Pinwheel Flurry

Designer: Cathryn Tallman-Evans

• 4-7⁄8 yards of solid white for blocks
• 5⁄8 yard of green-and-white polka dot for blocks and sashing
• 1-1⁄4 yards of red-and-white polka dot for blocks, sashing, and binding
• 5-5⁄8 yards total of assorted prints in blue, yellow, pink, red, purple, green, and white for blocks and sashing
• 1⁄4 yard each of four black prints for blocks and sashing
• 1⁄4 yard of solid black for blocks
• 7-3⁄4 yards of backing fabric
• 93" square of quilt batting
• Black cotton thread: 30-weight for needle; 60-weight for bobbin
• Water-soluble fabric glue stick
• Freezer paper (optional)

Finished quilt top: 86-1⁄2" square

Finished Black-Eyed Susan block: 16" square

Finished sashing block: 4-1⁄2" square

Quantities specified for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics.

All measurements include a 1⁄4" seam allowance. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

To make the best use of your fabrics, cut the pieces in the order that follows. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces. To use the freezer-paper method for appliquéing, as was done in this project, complete the following steps.

1.    Position the freezer paper, shiny side down, over the patterns. With a pencil, trace each pattern the number of times indicated. Cut out the freezer-paper templates on the traced lines.

2.    Using a hot, dry iron, press the shiny side of the freezer-paper templates to the wrong side of the fabrics, leaving 1⁄2" between templates; let cool.

3.    Along the templates' straight edges, cut the fabrics even with the freezer paper. Along the template's curved edges (including the entire C circle), cut about 3⁄16" beyond the edges of the freezer paper.

From solid white, cut:

• 64--8-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for a total of 128 large triangles
• 50--3-1⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for a total of 100 small triangles

From green-and-white polka dot, cut:

• 1 each of patterns A and B
• 2--2×16-1⁄2" rectangles
• 50--2-1⁄2" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for a total of 100 small triangles

From red-and-white polka dot, cut:

• 9--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips
• 1 each of patterns A and B
• 2--2×16-1⁄2" rectangles
• 50--2-1⁄2" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for a total of 100 small triangles

From assorted prints, cut:

• 108--2×16-1⁄2" rectangles
• 54 each of patterns A and B

From each black print, cut:

• 2--2×16-1⁄2" rectangles
• 2 each of patterns A and B

From black solid, cut:

• 16 of Pattern C

1.    On the curved edges of the A and B shapes, and the entire C shape, use the fabric glue stick to apply glue to the exposed seam allowances. Use your fingers to press the seam allowances over the edges of the freezer-paper templates (Diagram 1).

2.    Referring to Diagram 2, position a prepared A appliqué on a solid white large triangle, aligning the long straight edge of the A piece with one short edge of the triangle.

3.    Using a 3-mm-wide, 3-mm-long blanket stitch and black thread, machine-stitch along the curved edge of the A piece. Trim the solid white triangle below the A piece to make a unit A (Diagram 2). Remove the freezer-paper template and pin the raw edges together.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make a total of 64 of unit A.

5.    Referring to Diagram 3, position a prepared B appliqué on a solid white large triangle, aligning the long straight edge of the B piece with the long edge of the triangle.

6.    Using a 3-mm-wide, 3-mm-long blanket stitch and black thread, machine-stitch along the curved edge of the B piece. Trim the solid white triangle below the B piece to make a unit B (Diagram 3). Remove the freezer-paper template and pin the raw edges together.

7.    Repeat steps 5 and 6 to make a total of 64 of unit B.

1.    Aligning the long edges, sew together a unit A and a unit B (Diagram 4); press open to make an AB unit. Repeat to make a total of 64 AB units.

2.    Referring to Diagram 5 for placement, sew together four AB units in pairs. Press the seam allowances in opposite directions. Then join the pairs to make a block unit. The pieced block unit should measure 16-1⁄2" square, including the seam allowances.

3.    Center a black C circle on the block unit. Using a 3-mm-wide, 3-mm-long blanket stitch and black thread, machine-appliqué the black C circle to the block unit to make a Black-Eyed Susan block (Diagram 6). Remove the freezer-paper template.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make a total of 16 Black-Eyed Susan blocks.

1.    Sew together a green-and-white polka-dot small triangle and a red-and-white polka-dot small triangle to make a triangle-square (Diagram 7). Repeat to make a total of 100 triangle-squares.

2.    Referring to Diagram 8, sew together four triangle-squares in pairs. Press the seam allowances in opposite directions. Then join the pairs to make a Pinwheel unit. The pieced Pinwheel unit should measure 3-3⁄4" square, including the seam allowances. Repeat to make a total of 25 Pinwheel units.

3.    Sew two solid white small triangles to opposite edges of a Pinwheel unit (Diagram 9). Press the seam allowances toward the white triangles. Then add small triangles to the remaining edges of the Pinwheel unit to make a sashing block. Press the seam allowances toward the white triangles. The pieced sashing block should measure 5" square, including the seam allowances. Repeat to make a total of 25 sashing blocks.

4.    Aligning long edges, sew together three assorted print 2×16-1⁄2" rectangles to make a sashing unit (Diagram 10). Press the seam allowances toward the center rectangle. The pieced sashing unit should measure 5×16-1⁄2", including the seam allowances.

5.    Repeat Step 4 with the remaining red-and-white polka-dot, green-and-white polka-dot, black print, and assorted print 2×16-1⁄2" rectangles to make a total of 40 sashing units.

6.    Referring to the Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out the 16 Black-Eyed Susan blocks, the 25 sashing blocks, and the 40 sashing units in nine horizontal rows.

7.    Sew together the pieces in each row. Press the seam allowances toward the sashing units. Then join the rows to complete the quilt top. Press the seam allowances in one direction.

1.    Layer the quilt top, batting, and backing.

2.    Quilt as desired. Quilter Ginger Hayes machine-quilted a feather design in the flower petals and sashing units, stippling in the Black-Eyed Susan blocks' backgrounds, and a spiral in each black flower center.

3.    Use the red-and-white polka-dot 2-1⁄2 ×42" strips to bind the quilt.