This quilt is pure joy: tiny “pixel” squares in lots of colors dancing across a clean white background. The top section has calmer, straight “strip” rows, and then it blends into a more playful, scattered ripple where the colors drift and shift like a digital wave.

It’s also a fantastic project for scraps, charm squares, and leftover strips—because the magic comes from mixing lots of different prints in the same color family.

Best of all: you don’t have to be “perfect” with the color placement. This style looks even better when it feels a little random and organic, just like the quilt in your photo.

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Materials

• White/background fabric: ~2.5 to 4 yards (depends on quilt size)
• Scraps/prints in many colors: at least 150–400 small squares (again, depends on size)
• Backing fabric: quilt top size + 4″ on each side
• Batting: same as backing
• Binding: ½ yard (or ⅝ yard for bigger sizes)
• Thread, rotary cutter, ruler, pins/clips, iron

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Finished Size Options (choose one)

Baby/Crib (approx. 40″ x 50″)

• Pixel squares finish around 1″
• Great for scraps

Throw (approx. 60″ x 75″)

• Same method, just more rows

You can scale this pattern easily: it’s built row-by-row.

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Key Block Sizes (Recommended)

To get a “postage stamp” look like your quilt:

• Pixel squares (cut): 1½” x 1½”
  (this finishes at 1″ once sewn)
• White sashing strips (cut): 1½” tall x width of quilt
  (also finishes at 1″ tall)

So the quilt becomes a grid of 1″ finished pixels.

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Step 1 — Plan Your Look (Easy Version)

This quilt has two moods:

A) “Calm Stripe” Area (top section)

Mostly straight horizontal rows with scattered colored squares.

B) “Pixel Ripple” Area (main section)

Rows where the colored squares shift left/right a little each row, creating movement.

You can sketch a simple idea on graph paper, but you can also improvise as you sew.

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Step 2 — Cutting

1) Cut your pixel squares

Cut lots of 1½” squares from your colorful fabrics.

Tip:
Mix solids + small prints. Avoid huge prints (they disappear at this tiny size).

2) Cut background white strips

Cut 1½” x WOF (width of fabric) strips from your white fabric.

You’ll use these as the “white rows” and also as filler pieces inside rows.

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Step 3 — Make “Pixel Strips” (the fun part)

You’ll build rows that look like:

white – pixel – white – pixel – white – pixel – white…

How:

1. Cut some white strips into 1½” x 3½”, 1½” x 5½”, and 1½” x 7½” pieces (variety helps).
2. Sew like this:
   • White piece + 1 pixel square + white piece + 1 pixel square…
3. Keep each strip 1½” tall.
4. Press seams toward the white (it keeps the color squares crisp).

Make a bunch of these pixel strips in different lengths.

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Step 4 — Build Each Row Across the Quilt

Now you create one full row at a time.

For each row:

1. Lay out:
   • Some long white pieces
   • Some pixel strips
   • A few single pixel squares between white pieces
2. Continue until the row is the full quilt width.
3. Sew the row together (keeping everything 1½” tall).
4. Press.

Repeat to create many rows.

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Step 5 — Create the “Calm Stripe” Top Section

To match the look in your photo, start with 8–12 rows that are mostly straight and evenly spaced.

A simple formula:

• Row 1: Mostly white + scattered pixels
• Row 2: White sashing (solid white strip)
• Row 3: Pixel row again
• Row 4: White sashing
  …repeat…

This gives that clean “striped header” effect.

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Step 6 — Create the “Ripple / Scatter” Main Section

Here’s how to get the moving, drifting look:

Method (super easy):

• In Row 1, place a cluster of pixels slightly left.
• In Row 2, shift that cluster a few inches right.
• In Row 3, shift again.
• Sometimes “break” the cluster into smaller pieces.
• Occasionally toss a few single pixels far away from the main group.

You’re basically drawing with pixels.

Pro tip:
Take a quick photo of your layout every 5–6 rows. It helps you see the movement and balance.

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Step 7 — Sew Rows Together

Once you have all your rows:

1. Lay them all out on the floor (or design wall).
2. Rearrange until it feels balanced.
3. Sew rows together in order.
4. Press seams open or alternate directions row-to-row to help nesting.

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Step 8 — Square Up the Quilt Top

Trim the edges straight:

• First trim one side straight
• Then trim the opposite side
• Repeat top/bottom

If you want a crisp frame like the photo, add:

• A thin white border: 1½” strips
  or
• A thicker border: 3½” strips

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Step 9 — Quilting Ideas (that look amazing here)

This design loves simple quilting:

• Straight-line horizontal quilting (matches the pixel flow)
• Wavy lines (adds motion!)
• Diagonal lines (modern and clean)
• Dense “stitch-in-the-ditch” around the pixel clusters (if you like texture)

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Step 10 — Binding

Bind with:

• Solid white for a clean gallery look
  or
• A bright color (red, teal, purple) to make it pop
  or
• A rainbow stripe binding if you want maximum fun

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Extra Tips (so it turns out crisp)

• Use a ¼” seam consistently.
• Tiny pieces love a short stitch length (2.0–2.2).
• Press often (don’t skip this).
• If seams feel bulky, press some seams open in the densest pixel area.