Patriotic Pinwheels Throw

Inspired by: Out of the Boxes from designer Charisma Horton

Quilt tester: Diane Tomlinson

Finished quilt: 58x73"

Finished block: 15" square

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

• 1-1/4 yards mottled blue (blocks, binding)
• ⁵⁄₈ yard red tone-on-tone (blocks)
• 1 yards red star print (blocks)
• 1-1/4 yards cream tone-on-tone (blocks)
• ³⁄₈ yard mottled red (inner border)
• 1-1/8 yards cream star print (outer border)
• 3-2/3 yards backing fabric
• 66x81" batting

Cut pieces in the following order. Click on "Download this Project" above for the Trapezoid Pattern.

From mottled blue, cut:

• 7—2-1/2×42" binding strips
• 24—4-5/8" squares
• 12—4-5/8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 24 small triangles total

From red tone-on-tone, cut:

• 24—4-5/8" squares

From red star print, cut:

• 48 of Trapezoid Pattern

From cream tone-on-tone, cut:

• 12—8-3/4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 48 large triangles total
• 12—4-5/8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 24 small triangles total

From mottled red, cut:

• 6—1-3/4×42" strips for inner border

From cream star print, cut:

• 7—5-1/2×42" strips for outer border

Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Press seams in directions indicated by arrows on diagrams. If no direction is specified, press seam open.

1. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each mottled blue 4-5/8" square.

2. Layer a marked mottled blue square atop a red tone-on-tone 4-5/8" square. Sew together with two seams, stitching 1/4" on each side of marked line (Diagram 1). Cut apart on marked line. Press open to make two triangle-squares. Each triangle-square should be 4-1/4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 48 triangle-squares total.

3. Sew together four triangle-squares in pairs (Diagram 2). Join pairs to make a Pinwheel unit. The unit should be 8" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 12 Pinwheel units total.

4. Referring to Diagram 3, sew together a mottled blue small triangle and a red star print trapezoid piece to make a blue corner unit. Repeat to make 24 blue corner units total.

5. Repeat Step 4 using cream tone-on-tone small triangles and remaining red star print trapezoid pieces to make 24 cream corner units total.

6. Referring to Diagram 4, sew cream tone-on-tone large triangles to opposite edges of a Pinwheel unit. Add cream tone-on-tone large triangles to remaining edges to make a center unit. Repeat to make 12 center units total.

7. Referring to Diagram 5, join one blue corner unit and one cream corner unit to opposite edges of a center unit. Add blue corner units to remaining edges to make Block A. The block should be 15-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four A blocks total.

8. Referring to Diagram 6, join one blue corner unit and one cream corner unit to opposite edges of a center unit. Add one blue corner unit and one cream unit to remaining edges to make Block B. The block should be 15-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make six B blocks total.

9. Referring to Diagram 7, join cream corner units to opposite edges of a center unit. Add cream corner units to remaining edges to make Block C. The block should be 15-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make two C blocks total.

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks in four rows. Sew together blocks in rows. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction with each row.

2. Join rows to complete quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 45-1/2×60-1/2" including seam allowances.

3. Piece and cut mottled red 1-3/4×42" strips to make:

• 2—1-3/4×60-1/2" inner border strips
• 2—1-3/4×48" inner border strips

4. Sew long inner border strips to long edges of quilt center. Add short inner border strips to remaining edges. Press seams toward inner border. The quilt center should be 48×63" including seam allowances.

5. Piece and cut cream star print 5-1/2×42" strips to make:

• 2—5-1/2×63" outer border strips
• 2—5-1/2×58" outer border strips

6. Sew long outer border strips to long edges of quilt center. Add short outer border strips to remaining edges. Press seams toward outer border to complete quilt top.

1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste.

2. Quilt as desired. Handi Quilter National Educator Denise Dowdrick used Omni 40-weight thread from Superior Threads to machine-quilt ribbon candy designs in the red star print trapezoids and a piano key design in the borders (Quilting Diagram). She used the following Pro-Stitcher Premium Designs to fill in the blocks and border corners: Heart 2, Feather Plump, Funky Feather Block, Hearts Petals Block, and Twinkle Star.

3. Bind with mottled blue binding strips.