Quick And Easy Quilt Tutorial: Making Pinwheels
Have you always wanted to quilt? Or are you on the hunt for a great hobby to dive into? Here is a quick and easy tutorial, suitable for beginner quilters. It’s the perfect place to start! In this short tutorial, you will learn how to cut, stitch, and create pinwheels from 7″ squares of fabric. (If you are an experienced quilter, you may love using this method for stitching pinwheels). Would-be quilters will be introduced to the power of colour and the endless variety of quilting fabrics available to you.
Contest Giveaway
Before we get started, I am offering a giveaway of some beginner quilt supplies – rotary cutter, small, self-healing mat, ruler, etc., along with a sampling of four, 100% cotton, quilt-shop quality fabrics.
To win this prize bundle, all you have to do is leave me a comment below. Tell me if you spend time during your day working on a hobby, or if you have yet to discover one that you love. One lucky participant will be chosen at random, and the bundle will be sent to the winner by regular post.
I would love it if you took the additional step of signing up at www.KimHanson.ca to receive my semi-regular blog posts via email. The winner will be announced on September 1, 2026. Try the tutorial! You may come to love quilting as much as I do. As with all tutorials, please read through instructions once before beginning.
Gather Tools:
- Rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat (or some other, self-healing, flat surface)
- Sewing machine
- Bobbin thread and sewing thread
- Scissors (optional, seam ripper)
- Ironing board and iron
- Two Fat Quarters of coordinating fabrics – measuring 18″ x22″ each
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Press both fat quarters on ironing board.
- From each fat quarter of fabric, cut one square measuring 7″.
- Place right sides of each fabric square together. Stitch around the perimeter of the fabric unit, 1/4″ from the outside edge.
- Press flat. This is a very important step. It ensures that when the fabric unit is cut, the half square triangles all measure the same.
- Placing your ruler at opposite diagonal corners, cut through both layers of fabric with your rotary cutter. Leave pieces in place. Pick up your ruler, place it on the alternating diagonal corners and cut again.
- Press to set the seams of the four half-square triangle units.
- Open and press again towards the darker fabric.
- Lay out the pinwheel on your flat surface as per Photo #5.
- Stitch one side together, pressing seams towards the top. Repeat on the other side, pressing seams towards the bottom. Stitch together along the mid-line.
There we go! You’re left with the perfect pinwheel.
It’s such an easy way to stitch a whole lot of pinwheels.
Clicking this link will take you to a bunk bed quilt I made using pinwheels in one row: https://www.kimhanson.ca/blog/page/2/
Clicking this link will bring you to view a majority of the quilts I’ve sewn to date:
Happy Quilting everyone. Don’t forget to enter the contest giveaway.
And if you end up enjoying the quilting process, you can continue making pinwheels, stitching them together in rows, to make your first-ever quilt.
Let’s Chat:
What hobby has really grabbed you? Have you tried quilting? What is your favorite quilting variety?
Tags Arts and Crafts
i sped my day undertaking a hobby and am interested in trying quilting
Hi there William. I hope you try out the pinwheel tutorial. Thanks for your comment. Kim
I have made big quilts for two of my grandchildren and have two more to make.
I like to think that they will think of me if they use them one day. I don’t mind if they’re on the floor or across a sofa; they are there to be used.
i enjoy collecting fabric from all sorts of sources including old clothing and freebies. The first one I made, I used pieces from my grandson’s mother’s maternity dresses as well as bits and pieces from dying workshops. That one had a Bali theme. The second one, I was able to get a stash of blue and green fabrics so that one had an ocean theme.
For my granddaughter’s quilt (cut up and ready to sew) I was given some old fashioned pink and rose and purple fabrics, so that one will be a Strawberry Shortcake theme.
I have always loved collecting fabrics and sometimes have a recurring dream, where I am in an old curiosity shop with piles of beautiful silks and laces and velvets. It’s is always 5 mins before closing and I am frantically gathering up delicious piles and trying to get to the front of the store before it closes!
Love Strawberry Shortcake! I’ll bet your granddaughter will love her too. You’re a woman after my own heart. I love buying vintage fabrics. In fact, I’m making a crazy quilt now, using vintage fabrics and embellishments I found on etsy. The combinations are endless! I think that’s what makes quilting as a whole, so appealing. Thanks so much for your wonderful comment, Toni.
I really enjoy sewing but have to be motivated to do it regularly. I’ve tried quilting but my projects don’t seem to work out as envisioned. My other hobbies are reading and doing crafts with my grandkids.
Crafts with the grandchildren are the best. You are blessed to have them, Beth. It’s great that you love to sew. Thanks for your thoughtful comment and taking the time to leave one
Hello, it is hard finding something I really will take time doing. I have tried knitting and crochet. I just didn’t have the nimbleness in my fingers. I have tried puzzles and while I like them I just didn’t have the patience or room for them. I do love to read and listen to music. I bought a sewing machine and I have made a blanket and pillow and I want to learn to quilt but haven’t had the time. I was reading your tutorial and I think that might be something I could do.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Becky! That’s so great – music to my ears. Thank you ever so much for your wonderful, inciteful comment. Quilting may just be what you are looking for. Good luck to you in the contest giveaway.
Hmmm… inspiration? Is there such a thing as pre-quilter? If so, that would be me. I love the variety of fabrics available and have been collecting them for a while with the idea that someday I’d do something fabulous with them, you may have just given me what I need to make the leap to actually quilting!
Hi Lisa! Yes, there’s nothing quite like amazing and beautiful fabrics to spur you on. The amount of available fabrics is mind-blowing. It’s interesting that you’ve been collecting them for awhile now, just waiting to be cut and stitched into something wonderful. Pinwheels could be just what you’re looking for! You can easily make the first ones and then, keep going until you have enough to stitch them together for your first quilt! Once that happens, you could let me know and I’ll send you instructions to finish it off in true quilt-making style. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
Congratulations to you, Lisa! You are the winner of my quilt starter kit! Kim Hanson