Spitfire! Free 3 Yard Quilt Pattern

I am so excited to share my newest design with you: the Spitfire Quilt! This pattern was specifically designed for the popular 3 Yard Quilt method, meaning you only need three fabrics to make this beautiful throw-sized quilt top. Whether you’re a beginner or just need a quick win, grab your favorite trio of fabrics because I know you’ll love how easily this comes together!

I created the Spitfire quilt to have a dynamic look with simple cutting and piecing. I’ve broken down every step to be super clear, so there’s no confusion. I think the best thing about using just three fabrics is that it keeps the project manageable while still giving you a gorgeous, high-impact result. Let’s get sewing!

This Spitfire design features a dynamic, eye-catching layout that gives the illusion of movement, making your chosen fabrics really sing! The best part is that by strategically using just three distinct fabrics—one for the background, one for the main print, and one for the accent and border—you get a fantastic, designer-look finish without the headache of countless fabric cuts and seams.

The blog post below is totally free to read, print, and sew! Just hit CTRL +P on your computer to print. There is an optional PDF download offered at the end of the post. Join our Sewing Bee Community for access to over 300 PDF patterns (including this one), live workshops, premium video courses, and more.

How Big is a 3-yard Quilt?

Your Spitfire Quilt will finish at 47” x 53”, which is a great throw quilt size. This quilt pattern is perfect for showcasing or fussy-cutting your favorite large-scale prints because there are big 6” patches with snowball corners. Three yards is enough fabric to finish the quilt top. More fabric will be required for the binding and quilt back.

Most 3-yard quilts are throw quilts or lap quilts because they don’t require very much fabric. Many would also make a darling baby quilt. Since this type of quilt isn’t very big, you can finish it 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 using straight line quilting, wavy line, or crosshatch quilting with your sewing machine’s walking foot.

‘Spitfire’ is the name of a quilt block!

This quilt pattern includes a single ‘Spitfire’ quilt block. Yes, that’s the name for a traditional quilt block! Your main ‘focus fabric’ in the 6” snowball patches can make the blocks really pop.

I decided to fussy-cut flowers from Kaffe Fasset Collective’s Brocade Peony fabric. I had leftover 108” quilt backing fabric in this print, but there are other colorways available too in regular 44” wide yardage. If you search Google or Amazon for ‘Peony Brocade Fabric‘, you’ll see the options. Keep in mind that fussy cutting individual flowers or motifs will probably mean you need more than 1 yard of that fabric.

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. All of the pieces in this quilt may be cut using dies in the GO! Qube Mix & Match 12″ Block Set.

How to Choose the Right 3 Yards of Fabric

All my 3 Yard Quilt Patterns make it really easy to pick your fabric. First, find a beautiful ‘focus fabric’ in your stash or at your local quilt shop. This could be a fabric that really sings to you – or that makes you think of the intended recipient of the quilt. For this one, I picked the large scale floral print that I mentioned above.

After you have chosen your focus fabric, choose one coordinating fabric that is medium value or darker and one coordinating fabric that is light, such as a blender. My coordinating fabrics are a print from the Kaffe Fasset X William Morris Collection and an almost white Moda Grunge print.

Wouldn’t this quilt look beautiful in softer colors too? I almost made this quilt in Tilda Merry Little Christmas fabric.

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 make a beautiful quilt.

Spitfire Three Yard Quilt Pattern

This free quilt pattern includes instructions for the Spitfire traditional quilt block. This is the only block design you’ll need to learn – simply make 12 whole blocks and 4 half-blocks and you’ll be almost done!

Find your fabrics and sew a beautiful quilt today!

Important note: This pattern squeezes as much as possible out of each yard of fabric. The width of the two coordinating fabrics must have 42” of usable fabric. Most fabric printed in the last 5-10 years will work great because it’s 44” wide, including the selvages so it is 42-43” wide after you cut off the selvage. Please measure the length and width of your fabric pieces before getting started to make sure and follow the cutting charts below carefully.

