Windham Fabrics Pinwheels - Downloadable PDF

Windham Fabrics Pinwheels – Free Downloadable Quilt Pattern by Wendy Sheppard

The Windham Fabrics Pinwheels pattern is a free downloadable PDF designed by Wendy Sheppard and published by Windham Fabrics. It features the Wildflower fabric collection by Kelly Ventura and produces a striking quilt top measuring 60 inches by 84 inches — a generous throw or bed quilt size that makes it a practical and visually rewarding project. The pattern is rated intermediate skill level, making it well-suited for quilters who are comfortable with precise cutting and have some experience moving beyond basic patchwork.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a pinwheel-style quilt top in a classic geometric design. Pinwheel quilts are beloved in the quilting tradition for their sense of motion and symmetry — the angled, spinning blocks create a dynamic visual effect across the finished quilt surface. At 60" x 84", the finished piece works beautifully as a blanket or throw, suitable for display or everyday use.

Key Technique: Foundation Paper Piecing

The defining construction method in this pattern is foundation paper piecing (FPP). This is a quilting technique in which fabric pieces are sewn directly onto a printed paper foundation, following a numbered sequence. The paper acts as a guide, allowing quilters to achieve sharp points, precise angles, and crisp geometric shapes that would be difficult to accomplish with traditional rotary-cut piecing alone. Foundation paper piecing is especially well-suited to pinwheel designs because the angled seams that create the spinning effect require a high degree of accuracy.

In FPP, each section of a block is assigned a number, and fabric pieces are placed on the back of the paper foundation and sewn in order from the front. Once all sections are complete, the paper is carefully removed. Wendy Sheppard's pattern uses this method throughout the pieced blocks, with designated fabric pieces assigned to specific block positions labeled A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, B2, B3, and B4.

Block Construction and Cutting Details

The pattern is organized around two block types — referred to as Block A and Block B — each built from a series of precisely cut rectangles. The cutting instructions are detailed and organized by fabric, with pieces marked and stored according to their assigned block position to streamline the piecing process. Key cut sizes include:

• 4-1/4" x 8-1/4" rectangles used for positions A1, A4, B1, and B4 — the angled pinwheel "blade" sections
• 5-1/2" x 11-1/2" rectangles for positions A2 and B2
• 4" x 12-1/2" rectangles for positions A3 and B3
• 2-1/4" x WOF (width of fabric) strips pieced together to form a continuous binding strip

The pattern advises quilters to read all instructions before beginning and to mark and store cut pieces by block assignment — a helpful organizational tip that reflects the complexity of managing multiple fabric types across many blocks.

Fabrics and Materials

The pattern is designed specifically to feature the Wildflower collection by Kelly Ventura for Windham Fabrics. Three primary fabrics are called out in the cutting key:

• Fabric A – SKU 52252-2, Teal (approximately 1 yard, which also includes yardage for the binding) — a palette collection fabric used for the accent pinwheel positions and binding strips
• Fabric B – SKU 52093-15, Unbleached (approximately 1-1/2 yards) — used across multiple block positions including A1/A4, B1/B4, A2/B2, and A3/B3
• Fabric C – SKU 31835S, White (approximately 3-1/2 yards) — the most substantial yardage requirement, used extensively across A3/B3, A2/B2, and A1/A4 positions, forming much of the quilt's background and contrast areas

As with all