Techniques & Blocks

Pinwheel Inspiration

by Karen Johnson

If you've followed our pinwheel block tutorials and are now ready to put them into a quilt, check out our pinwheel inspiration below!

Keep in mind these are not patterns, there are no instructions. This is for the adventurer within. If you prefer to only follow a specific pattern with instructions, this might not be for you. However, if you like to design, or have thought about designing your own quilts, or you tend to modify every pattern you buy, then this is exactly the right place for you! We'll provide the finished block size we used, the quilt size and any other details to help you get your creative juices flowing!

As an added bonus, each of these quilt layouts were designed in EQ6 (Electric Quilt, version 6). If you own EQ6, you can download our files here and modify them to your hearts content. We've left off outer border measurements below, because you'll want to do your own thing. Of course, we've shown them in Connecting Threads fabrics, but you can design your quilts in any fabric, including from your stash.

Get ready to be inspired:

 

Big and Little

Shown in Sweet & Sour

Measures 47" x 47". Small pinwheels are 4 1/2" finished, large pinwheels are 9" finished. This is perfect for using up scraps!

 

Red on Black

Shown in After Hours

Measures 47" x 65". Pinwheel and alternating plain blocks are 9" finished. This is very dramatic in just two colors, but could also look great with scrappy pinwheels against any solid color background.

 

Scraps and Swirls

Shown in scrappy Cheep Talk for the pinwheels with Hearth and Home plaid for background.

Measures 47" x 65". Pinwheels are 9" finished.

 

The Square Peg and the Pinwheels

Shown in After Hours

Measures 38" x 50". Pinwheel blocks measure 12" finished. HST and plain blocks measure 6" finished. This would look great in any two colors!

 

Fluttering Pinwheels Miniature

Shown in After Hours

Measures 23" x 23", but could easily be enlarged to any size by increasing the block size. Pinwheel and plain blocks measure 2" finished. Another very dramatic project in two colors, but could be scrappy as well....just leave the background color one color and play with the pinwheel colors.

 

Flutter Pinwheels Miniature 30's style

Shown in Mama's Cottons II

Measures 23" x 23", but could easily be enlarged to any size by increasing the block size. Pinwheel and plain blocks measure 2" finished. This is identical to the Red/White version above, but we went crazy with our 30's scraps!

 

B&B Tablerunner

Shown in Bed and Breakfast.

Measures 18" x 42". Pinwheel block measures 8 1/2" finished, turned on point with setting triangles and two borders.

 

Baby Pinwheels

Shown in Sweet & Sour

Measures 38" x 44". Center pinwheels measure 6" finished. Corner pinwheels measure 4" finished. Piano keys measure 4" x 2". Inner border measures 1".

 

Floating Pinwheels Miniature

Shown in Sip of Summer

Measures 26" x 26". Center Block measures 12 1/2" finished, small pinwheels and corner HSTs measure 6 1/4" finished.