Scrappy Trip Around the World (The Sugar Pie Quilt Co. Way)
If you love scrappy quilts but don’t love overthinking every fabric choice, this quilt is for you.
The Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt looks bold and complicated, but it’s actually built with simple strip piecing—and that’s what makes it such a joy to sew.
This version is my Sugar Pie Quilt Co. take on a classic: inspired by the original, easy to personalize, and just a little bit rogue.
A Note on Inspiration
This quilt is inspired by the original Scrappy Trips pattern by Bonnie K. Hunter of Quiltville. It’s a well-loved, time-tested design—and for good reason.
Find the original pattern:
Scrappy Trips Around the World by Quiltville
I follow the same overall construction method, but I made one key change to better suit how I like to work.
How I Made This Quilt (and Where I Went Rogue)
The original pattern is written so you can make one block at a time.
I decided to make all 36 blocks at once. I realize that this is not how everyone prefers to work so don't feel like you have to batch-create like I did!
Batching the blocks gave me more flexibility with fabric placement and helped keep the quilt scrappy without feeling random.
Step 1: Choose Your Colors + Cut Strips
I had a good handful of fabrics leftover from another quilt and I loved the color combo so much, I decided to use all of them again to make an entirely new throw-sized quilt. Here is the original fabric pull:
Each block is made from six 2½" x 16" strips. I planned a 6 × 6 layout, which meant:
- 36 total blocks
- 6 strips per block
- 216 strips total
Even though this is a scrappy quilt, I kept the color placement consistent in every block.
My strip color order:
Red – White - Blue - White - Red - Butterscotch
I repeated red and white on purpose. I had plenty of both in my stash, and repeating colors helps the diagonal lines really stand out in the finished quilt. The prints change from block to block -- but the colors stay put.
Feel free to play with color and placement when you make your own version but bear in mind that keeping the color placement in the same place for each block will allow you to make bold pattern lines in the finished top.
Step 2: Sew Strip Sets
Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew together your strips in sets of 6, making sure to follow the same color pattern for each strip set.
Once pieced together, you will place your right sides together and make one final stitch to sew the outer strips together, forming a tube where all of the right sides are on the inside of the tube.
Step 3: Cut and Sort
Once your strip set tubes are created, you will need to cut them into six 2½" strips.
You will then need to open up a seam from each strip. Make sure that you are ripping open the seams in a stairstep format so that when you lay the strips out, the fabrics step up like shown below.
After sub-cutting the strip sets, I didn’t keep each set together. Instead, I sorted the pieces into six piles, one for each strip position.
Step 4: Build the Blocks
To make each block, I randomly pulled one piece from each pile and sewed them together.
I repeated this until all 36 blocks were complete.
This keeps the quilt cohesive while letting the prints mix freely.
Step 5: Layout and Enjoy the Magic
Rotate the blocks, play with placement, and let the diagonals appear. There’s no wrong answer here—just movement and personality.
Final Thoughts
This quilt is a great reminder that scrappy doesn’t mean sloppy. A little structure goes a long way—and the rest can be playful.
If you make your own Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt, I’d love to see it.
Happy sewing,
Sugar Pie Quilt Co. 💛