Quilt block · Pinwheels · Beginner
Whirling Square quilt block
Half-square triangles whirl round a small center square and its four short strips, and again in the corners between four long plain rectangles.
What to cut for one block
A 6″ finished block measures 6½″ 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
4 rectangles
- B4 rectangles 3⅞″ × 1⅞″then cut with template B
Dark · Navy in the picture
8 triangles
- A8 squares 2″then cut with template A
Medium · Denim in the picture
1 center square and 8 triangles
- A8 squares 2″then cut with template A
- D1 square 1¼″then cut with template D
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 rectangles
- C4 rectangles 1⅞″ × 1¼″then cut with template C
Between the lines. Whirling Square cuts cleanly at 4½″ or 9″. At 6″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 1⅓″, so they need templates.
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
A 9″ finished block measures 9½″ 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
4 rectangles
- B4 rectangles 5½″ × 2½″
Dark · Navy in the picture
8 triangles
- A4 squares 2⅞″cut once on the diagonal
Medium · Denim in the picture
1 center square and 8 triangles
- A4 squares 2⅞″cut once on the diagonal
- D1 square 1½″
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 rectangles
- C4 rectangles 2½″ × 1½″
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
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
4 rectangles
- B4 rectangles 7¼″ × 3¼″then cut with template B
Dark · Navy in the picture
8 triangles
- A8 squares 3¼″then cut with template A
Medium · Denim in the picture
1 center square and 8 triangles
- A8 squares 3¼″then cut with template A
- D1 square 1⅞″then cut with template D
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 rectangles
- C4 rectangles 3¼″ × 1⅞″then cut with template C
Between the lines. Whirling Square cuts cleanly at 9″ or 13½″. At 12″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 2⅔″, so they need templates.
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.
- Make 8 half-square triangle units
Sew a Dark A triangle to a Medium A triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 Light C pieces and a Medium D piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 half-square triangle units and a Light C piece together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
For the 9″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Make 8 half-square triangle units
Sew a Dark A triangle to a Medium A triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 2½″ (2″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 5½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 Light C rectangles and a Medium D square together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5½″ × 1½″ (5″ × 1″ finished).
- Make 2 sections, 5½″ × 2½″
Sew 2 half-square triangle units and a Light C rectangle together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 5½″ × 2½″ (5″ × 2″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 5½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5½″ (5″ finished).
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 9½″ (9″ finished).
For the 12″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Make 8 half-square triangle units
Sew a Dark A triangle to a Medium A triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 Light C pieces and a Medium D piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 half-square triangle units and a Light C piece together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 12½″ (12″ finished).
Blocks like it
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More like this: Pinwheel quilt blocks · Nine-patch quilt blocks · all quilt blocks
Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
What size should I make it?
At 9″ every piece measures with a ruler. On its 9 × 9 grid, 6″ and 12″ put some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 9″ or 13½″.
Can I paper piece it?
Yes. It splits into 5 sections (A, B, C, D and E), 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 a good block for a beginner: 25 pieces in 4 different shapes and 8 points to match. Nothing in it curves or has to be set in. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.