Sweet Tweet

Designer: Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs

• 1-1⁄8 yards cream polka dot (large and small Pinwheel blocks)
• 9×22" piece (fat eighth) green polka dot (large Pinwheel blocks)
• 1⁄2 yard yellow polka dot (large Pinwheel blocks, inner border)
• 1⁄4 yard pink polka dot (large and small Pinwheel blocks)
• 9×22" piece (fat eighth) blue polka dot (large Pinwheel blocks, wing appliqués)
• 5⁄8 yard green star print (setting squares)
• 3⁄4 yard cream purse print (outer border)
• 8" square blue star print (bird appliqués)
• 1⁄2 yard solid pink (binding)
• 2-3⁄4 yards backing fabric
• 49" square batting
• 1⁄2 yard of 1⁄4"-wide rickrack: pink
• 4 yards of 3⁄4"-wide rickrack: pink
• Lightweight fusible web
• Embroidery floss: brown
• 13--3⁄8"-diameter assorted buttons
• Heart-shape button

Finished quilt: 42-1⁄2" square

Finished blocks: large Pinwheel, 6" square small Pinwheel, 4" square

Quantities are for 44⁄45"-wide, 100% cotton fabric. Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

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

To use fusible web for appliquéing bird body and wing shapes, complete the following steps.

1.    Lay fusible web, paper side up, over patterns. Use a pencil to trace each pattern the number of times indicated in cutting instructions, leaving 1⁄2" between tracings. Cut out each fusible-web shape roughly 1⁄4" outside traced lines.

2.    Following the manufacturer's instructions, press fusible-web shapes onto wrong side of designated fabrics; let cool. Cut out fabric shapes on drawn lines. Peel off paper backings to prepare appliqués.

From cream polka dot, cut:

• 13--4-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 52 medium triangles total
• 26--3-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 52 large triangles total
• 8--3-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 32 extra-small triangles total
• 16--2-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 32 small triangles total

From green polka dot, cut:

• 4--4-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 16 medium triangles total

From yellow polka dot, cut:

• 2--2-1⁄2×34-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 2--2-1⁄2×30-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 3--4-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 12 medium triangles total

From pink polka dot, cut:

• 3--4-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 12 medium triangles total
• 8--3-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 32 extra-small triangles total

From blue polka dot, cut:

• 3--4-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 12 medium triangles total
• 2 of Pattern B

From green star print, cut:

• 12--6-1⁄2" setting squares

From cream purse print, cut:

• 8--4-1⁄2×15-1⁄2" rectangles for outer border

From blue star print, cut: 

• 1 each of patterns A and A reversed

From solid pink, cut:

• 5--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips

1.    Referring to Diagram 1, sew together a cream polka dot medium triangle and a green polka dot medium triangle along short edges to make a triangle pair. Press seam toward green polka dot.

2.    Add a cream polka dot large triangle to long edge of triangle pair to make a pieced square (Diagram 2). Press seam toward cream polka dot large triangle.

3.    Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make four matching pieced squares.

4.    Referring to Diagram 3, sew together four pieced squares in pairs. Press seams in opposite directions. Join pairs to make a green large Pinwheel block. Press seam in one direction. The large Pinwheel block should be 6-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

5.    Repeat steps 1–4 to make four green large Pinwheel blocks total.

6.    Using yellow instead of green polka dot medium triangles, repeat steps 1–4 to make three yellow large Pinwheel blocks. In same manner, repeat using pink polka dot and blue polka dot medium triangles to make three large Pinwheel blocks of each color.

7.    Using pink polka dot and cream polka dot extra-small triangles, repeat Step 1 to make a small triangle pair. Add a cream polka dot small triangle to the small triangle pair's long edge to make a small pieced square. Repeat to make 32 small pieced squares total.

8.    Referring to Step 4, join four small pieced squares to make a small Pinwheel block (Diagram 4). The small Pinwheel block should be 4-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make eight small Pinwheel blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out large Pinwheel blocks and setting squares in rows, alternating blocks and setting squares.

2.    Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward setting squares.

3.    Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 30-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1.    Sew short yellow polka dot inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long yellow polka dot inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward border. The quilt center now should be 34-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

2.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew together two cream purse print 4-1⁄2×15-1⁄2" rectangles and one small Pinwheel block to make a short outer border unit. Press seams toward cream purse print rectangles. Repeat to make a second short outer border unit.

3.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join three small Pinwheel blocks and two cream purse print 4-1⁄2×15-1⁄2" rectangles to make a long outer border unit. Press seams toward cream purse print rectangles. Repeat to make a second long outer border unit.

4.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, position blue star print A and A reversed bird bodies and blue polka dot B wings on a long outer border unit. Arrange a 17" piece of 1⁄4"-wide rickrack in two arcs, tucking rickrack ends under bird bodies; pin in place. Following manufacturer's instructions, fuse appliqué pieces in place.

5.    Using pink thread and a straight stitch, machine-sew down center of rickrack. Using blue thread and a blanket stitch, machine-appliqué around A and B pieces.

6.    Referring to placement indicated on pattern, use a straight stitch and six strands of brown embroidery floss to hand-sew eyes and beaks on bird appliqués, completing the appliquéd long outer border unit.

7.    Sew short outer border units to sides of quilt center. Add appliquéd long outer border unit to top edge of quilt center. Sew remaining long outer border unit to bottom edge to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward outer border.

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

2.    Quilt as desired. Kristine Predmore stitched in the ditch around each Pinwheel and machine-quilted a continuous-line flower-and-leaf design in each setting square (Quilting Diagram). In the inner border, Kristine stitched a loop design, and in the cream purse print rectangles of the outer border, she stitched parallel lines 1" apart, beginning and ending the lines above and below the rickrack.

3.    Bind with solid pink binding strips.

4.    Beginning in the center of bottom edge, center 3⁄4"-wide rickrack over seam between inner and outer border. With a straight stitch, machine-sew in place down center of rickrack, tucking under raw ends.

5.    Hand-sew a 3⁄8"-diameter button to center of each large Pinwheel block. Hand-sew heart-shape button where rickrack pieces meet in center of top border's middle Pinwheel block.