includes instructions for sewing an interesting block that will make neither X’s nor O’s by itself. When you rotate every other block and put it upside down, a fun design appears. There are a total of 16 blocks in the quilt and each block finishes at 10”.

The finished throw quilt is 47” x 47”. It’s perfect for making into a baby quilt, snuggling on the couch or donating to Project Linus or another worthy organization.

You will need:

• 3 one yard cuts of fabric (a main focus fabric, one darker fabric, and one lighter fabric)
• a rotary cutter acrylic ruler, and mat
• sewing machine
• thread (I suggest thread matching the lighter fabric)
• ironing board and iron
• pencil or fabric marking pen

To sew the quilt top into a finished quilt, you will also need:

• 3 yards of backing fabric (or enough to piece together a 52” x 52” or larger quilt back)
• a piece of quilt batting at least 52” x 52”
• 1/2 yard of binding fabric

Cutting:

Fabric A is your focus fabric. From this fabric, cut:

• 32 squares 5 1/2” x 5 1/2”

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• The 5 1/2” squares may be cut with die 55803 (in the 10” Qube set)

OR:

• Save lots more time. Instead of cutting 5 1/2” squares, cut the ‘signature’ shape using die 55812 (available separately or in the 10″ Qube Companion Set – Corners)

Fabric B is the darker fabric. From this fabric, cut:

• 32 squares 5 1/2” x 5 1/2”
• 16 squares 3 3/8” x 3 3/8”

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• Instead of cutting 3 3/8” squares, cut 32 – 2 1/2” finished HST triangles with die 55804 (in the 10” Qube set)
• The 5 1/2” squares may be cut with die 55803 (in the 10” Qube set)

OR:

• Save lots more time. Instead of cutting 5 1/2” squares, cut the ‘signature’ shape using die 55812 (available separately or in the 10″ Qube Companion Set – Corners)

Fabric C is the lighter fabric. From this fabric, cut:

• 48 squares 3 3/8” x 3 3/8”
• 5 strips 4” x 42”

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• Instead of cutting 3 3/8” squares, cut 96 – 2 1/2” finished HST triangles with die 55804 (in the 10” Qube set)
• The strips may be cut with the 4” strip cutter die 55085

Cut the Squares into the ‘Signature’ quilt block shape and Half Square Triangles

1. Download the free Signature Quilt Block Shape template by clicking the link above. Print at 100%, do not reduce or enlarge.

Please note that there is a 1” square at the top right. Please measure that square after printing. If the square is not 1”, then you will need to adjust your print settings so that your printer does not alter the image. 

After you have verified the 1” square, then cut out the template along the OUTSIDE line. The inner line shows the seam allowance only. 

If you have printed the template properly, it will be 5 1/2” tall.  I do not recommend printing from a mobile device. They can change page sizes without telling you. Please try printing from a computer.

2. Place the template on top of a 5 1/2” square of fabric. Use your rotary cutter to trim away 2 corners so that your fabric piece is the same shape as the template.

Repeat to cut all of the 5 1/2” squares (from Fabric A and Fabric B) to the shape of the template.

Tip: Carefully stack up 4-6 squares of fabric so you can cut multiple pieces at the same time.

3. Cut all of the 3 3/8” Fabric C squares in half diagonally to make 96 half square triangles.

Quilt Block Piecing

Use a 1/4’’ seam allowance and a medium stitch length such as 2 – 2.5.

1. Place a Fabric C triangle right sides together with a Fabric B signature shape as shown and sew along the long edge. Fold the triangle outwards and press.

Then place another Fabric C triangle right sides together on the signature shape as shown. Sew along the long edge. Fold the triangle outwards and press.

Trim the piece to 5 1/2” square, if desired. Repeat to make 32 signature pieces that have a Fabric B center and Fabric C corners.

2. Place a Fabric B triangle right sides together with a Fabric A signature shape as shown and sew along the long edge. Fold the triangle outwards and press.

Then place a Fabric C triangle right sides together on the signature shape as shown. Sew along the long edge. Fold the triangle outwards and press.

Trim the piece to 5 1/2” square, if desired. Repeat to make 32 signature pieces that have a Fabric A center and 1 Fabric B corner and 1 Fabric C corner.

3. Sew two signature block pieces together (one of each variation) in the exact configurations shown above.

Press. Repeat to make 32 pieces.

4. Sew two pieces together to make a block. Note that the piece on the bottom has been rotated 180 degrees.

Press. Repeat to make 16 blocks.

Assemble the XOXO 3 Yard Quilt Top

1. Arrange the 16 quilt blocks on a large table, a quilt design wall, or the floor to make 4 rows. Pay close attention to the orientation of each block – every other block should be rotated 90 degrees.

2. Sew the blocks together to make 4 rows.

3. Sew the rows together.

Measure and Sew the Border

1. The expected length of the side border pieces is 40 1/2”. I highly recommend measuring the quilt top and cutting all border pieces the correct size. See how to cut the correct size quilt borders. Cut side border strips that are 4” x the required length. Attach the side borders.

2. The expected length of the top and bottom border pieces is 47 1/2”. Measure your quilt top. Cut and piece together 2 strips for the top and bottom border. Attach the top and bottom border pieces.

Finishing the XOXO Hugs and Kisses Three Yard Quilt Pattern

1. Cut or piece together a 52” x 52” or larger piece of quilt backing fabric and make a quilt sandwich with the backing, batting, and top.

2. Baste together with fusible batting, pins or basting spray.

3. Quilt as desired. Straight line quilting or cross hatch quilting with your walking foot would be fast and easy.

I used quilting rulers to stitch in the ditch in all of the seams. Then I used my Babylock Sashiko 2 machine to add cross hatch quilting that looks like hand quilting. It’s so easy and the stitching is beautiful!

4. Cut 5 binding strips and bind using your favorite method. This is my favorite quilt binding method.

xoxo,