Quilt block · Pinwheels · Intermediate

Vermont quilt block

Rings of half-square triangles on point twist round an hourglass center, with a large triangle at each side and pieced triangles in the corners.

FamilyFour-patch

Grid8 × 8

Shapes2

Pieces52

Design with Vermont Cutting at 6″, 9″, 12″

What to cut for one block

A 12″ finished block measures 12½″ before it’s sewn into a quilt. Each fabric’s yardage is the least that cuts its strips across the width of fabric, with a strip to spare for straightening.

Background · Snow in the picture

20 triangles

A5 squares 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals

¼ yd

Dark · Navy in the picture

14 triangles

A4 squares 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals

¼ yd

Medium · Denim in the picture

4 large triangles

B1 square 7¼″cut twice on the diagonals

½ yd

Light · Powder Blue in the picture

14 triangles

A4 squares 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals

¼ yd

Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name

How it’s sewn

For the 6″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.

Add 11 corner triangles
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 6 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 3 sections
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 4 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Medium B triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 4 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections and a Dark A triangle together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew a Light A triangle and 2 sections together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Join the halves
Sew the two halves together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam open. The block measures 6½″ (6″ finished).

For the 9″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.

Add 11 corner triangles
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 6 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 3 sections
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 4 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Medium B triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 4 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections and a Dark A triangle together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew a Light A triangle and 2 sections together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Join the halves
Sew the two halves together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam open. The block measures 9½″ (9″ finished).

For the 12″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.

Add 11 corner triangles
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 6 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 3 sections
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 4 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Medium B triangle across each corner in turn, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 4 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections and a Dark A triangle together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew a Light A triangle and 2 sections together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
Join the halves
Sew the two halves together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam open. The block measures 12½″ (12″ finished).

Blocks like it

More like this: Pinwheel quilt blocks · Four-patch quilt blocks · all quilt blocks

Questions

Short answers.

Something else? A real person replies.

hello@quarterinch.app

What size should I make it?

Its 8 × 8 grid lands on the ⅛″ marks at 6″, 9″ and 12″, so every piece measures with a ruler at all three. It also cuts cleanly at 4″, 7″, 8″, 10″, 14″, 15″, 16″ and 18″. In Quarter Inch you can make it any size, and it says when a cut falls between the lines.

Can I paper piece it?

Yes. It splits into 6 sections (A, B, C, D, E and F), each sewn on its own paper in order and then joined with straight seams. In Quarter Inch, the Foundations tab prints its papers at true size (with Quilter).

Is it a good block for a beginner?

It’s an intermediate block: 52 pieces in 2 different shapes and 25 points to match. Take it slowly and pin the points. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.