Pinwheels and Rails

Quilt Size 56 x  72

Block size 8 inches finished (8.5 with seam allowances)

Blocks set 7 across and 9 down

Mom is using fat quarters for the Rail Fence blocks and I used 2 yards of white fabric to cut the pinwheel blocks out for her.

Pinwheel blocks make 31 blocks

1. We use Thangles for the pinwheels so we can cut all our strips 2.5 inches. Use whatever method of making 2 inch finished HST’s that you prefer and Pinwheel blocks should measure 4.5 inches with seam allowances.
2. Frame pinwheels with the white fabric, sewing a 2.5 x 4.5 inch strip to both sides of the block and then a 2.5 x 8.5 inch strip to the top and bottom.

Rail Fence blocks make 32

1. Mom will cut 2.5 x 18 inch strips from her fat quarters,  sew 4 strips together and subcut the strip set into two blocks 8.5 inches square. Make sure you line up your strips on one end as you will need 17 inches to get two blocks from each one.

Using the photo above, lay out your blocks into rows. NOTE: the direction of the rail fence blocks are alternated each row. In Row 1 and all odd number rows, the rails are vertical, in Row 2 and all even number rows, the rails are horizontal.

Here’s a smaller version that I made last year.

(c) Mary Johnson 2016 – MaryQuilts.com