You will need:

• 3 one-yard cuts of fabric (a main focus fabric, one coordinating 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

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 58” or larger quilt back)
• a piece of quilt batting at least 52” x 58”
• 1/2 yard of fabric for the binding

* More fabric will be required if you are fussy cutting any of the pieces or if you are using an AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter.

Cutting:

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

• 28 squares 6 1/2” x 6 1/2”

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• The 6 1/2” squares may be cut with AccuQuilt Die 55000 (found in the GO! Qube Mix & Match 12″ Block Set)

Fabric B is the coordinating medium value or darker fabric. From this fabric, cut:

• 8 strips 2 5/8” x WOF (width of fabric). Subcut these strips using the free printable templates:
  • 28 pieces from template A (see below)
  • 28 pieces from template B (see below)
• 5 strips 2 3/4” x 42” for the border

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• Instead of using the templates, you may use Parallelogram Die 55723 (found in the GO! Qube Mix & Match 12″ Block Set)
• The border strips may be cut with the 2 3/4” strip cutter die 55489.

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

• 56 squares 3 7/8” x 3 7/8”
• 112 squares 2” x 2”

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• Instead of cutting 3 7/8” x 3 7/8” squares, cut 112 half square triangles (3” finished) using AccuQuilt Die 55703 (found in the GO! Qube Mix & Match 12″ Block Set)
• The 2” squares may be cut with AccuQuilt Die 55709 (found in the GO! Qube Mix & Match 6″ Block Set)

Important:

When printing the free templates above, make sure to print at 100% – do not enlarge or reduce the size of the page. There is a 1’’ square on the page to help you verify that the templates are the right size before you cut your fabric.

Quilt Piecing

Use an accurate or scant 1/4’’ seam allowance, according to preference and finished block accuracy for your sewing machine.

How to Sew the Spitfire Quilt Block

Make 28 chevron blocks using the Printable Templates

1. Cut all of the Fabric C 3 7/8” x 3 7/8” squares in half diagonally.

2. Sew Fabric C triangles to the longer edges of each Fabric A parallelogram.

Make 56 pieces (28 pieces using parallelograms cut from template A and 28 pieces using parallelograms cut from template B).

3. Sew two parallelogram pieces together as shown (1 parallelogram piece from template A and 1 parallelogram piece from template B).

Make 28 chevron blocks.

Make 28 Snowball Blocks

1. Use a pencil or fabric marker to draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of all of the Fabric C 2” x 2” squares. This is a sewing line.

2. Pin 2” squares to all four corners of each Fabric A 6 1/2” x 6 1/2” square, right sides together. Note the orientation of the drawn lines in the diagram above.

3. Sew along the line drawn on each 2” square. Cut away the extra fabric 1/4” past the stitching.

4. Open each corner and press flat.

Make 12 blocks and 4 half-blocks

1. Sew a chevron block to a snowball block as shown. Make sure that the chevron block is pointing toward the snowball block.

Make 28 half-block pieces.

2. Sew two half-block pieces together as shown. Take note of the orientation.

Make 12 blocks. You will have 4 half-blocks remaining.

Assemble the Spitfire Quilt Top

1. Arrange 1 half-block and 4 whole Spitfire blocks into a row as shown. Sew with a 1/4” seam allowance.

Make 4 rows.

2. Sew the rows together.

Measure and Sew the Border

1. Sew the five Fabric B 2 3/4” strips of the together to make one long strip. You will cut pieces from this to make the inner border.

The expected length of the side border pieces is 48 1/2”. I highly recommend measuring the quilt top and cutting all border pieces to the correct size. See how to cut the correct size quilt borders. Attach the side borders.

2. The expected length of the top and bottom border pieces is 47”. Measure your quilt and cut two strips for the top and bottom border. Attach the top and bottom border pieces.

Finishing the Spitfire Three Yard Quilt Pattern

1. Cut or piece together a 52” x 58” 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. Trim away the extra backing fabric and batting.

4. Cut 6 binding strips and bind using your favorite method. This is my favorite quilt binding method.

As always, I love seeing the quilts you make with my free sewing patterns. Please post a picture to Instagram and tag me @sewcanshe so I can take a look!

xoxo,