Pins and Paws Cat Quilt Tutorial: Jenny Doan's Adorable Cat Quilt Block Pattern

🧵 One packet of 10" squares (layer cake)
Each square makes one cat block. A 42-piece layer cake gives you plenty of kitties! Shop layer cakes.

🎨 Background fabric — approximately 2 yards
Light background (white or cream) makes the cats pop. Some blocks may look better with a darker background — Jenny uses both! Shop fabric by the yard.

🖼️ Border fabric — 1¼ yards
For framing your finished quilt (finished size approximately 68" × 77").

✂️ Rotary cutter, ruler & mat — Shop rotary cutters

📌 Pins or clips — Shop pins & clips

🪡 Sewing machine & thread — Shop thread

🧶 Batting & backing — Shop batting

Step 1: Cut Your 10" Square

Take one 10" square and cut it directly in half to create two 5" × 10" rectangles. Set these in two separate piles — one will become the cat's body, and the other will be cut into the head and ears.

From the first rectangle (body piece), trim off ½ inch from one end. This makes the body 4½" × 10". Set the trimmed strip aside.

From the second rectangle, cut a 3" × 5" piece for the head. Then cut two 2½" squares for the ears from the remaining fabric.

Step 2: Cut the Background Pieces

For each cat block, cut the following background pieces:

Jenny recommends cutting a 5" strip of background fabric across the width of your yardage, then sub-cutting your squares and rectangles from that. It's efficient and keeps everything consistent.

Step 3: Make the Tail (Snowball Corner)

Take the 2½" background square and place it on the upper right corner of the body rectangle (the 4½" × 10" piece). Draw or press a diagonal line from corner to corner.

Sew along the diagonal line, then fold the triangle back and press. Trim the excess fabric behind the triangle if you like. This creates the curved tail effect — the cat's tail is curled up under him!

Step 4: Make the Ears

Take your two 2½" print squares (cut from the 10" square earlier). Place one on each end of the 5" × 2½" background rectangle, aligning them with the top corners.

Draw diagonal lines on each small square — but going in opposite directions so the ears will point outward. Sew on the diagonal lines, fold the triangles back, and press. You should now have a rectangle with two pointy ears poking up!

Step 5: Assemble the Head Unit

Sew the ear piece (background rectangle with ear triangles) to the top of the 3" × 5" head piece. Press the seam toward the head. You should now see a cat head with two perky ears on top — it's starting to look like a kitty!

Step 6: Assemble the Full Block

Now bring it all together:

Each finished block should show a cute sitting cat: ears at the top, a solid head, the body below, and a little curved tail in one corner. Repeat for all your 10" squares.

Step 7: Arrange and Sew the Quilt Top

Lay out all your cat blocks in rows. You can have them all facing the same direction, or alternate directions for a playful look. Jenny's quilt uses a mix — some blocks with a white background and some with a darker background for variety.

Sew the blocks into rows, then sew the rows together. Add the first border (1½ yards of accent fabric) and then the outer border (1¼ yards). The finished quilt is approximately 68" × 77" — a generous throw size perfect for curling up with your own cats!

The finished Pins & Paws quilt — a whole litter of quilted kitties!

🐱 Mix your backgrounds: Jenny uses both light and dark backgrounds in the same quilt. If a bright print doesn't pop against white, try a gray or navy background for that block instead.

🐱 Batch your cutting: Cut all your 10" squares in half at once, then sub-cut the heads and ears in assembly-line fashion. It's much faster than doing one block at a time.

🐱 Check your ear direction: The most common mistake is sewing both ear triangles in the same direction. Lay them out before sewing and make sure those diagonal lines are mirroring each other.

🐱 Add personality: Embroider whiskers, sew on button eyes, or use novelty cat prints for extra charm. Some quilters even add a tiny bell to one block!

🐱 Great for gifts: Cat lovers go crazy for this quilt. It makes an unforgettable gift — especially if you personalize it with the recipient's favorite colors.