How to make a Puff Quilt in 5 Step with Video

Is there anything more special than a handmade quilt? Today I’ll show you an easy way how to make a Puff Quilt at home that is simply adorable!

I love the feel of a handmade blanket, make sure to check out my previous quilts How to make a keepsake baby clothes quilt, 6 Log Cabin Quilt Tips, and How to finish a Quilt in 4 simple steps

This post was created in partnership with Crafter’s Edge. All opinions, project ideas, and craftiness are my own 

PUFF QUILT MAKING PROCESS VIDEO:

I am a beginner/ intermediate seamstress. I can sew straight lines, and try my best to get my quilt blocks to line up while I join them. If I can make a Puff Quilt, I think any one with a little sewing experience can easily make one. Along the process of this quilt I learnt so much and in this Making of a Puff Quilt video I am sharing all of my tips and short cuts that made this quilt go quicker!

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What is a PUFF quilt?

A Puff Quilt is also called a Bubble Quilt or Biscuit Quilt too. It is a quilt made up of individual squares that have polyfil in them- that makes them puffy and light. 

A Puff Quilt is perfect for those newborn photo shoots! It is not as difficult as you would think and I can’t wait to share all the tips I have learned in my sewing process! 

Supplies you will need:

• Crossover 2 die cutting machine
• Crafter’s Edge Square die cut set
• A sewing machine
• Fabric for the puffs. I used 2 packets of this Paintbrush Studio Over the Rainbow Fat Quarter Flat Stack Multi 11pcs
• Fabric for the quilt backing- I used this 2-yard Polycotton Fabric for the backing in Navy color.
• Fabric for the binding
• Polyfil of your choice. I’m using this Fairfield Polyester Poly-Fil
• Sewing machine or embroidery thread
• A pair of scissors

HOW TO MAKE A PUFF QUILT

How much fabric do I need for a Puff Quilt?

The first step is to choose the fabric you need. To make ONE single puff you will need a 5-inch square of the fabric of your choice and ALSO a 4-inch square of fabric that can be a scrap fabric. The fabric used for the 4-inch square will not be seen at all in the final finished quilt. 

Each finished puff will end up measuring 3 inches in size.

Besides the fabric needed for the individual puffs, you will also need a backing fabric measuring the size of your quilt. I used this 2-yard Polycotton Fabric for the backing in Navy color.

Step 1: Cutting all the fabric

To cut the pieces of my Puff Quilt, I am using the Crossover 2 Die Cut Machine here. It easily die cuts layers of fabric in one pass, make sure you are using the metal plate with the die facing cut side down as seen in the image below.

Step 2: Pin the puff blocks

Before you sew, you want to pin your puff quilt blocks first. Line up the 5 inch square on top of the 4-inch square, right side up. Create a pleat in the center by folding the excess fabric pin into place. Repeat this with a stack of squares. The first few squares you will definitely need to pin! 

Step 3: Sewing the Puffs and filling them

Now it’s time to sew! I used my sewing machine and a scant 1/4 inch seam and sewed 3 edges of the block, right side of fabric facing up! Then we stuff the block with polyfil and sew shut!

Many Puff Quilt patterns will ask you to sew the puff squares with wrong side facing each other, and then turn it inside out for a neat clean edge. I simply omitted the inside-out step to make it quicker. The end result will be neat and tidy because we will be sewing over the messy seam while joining in step 4!

Step 4: Joining the Puffs

Place two puffs, right side facing together, and sew with a generous 1/2 inch seam. Your seam should cover the previous messy seam completely! Join 4 to 6 Puffs to make blocks:

When I started my Puff Quilt, I sewed each individual puff shut as I went, as in I sewed all 4 edges of the square.

Later I figured out how to sew the puffs at the sewing machine without pinning the fabric and that was a game-changer! I was able to sew the puffs quicker and on the go. Not only that I figured out how to join two partially sewn puffs together and then fill them with the polyfil. This was easier to sew than joining the bulky puffs. Watch my video to understand the technique.

Keep in mind that your seam allowance cannot be 1/4 inch, it has to be wider to cover the initial stitch of making the puff. Factor in at least 1/2 inch seam allowance all around.

Step 5: Adding the backing + binding

I chose a solid dark blue fabric for the back of the quilt and cut it to be larger than the finished quilt size. To attach the puffs to my backing, I simply tied it between every 3 puffs. What that means is that I sewed a tiny knot every 3 puffs to attach the puff front to the backing. Trim off the excess backing fabric and then bind the quilt. For more instructions read my previous post: How to finish a Quilt in 4 simple steps

Does a puff quilt need batting? No layers of batting are required here.

Now that I have learned how to make a puff quilt, I am itching to make a larger rainbow-colored version! Maybe that’ll be a new project for next year 🙂

ALSO READ: How to sew a colorful Triangle Quilt using die cuts

TIPS:

My biggest advice for you would be to make larger-sized puffs- start with a larger square, maybe 7 or 8 inches in size (instead of the 5 inches I used) if you want this project to go quicker.

1. I found it much easier to start cutting a 4 inch and 5 inch square in one pass through the die cut machine. The Crossover cuts the most beautifully crisp edges each and every time!
2. It is very important to not overfill your puffs!! Add just a little bit of filling and don’t overdo it, or sewing the puffs together gets tough.
3. One of my cheats for quilt making is to buy pre filled bobbins. I know, it sounds silly, but bobbins feel like a chore to me and I was so happy to find this little organizer that came with prefilled bobbins!
4. This is one of the most forgiving quilts when it comes to joining your blocks. Since each block “puffs up” if your joining seam a little wonky it wont show at all! All you really see if the uniformness of the puff.
5. Try your best to fill each square of your Puff Quilt with the same amount of filling each time for a beautiful finish.

More Quilt Ideas to Try:

• Drunkards Path Pillow with Rainbow Quilting
• How to sew a colorful quilt with Triangles
• Picnic Quilt: A light no batting Quilt
• Quilted Potholders Tutorial
• How to Make a Keepsake Baby Clothes Quilt
• Log Cabin Quilt: 6 Simple Tips

CONCLUSION

A Puff Quilt is a great beginner project as there is no need to create a huge quilt sandwich or machine quilt in place. The puffs create the most unique texture and I simply love how cute the final quilt turned out! It is one of the most unique creative projects I’ve ever tried my hand at.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make a Puff Quilt with me today I can’t wait to see your variations of this project! Happy Crafting!