The Pinwheel Block Goes Scrappy
This month I am sharing the Scrappy Pinwheel block pattern. I ignored this block when I first started looking at easy scrappy quilt patterns. No reason except that I thought there would be too much background and not enough color. This free quilt pattern is worth adding to your scrap quilt list. See other scrap quilt patterns here.
I kept coming back to it because it was such an easy block. It would also put a dent in my stash without purchasing more fabric.
Scrappy Pinwheel Pattern
You will find the pdf for Scrappy Pinwheel Block Here. I am sharing my process in the rest of this post. Ultimately, I want to spark your creativity. There are no hard rules for layout, but I did share a general idea of how many pieces you would need for a 6×8 design without borders. Ultimately, I did a 6×6 layout because I ran out of background fabric. I chose not to add a border because there is enough background fabric around the outside of the pinwheel to give separation from the binding.
Fabric Selection
Looking through my scraps, I found many bright, bold hand-dyed fabrics. They were calling for a dark background. In a 6×8 layout, you need around a yard of scrappy fabric (this is a guestimate) and 3 – 4 yards of background fabric. Again, this is a guestimate. Because I had plenty of fabric for both, I didn’t bother figuring out precisely what I needed.
To begin with, create your block groups (4 scrappy fabric squares and 8 background rectangles). The process starts like the Flying Geese unit, actually creating a Half Flying Geese unit.
Scrappy Pinwheel Block Sets
This block lends itself to chain-sewing. It goes together fairly quickly. In part due to the way you press your seams. Even though numerous points meet in the middle, the seams nest nicely together. If you feel more comfortable, pin your block before sewing the center seam.
See how much background fabric there is around the pinwheel. You can get away with not adding a border. Your binding will provide that frame for the quilt.
Alternative Layouts
I briefly played with the idea of using another layout rather than a traditional row. It meant adding a background square and utilizing partial seams. The pinwheels would be nested closer together.
I reflected on what my goal was for the scrappy quilts in 2023. That extra frustration didn’t fit into my plan. The results of using traditional rows work for me. However, sashings and cornerstones could add a nice touch. The cornerstones could be scrappy like the rest of the quilt or use the same fabric as the binding to tie it all together.
If you need a quilt for a child, using a light background would work for a baby quilt.
What I like about this scrap quilt:
- It goes together quite quickly.
- There are so many options for this block.
- The more variety of fabrics (color and texture), the better the results.
I would love to see what you are working on this month. Feel free to comment below or share on my Facebook page.
Until next time.
You may be interested in these posts on Scrappy Quilts and Quilting UFOs.
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