Windham Fabrics The Wishing Tree - Downloadable PDF

The Wishing Tree Quilt Pattern by Windham Fabrics – Free Downloadable PDF

The Wishing Tree is a 64" x 73" quilt top pattern designed by Heidi Pridemore of The Whimsical Workshop, available as a free downloadable PDF from Windham Fabrics. This intermediate-level quilting project is built around the Wonder fabric collection by Carrie Bloomston, making it a stunning showcase piece that pairs a large fussy-cut panel with a structured, pieced border of colorful blocks.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a lap or throw-sized quilt top measuring 64 inches wide by 73 inches tall. The finished design centers on a large, fussy-cut focal panel surrounded by multiple coordinating borders, creating a framed, medallion-style aesthetic. The colorful pieced borders feature repeating block units in a variety of coordinating solids and prints, giving the quilt a lively, whimsical character that complements the artistic Wonder fabric collection.

Design Overview and Layout

The quilt is structured as a medallion-style layout, a popular quilting format in which a central panel or block is surrounded by successive borders that grow outward. In The Wishing Tree, the centerpiece is a large fussy-cut panel (Fabric A, SKU 50763DP-X) measuring 42-1/2" x 52-1/2". Fussy cutting is a deliberate technique in which the quilter carefully positions the fabric under the ruler or template to isolate and feature a specific motif or printed design — in this case, the decorative panel print from the Wonder collection.

Surrounding the central panel are multiple pieced borders constructed from a palette of coordinating fabrics in sand, navy, orchid, aqua, and mustard colorways. These borders incorporate both plain strip borders and pieced block borders, adding visual rhythm and complexity to the finished quilt.

Techniques Used

• Fussy cutting – Used to isolate the decorative motif on the large center panel fabric (Fabric A), ensuring the printed design is centered and featured prominently in the finished quilt.
• Strip piecing – Multiple fabrics are cut into width-of-fabric (WOF) strips and joined end to end with diagonal seams to create long border strips without visible straight-line joins. This technique reduces bulk and creates a stronger, less noticeable seam.
• Diagonal seam joining – WOF strips are sewn together at 45-degree angles before being trimmed and pressed, a standard quilting technique for creating continuous long strips from shorter pieces.
• Sub-cutting – Strips are sub-cut into precise squares and rectangles to create the individual units used in the pieced border blocks.
• Block construction – Square and rectangular units (primarily 3-1/2" squares and 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles) are assembled into repeating block units that form the decorative borders around the central panel.
• Medallion-style assembly – Borders are added to the central panel in sequence, building outward from the center to achieve the final quilt top dimensions.

Stitches and Sewing Methods

• Straight stitch – The foundational stitch used throughout quilting for all seam construction, typically sewn at a standard 1/4" seam allowance, which is the quilting industry standard.
• Diagonal seams – Used specifically when joining WOF strips end to end, sewn at a 45-degree angle to distribute seam bulk and create a smooth, flat join.
• Press and trim – While not a stitch per se, careful pressing of seams is an essential technique in quilting to ensure flat, accurate piecing, particularly important when assembling multiple borders.

Fabrics and Materials

This pattern is designed specifically to feature the Wonder fabric collection by Carrie Bloomston for Windham Fabrics. The material requirements call for seven distinct fabrics labeled A through G, each serving a specific role in the quilt's design:

• Fabric A (SKU 50763DP-X) – Multi panel print