Thirties Pinwheel in a Square Quilt Block Pattern
Pinwheel quilt blocks and 1930's fabrics are a perfect match for each other, and the varied patches in this design give you lots of opportunities to make a very scrappy quilt.Pinwheel in a Square is the April, 2009 choice for the Block Lotto, a popular event on our Quilting Forum. I hope you'll participate in this fun activity, but if you cannot, the pattern will remain archived on the site for use any time you'd like to give it a try.
Finished Block Size: 12" Square
Fabrics for the Thirties Pinwheel in a Square
Be sure to follow the guidelines of Kathi, our hostess. If you are unsure about any guideline, refer to the forum discussion and ask questions before beginning your blocks.Marcus Brothers, Moda, In the Beginning and others offer a selection of thirties fabrics. Kathi, the event hostess, and other members can offer help in the Forum.
Choose four fabrics for each quilt block:
White Tone-on-Tone for the center pinwheel's background and for the angled strips that divide the inner pinwheel/square from the block corners.
- (2) 6-7/8" x 6-7/8" squares, each cut in half once diagonally
- (2) 3-7/8" x 3-7/8" squares
Inner pinwheel: a thirties print in either pink, orange, yellow, blue or purple.
- (2) 3-7/8" x 3-7/8" squares
Square surrounding inner pinwheel: a green thirties print.
- (2) 5-1/8" x 5-1/8" squares, each cut in half once diagonally
Block corners: a warm thirties print if your inner pinwheel is made from a cool fabric, or a cool thirties print if your inner pinwheel is warm (See Color Wheel Basics if you are unsure what's considered a warm or cool).
- (4) 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" squares
Do not use kiddie prints, animal prints, reds or browns.
Lotto Limits
- No duplicate blocks (but you can flip the pinwheel fabric with the corner triangle fabric for a second block)
- 8 block maximum
