This post is a partnership with Nancy’s Notions. All opinions and ideas are my own.
I’m pretty addicted to making mini quilts! They’re so quick – you can usually even make one in a day! Plus they’re great for so many uses – they look pretty on a wall, as a table topper, or they make the perfect gift too! This Vintage Paths Mini Quilt is a fun take on a pinwheel design and it’s super fast to sew up!
I used Vintage Keepsakes for the fabrics – I think they give this such a pretty, vintage look. And I absolutely can’t resist those doily prints. I know I’m not supposed to have a favorite in a collection, but there it is. I do.
I also did some fun line quilting on this one – I just dived in doing straight lines around the diagonal seams and it jsut sort of happened. I’m a bit obsessed with this now. I think it really highlights the diamond in the center that the pinwheels make. And speaking of pinwheels – you are going to LOVE the method for piecing this quilt together! It’s so fast!
I used the Easy Half Square Triangles template from Nancy’s Notions. It has a little instruction booklet along with an acrylic template that makes figuring and cutting half square triangles a breeze. It even has layout ideas in the back so you can try out all sorts of different looks with your hst’s!
So let’s dive in and start sewing!
Vintage Paths Pinwheel Mini Quilt
Materials:
- Easy Half Square Triangles template from Nancy’s Notions
- Four different print fabrics cut to 7″ squares – I used Vintage Keepsakes Doily Aqua, Floral Aqua, Doily Pink and Floral Pink
- 1/4 yard of background fabric – I used Riley Blake solid white
- 1/2 yard of border print – I used Vintage Keepsakes Main Doily Gray
- 3/4 yard backing fabric – I used Vintage Keepsakes Floral Aqua
- 1/4 yard binding fabric – I used Vintage Keepsakes Cross Stitch Pink
- 24″ x 24″ piece of batting or fusible fleece
- Rotary Cutter
- Rotary Mat
You can also go to Nancy’s Notions for a download of this pattern too!
Begin by cutting four background 7″ x 7″ squares. Match each one to a print fabric square.
Place the squares (one print and one background) right sides together. Sew a 1/4″ seam around all four edges, sewing the two squares together. Lay the square under the Half Square Triangle Template and center the fabric in the 7″ square in the center.
Run the rotary cutter through the cut lines that run diagonally through the template. This will cut your squares into four pieces.
Open up the triangles and you’ll have four half square triangles made from each 7″ block!
Press your seams towards the darker fabric and trim your squares to 4 1/2″. Repeat for all your blocks, making 16 1/2 square triangle blocks.
Now comes the fun part! Layout your fabrics into whatever pattern you’d like. I chose to do four pinwheel shapes.
My center section of the mini quilt is made up of four pinwheel blocks. I flipped the fabrics a bit so the pink sections of the pinwheels are in the center and the aqua sections make a sort of diamond shape around them. You can really mix or match these up for a lot of different looks!
Start chain piecing your squares together. To do this, sew the first two blocks together in each row, one after the other without clipping the thread.
Open these out, then sew the row 3 blocks to the row 2 blocks, all in a row. Repeat with the row 4 blocks. Cut the sections apart, then sew each horizontal row together, matching up corners and seams.
Cut your border fabric into 3 1/2″ strips. If you’re using directional fabric, you might want to be careful of fabric direction and cut two of your rows out with the selvedge and two against the selvedge.
Sew the left and right borders to the center section, then the top and bottom borders.
Quilt your mini as desired. I loved sewing straight lines with the diagonal seams but a free motion meandering would look so great too!
I love how it looks on the back too – the quilting really shows up great on this floral fabric!
For the binding, I cut three 2 1/4″ x WOF fabric strips and made double fold binding. I love the way the pink binding pulls out the pink in the center of the quilt.
I hope you give it a try!!
I’m partnering with Nancy’s Notions to give away a Half Square Triangles Template to one lucky reader! Enter on the rafflecopter box below to win!
