Riley Blake Ivy's Pinwheel - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Ivy's Pinwheel Quilt Pattern by Ivy Mae – Free Downloadable PDF

Ivy's Pinwheel is a stunning intermediate-level quilt pattern designed by Ivy Mae and released by Riley Blake Designs. Available as a free downloadable PDF, this pattern produces a finished quilt measuring 66" x 84", making it a generous lap or twin-bed size. The design is built around a striking pinwheel block, with each finished block measuring 16" x 16". The overall effect is a dynamic, spinning visual created through careful fabric placement and precise piecing.

What Is Being Made

This pattern instructs quilters in constructing a full-size pinwheel quilt using a rich palette of coordinating Riley Blake fabrics. The pinwheel block is a classic quilting design in which half-square triangles are arranged to create the illusion of rotation or movement. When multiple blocks are set together, the pinwheels interact across the quilt top to create an energetic, cohesive design. The finished quilt is suitable for use as a bed quilt, throw, or decorative piece.

Fabric Requirements and Materials

The pattern calls for a carefully curated selection of Riley Blake Designs fabrics, each identified by specific colorways and SKU numbers. The full fabric list includes:

• Blue main (C6120 Blue) – ½ yard (50 cm)
• Mint main (C6120 Mint) – 1¾ yards (1.65 m)
• Pink main (C6120 Pink) – 3/8 yard (35 cm)
• Aqua Grace (C6122 Aqua) – ½ yard (50 cm)
• Blue Grace (C6122 Blue) – 3/8 yard (35 cm)
• Pink Grace (C6122 Pink) – ¾ yard (70 cm)
• Gray Josephine (C6123 Gray) – 3/8 yard (35 cm)
• Pink Josephine (C6123 Pink) – 3/8 yard (35 cm)
• Purple Josephine (C6123 Purple) – 3/8 yard (35 cm)
• Gray Swiss Dot (C660-40 Gray) – 2 3/8 yards (2.2 m)
• Binding fabric – ¾ yard (70 cm)
• Backing fabric – 5 1/8 yards (4.7 m)

The combination of the Grace and Josephine print collections alongside solid-style main fabrics and the Gray Swiss Dot background creates a soft, feminine, and visually layered quilt. The generous yardage of the Gray Swiss Dot and Mint main fabrics suggests these serve as the dominant background and setting elements throughout the quilt.

Cutting Instructions and Techniques

The pattern provides detailed cutting instructions for each fabric, reflecting the precision required in intermediate-level quilting. Key cutting measurements include:

• Strips cut at 5" x WOF (width of fabric), then sub-cut into 5" x 5" squares for use in half-square triangle construction
• Strips cut at 4 7/8" x WOF, sub-cut into 4 7/8" x 4 7/8" squares, then each square is cut once diagonally to yield individual triangles
• Strips cut at 4½" x WOF, sub-cut into 4½" x 4½" squares for use as block components

The diagonal cutting of the 4 7/8" squares is a hallmark of half-square triangle (HST) construction, one of the most fundamental and versatile techniques in quilting. By cutting squares diagonally and sewing them in pairs along the bias edge, quilters create the triangular units that form the spinning arms of each pinwheel block. Accurate cutting is essential here, as even small deviations can affect how the points of