Gordeldier Quiltpatroon van Elizabeth Hartman

The fat quarter-friendly design is genius — I dug through my stash and every single armadillo came out looking totally different and adorable. The conventional piecing instructions are so clear that I knocked out three blocks in one afternoon without a single seam ripper moment.

I was a little intimidated by the piecing at first, but the conventional patchwork instructions made it so straightforward. The way the blocks come together to form the armadillo's shell is incredibly clever.

The fat quarter layout in this pattern makes it so easy to mix and match fabrics, and the blocks come together with regular piecing—no fiddly templates. I finished my first armadillo in an evening and it’s honestly the cutest thing in my quilt pile.