Stitchtale

Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel quilt block

A classic block that sews up in an afternoon and looks right in almost any fabric.

11 steps, start to finishWatch the Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel sew up, cut to press.
Sew a Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel quilt

Try it in your colours

Try it in your colours

Tap a colourway, or pick each fabric. The film at the top changes too.

Colourways

Or pick each fabric

Love it? Find real fabric in these colours at the fabric shop.

Cut sizes for one Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel block

Pick the finished size. Every cut includes the ¼″ seam allowance.

Cutting for one 6″ finished Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel block
PieceCutQty
Half-square trianglemain fabric2⅜″ × 2⅜″2
Half-square trianglebackground fabric2⅜″ × 2⅜″2
Background rectanglebackground fabric1½″ × 3½″1
Background rectanglebackground fabric4½″ × 1½″1
Point rectanglemain fabric1.1666666666666665″ × 4½″1
Point rectanglemain fabric5.166666666666666″ × 1.1666666666666665″1
Center rectangleaccent fabric1.1666666666666665″ × 5.166666666666666″1
Center rectangleaccent fabric5.833333333333333″ × 1.1666666666666665″1
Point rectanglemain fabric1.1666666666666665″ × 5.833333333333333″1
Point rectanglemain fabric6½″ × 1.1666666666666665″1
Cutting for one 9″ finished Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel block
PieceCutQty
Half-square trianglemain fabric3⅛″ × 3⅛″2
Half-square trianglebackground fabric3⅛″ × 3⅛″2
Background rectanglebackground fabric2″ × 5″1
Background rectanglebackground fabric6½″ × 2″1
Point rectanglemain fabric1½″ × 6½″1
Point rectanglemain fabric7½″ × 1½″1
Center rectangleaccent fabric1½″ × 7½″1
Center rectangleaccent fabric8½″ × 1½″1
Point rectanglemain fabric1½″ × 8½″1
Point rectanglemain fabric9½″ × 1½″1
Cutting for one 12″ finished Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel block
PieceCutQty
Half-square trianglemain fabric3⅞″ × 3⅞″2
Half-square trianglebackground fabric3⅞″ × 3⅞″2
Background rectanglebackground fabric2½″ × 6½″1
Background rectanglebackground fabric8½″ × 2½″1
Point rectanglemain fabric1.8333333333333333″ × 8½″1
Point rectanglemain fabric9.833333333333332″ × 1.8333333333333333″1
Center rectangleaccent fabric1.8333333333333333″ × 9.833333333333332″1
Center rectangleaccent fabric11.166666666666666″ × 1.8333333333333333″1
Point rectanglemain fabric1.8333333333333333″ × 11.166666666666666″1
Point rectanglemain fabric12½″ × 1.8333333333333333″1

In the film the triangle squares start a little big and get trimmed to size, which is the easy way to sharp points. The chart gives the exact cut if you’d rather skip the trim.

Good to know

What size should I make a Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel block?

Any size that suits your quilt. 12″ is the easiest to sew, and 9″ or 6″ look lovely in a busy, scrappy quilt. It sits on a 36 by 36 grid, so a finished size that divides by 36 gives you friendly cutting numbers. The cut sizes for all three are on this page.

How many Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel blocks do I need for a quilt?

At 12″ you need 9 blocks for a wall quilt, 12 for a baby quilt, 30 for a throw, 48 for a twin quilt and 72 for a queen quilt. Sashing or a border between them means fewer blocks for the same size.

Is the Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel good for a beginner?

Yes, if you take it slowly. The one new skill is the half-square triangles, and the film at the top shows every cut, seam and press.

What's the trick to a neat Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel?

Sew a test Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel first and measure it. If it comes out the right size, the rest will too.

Coffee and a few seams?

Start a quilt with the Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel and we’ll walk you through every cut and seam.

Sew a Three-Cloth Corner-Bordered Pinwheel quilt