The Knuffel Quilt Pattern
The Knuffel Quilt Pattern: stitch up a hug
There’s something about the comfort of a handmade quilt that feels like a hug, and when I designed the Knuffel quilt pattern, that’s exactly what I had in mind. “Knuffel” is a Dutch word that means “hug” or “cuddle,” and I wanted this design to feel as cozy and welcoming as the name suggests. Whether you’re new to quilting or have stacks of fat quarters waiting to be used, Knuffel is an approachable, fun project with just the right amount of visual interest, and plenty of room to play.
A Gentle, Friendly Pattern for Beginners and Beyond
Knuffel was created to be beginner friendly, without being boring. The block construction is straightforward, with a block-based layout that makes it easy to piece and forgiving of small inaccuracies. Never made a snowball (or “stitch and flip”) corner before? The Knuffel is going to walk you through it.
But don’t be put off by the simplicity if you’re very comfortable with both stitching and flipping! There’s a gentle rhythm to sewing it that becomes delightfully meditative, and the finished quilt always feels greater than the sum of its parts.
It’s fat quarter friendly, which makes it easy to shop for or pull from your stash. But it also works beautifully with precuts like charm packs or layer cakes, offering a ton of flexibility depending on your fabric collection. Whether you're working with a beloved bundle or a scrappy assortment, Knuffel brings the fabrics together in a design that feels balanced, cozy, and intentional.
Built for Fussy Cutting Fun
One of my favorite features of this pattern is how well it showcases small motifs in your fabrics. I LOVE print fabrics, and I just can’t bear to cut some of them up into tiny pieces! So this pattern was designed to show off those treasured fabric gems.
Each block wraps around a central square, which makes it a perfect home for fussy cutting. I’ve made several versions of the Knuffel, and I always end up having the most fun choosing what goes in those center squares. I usually base my whole quilt around those centers.
One of my earliest samples featured fabric from Lizzy House. Specifically, her iconic butterfly print from her Natural History collection, one of my all time faves. Each center square framed a fluttering butterfly, and the surrounding “hug” shapes made it feel like each little winged creature was being lovingly held. It was playful and sweet, and it turned a simple block into something full of personality.
The Knuffel quilt block uses 5 Snowball blocks (a classic quilt block shape made by ‘stitching and flipping’ all 4 corners of a square). I loooove a snowball block, or any snowballed corners because it rounds out a shape, making it look ever so SQUISHY and SOFT and SWEET.
Using butterfly fabric really highlighted the roundness of the snowball blocks, as it mimicked a sort of butterfly wing shape around the central shape.
Another version I made used the Purl collection by designer Sarah Watts of Ruby Star Society. That fabric line is filled with tiny treasures—balls of yarn, little knitting characters, tea kettles—and fussy cutting them into the center of each block gave the quilt a storybook charm. The perfect cozy accompaniment to a rocking chair and a cuppa, knitting project in hand.
Using knitting themed fabric also highlighted a fun secondary pattern for those of us familiar with the yarn arts. (I say that like I didn’t JUST learn to knit this year.)
A Secondary Pattern with Knitted Vibes
While each individual block gives the impression of a hug, there’s something magical that happens when you step back and look at the whole quilt. The repeated layout creates a subtle secondary pattern, one that reminds me of the classic brioche stitch in knitting. There’s a softness and rhythm to it, like rows of stitches stacked in harmony, created by those stacked dash blocks. It’s especially striking when you use a limited color palette or create a gradient across adjoining blocks, allowing the structure of the quilt to shine through.
With so many interesting opportunities to personalize this pattern and make it your own, you can see why even a more advanced quilter would find this to be a satisfying quilt to make.
Versatility for All Your Quilt Making Needs
Knuffel is a pattern that’s open to interpretation. It can be sweet or bold, scrappy or minimal. It works in novelty prints for kids, in rainbow scraps with a scrappy neutral background, or even with Scandinavian earthtones and a pop of bright, warm color for Hygge Knuffel vibes (because that’s fun to say). I've seen it in so many styles, and it’s always unique and it always POPS.
Those cute knuffel blocks invite you to put your own spin on them. Want to frame a collection of fussy-cut animal faces? Go for it. Have a stash of heirloom embroidered handkerchiefs? They’ll look beautiful in those center squares. Just want to use up a favorite fat quarter bundle or a fun new layer cake? It’s practically made for that!
A Quilt That Wraps You Up, from a quilt pattern that holds your hand
When I think about the Knuffel quilt, I think about care. It’s not a flashy or complicated quilt, but its corners have all been rounded, and its ready to hug your favorite fabrics so that it can then hug your loved ones. It’s a pattern that holds what you put into it (your favorite fabrics, your favorite color palettes, your memories, your quiet time at the sewing machine) and turns it into something warm and meaningful.
If you’ve made Knuffel before, I’d love to see your version! And if you haven’t yet, maybe it’s time to dive in.
Available in print version for wholesale, soon, so please contact me if you’re a quilt shop, or tell your local quilt shop you’d love to purchase it from them.
