Safety Notice: Handmade items made from this pattern may contain small parts or long cords that pose choking or strangulation risks. Not suitable for children under 3 years. Please see the full safety disclaimer at sewmag.co.uk/safety.
Quilting may seem daunting to a beginner, but this gorgeous block is as easy as pie. Reminiscent of the pinwheel toys you get at the seaside, this design is perfect for summer. Pair with Art Gallery Fabrics’ delightful Safari Moon collection and you’ve got a fresh, modern quilt which would be at home anywhere. Once you’ve made your blocks, choose a feature fabric like our fun zebras, and learn how to incorporate fussy cutting into your patchwork, too.
Make a pinwheel block
Select five fat quarters of fabric: two light-coloured (we used Village Horizon Rise and Soaring Free Cloudy), two mid-tones (Overland Journey Orange and Forest Leaves Raspberry) and one dark (River Shadows Midnight). Download the template, print and trace onto thin card making sure to include the 5mm seam allowance. Note that the solid line is the sewing line and the dashed line is the cutting line.
Trace around the templates onto the reverse of your fabrics. Use the darkest fabric for piece 3, the mid tones for pieces 1 and 4 and the lightest materials for pieces 2 and 5. Cut out four of each shape.
Join pieces 1 and 2 to create a right-angled isosceles triangle [1], and press the seam. Join pieces 3, 4 and 5 to make a matching triangle [2], and press. Join the two sections together to make a square [3].
Create three more squares, and press. If necessary, trim the edges with a rotary cutter so each one is exactly a 16cm square including the seam allowances on each edge. Rotate the squares so that the darkest triangle of fabric points inwards and stitch together to make a large square.
Sew a quilt
Make five pinwheel blocks. Fussy cut four 31cm squares of a feature fabric such as Animalia Splend our, so the main design is central.
Cut five 11cm x 31cm pieces from each of four prints (we’ve used Moonmoth Dusty, African Palm Turquoise, Overland Journey Lime and Tribal Stripe Grass). Cut two 11cm x 16cm pieces from the remaining fat quarter and sew together to make a sixth panel.
Using the leftover River Shadows Midnight and Animalia Splendour, cut eight 11cm squares of each to make cornerstones. Piece the panels together so that each block is surrounded by four 11cm x 31cm panels and four cornerstones, referring to the picture for guidance. Stitch into horizontal strips with a 5mm seam allowance before sewing together on the long edges, matching up seams as you do so.