They are also offering Free Shipping on any order over $49!! Enter the code 199501-1143 at checkout for the free shipping. Click here to shop!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Linda Theriault says
I would make a large quilt useing the ruler making the pinwheels.
Teresa Alcántara says
I would make a zig zag lap quilt
Lorena Boutin says
This half square triangle tool looks very handy. I think I need one. The mini-quilt is beautiful.
Leslie K. says
I love making mini-quilts. I like to have seasonal ones to hang around the house. This pattern is so cute! Thanks for the opportunity to win a template.
Tricia says
The quilting on this piece looks wonderful! I want to try it on my next small quilt.
Wilma Kinder says
I would make a child’s quilt for a new to arrive baby.
Kathy E. says
I would make this pinwheel mini for my home! I love making mini quilts and HSTs are always being made here!
Mary F says
I love the little mini quilt, so I think I’d try it first!
Sue says
That looks like a great tool for precise HST’s.
I have both of your lines and just adore them!!
kathy stewart says
I love vintage and this is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Sue says
This looks like a great tool for precise HST’s.
I have both your fabric lines and adore them!!
Lelia Logan says
Very cute little mini. I really like the quilting.
Susan Barlow says
This is adorable! The quilting looks perfect with this mini.
Lu says
I would make a mini mat and grow from there. Thank you for the chance to win. Love the quilting on your mini by the way!
Anita L Jackson says
I think I would try your mini out since you have already done the thinking for us to try out the ruler :)
Carol Thomas says
What a beautiful mini quilt and I love the half square triangle template. It would make quick work of triangles! What a great project from your creative mind!
Patricia E Campbell says
Super Cute!! Also, thx for the clear instructions!
Kathy h says
I would make a pinwheel baby quilt. I love pinwheels but don’t make them as of as I would like, because they take a while. This tool looks like it would help a lot.
Brenda says
I would definitely try your mini quilt pattern if I were to win this tool. It looks like so much fun to use such a tool. Thanks for your beautiful idea for a mini quilt.
Jennifer says
The mini quilt is cute. Really like the fabric.
lena hussey says
i would use the tool for hsts for the mini quilt. Love the fabric and the design
Vivian OaksI says
I’ve been saving tiny HST’s to make a miniature quilt, so this tool would make it much quicker to finish this quilt!! Thanks so much for the chance to win!!
Kathy Boice says
I would make a table topper with this template. I Love the fabric chosen in the photo.
Linda Sonia says
OMGosh … this is the sweetest, prettiest little mini quilt I’ve seen yet. The collection and color of fabrics is beautiful. I love it! Wish I could buy it. I’m not a quilter but have always wanted to be one just kept procrastinating. This little quilt may just give me the push I need. Thanks for sharing.
Genevieve C says
I am sooooo all about HST’s, so it gotta be a mini with lots of color :)
Anne says
Great patterns. I am so fond of Vintage Keepsakes fabric. I think the doilie motif is a winner. I like anything to improve accuracy.
Sandy Koenig says
Love the pin wheel quilt pattern and fabric. Never saw a cutting ruler like this one, I am interested.
Jan says
Oh that looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing at The Mark and Jan Show #LetsParty!
Karren Haller says
I love seeing your quilts always reminds me of my grandmother, I still have a quilt of Bonnet girls that needs to be put together, maybe one of these days I can find someone to finish it for me.
Thank you for sharing on Oh My Heartsie Girls WW. This week we are featuring your fun quilt.
Barb says
It seems that most quilts I am working on has HSQ blocks in them. Any tool that would help would be much appreciated.
Brenda Summers says
I live in Canada and I have never seen an HST tool like the one you used to cut your HST’s. I would love to own one. Would you let me know if the tools are available to purchase? I looked on Amazon but didn’t find one that had the cut lines within the template. Nor a template that one could select various sizes of HST’s.
Thanks so much for the beautiful pattern – your chosen fabrics are so beautiful.
Beverly says
Thank you Brenda! Here is the link to the template – it is exclusively at Nancy’s Notions. I’m not sure if they ship to Canada or not but I’m sure they could help you with that!