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The Windmill
The Windmill Block is a variation of
The Pinwheel Block.
There are several new things you can learn by making this block
We have been working a lot with raw
measurements. This block is going to deal with the math for finished
block sizes.
Look at the above block below. Can you see
the grid? Could you construct this block to complete at 12 inches?
 This is going to be a lot easier than you
think. Let's start with the grid. Looking at the lines in the
picture, it is easy to see that there are four similar section.
It is a 4-Patch, with each
patch further divided into four parts.
 If you look at the next grid, with lines
dividing all the sections, you can see that there are lots of
Half Square Triangles.
You can see that there are four sections in
each row. If this block is to finish at 12-inches,
each section needs to finish at 3-inches.
Your first challenge is to figure out the
size to cut the Half
Square Triangles.
The only difference between raw
measurements and finished measurements is that you have the
seam allowance for a finished block.
(The seam allowance is 1/4 inch
on each side, so you add 1/2-inch)
This means you will cut your squares 3 7/8
inches (Raw would have been 3 3/8 inch.
See Half Square Trianges)
When you put your two squares right sides together, draw a
line down the middle, and sew on each side of the line and then cut down the
middle, you will be have two Half Square Triangles that measure 3 1/2 inches.
Remember that the extra 1/2 inch is for the seam allowances - 1/4 inch on each
side of the block.
Looking at the block, you can see that you
need 4 Half Square
Triangles with Red and White and 4 Half Square
Triangles with Blue and Red.
Go ahead and construct these blocks.
The last shape you see in the block is the
Flying Geese Block. You
could do these squares as
Half Square Triangles, but it would not look as nice with the extra
seam.
Here is how to figure out the
size to cut the rectangle for the Flying Geese.
The
Flying Geese Block takes
up two sections of the grid, so it will finish at 6-inches.
When you cut
your Rectangles you
must allow for the seam allowances on both ends.
There is no seam between the two grids, so
you start with 6-inches. Add the 1/4-inch seam allowance at both ends of
the Rectangle, and you have 6 1/2 inches.
So cut your Rectangles at
6 1/2 inches.
The width of the Rectangle is 3-inches, plus another
1/2 inch for the seams, or 3 1/2 inches.
Go ahead and cut your four rectangles at 6 1/2 x 3
1/2 inches, out of the Blue fabric in the picture.
The small squares that you are going to add
to the Rectangle will be the raw width of the Rectangle.
So cut two Squares for each Rectangle at 3 1/2 inches each.
(See the Flying Geese lesson)
In the
Flying Geese
lesson you learned that a Flying Geese Block is always exactly
twice as wide as it is high. The 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 Rectangles you
are cutting have a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Take that away for
when they are finished, and you have a 3x6 finished unit.
Go ahead and make you
Flying Geese,
following the directions on the lesson page.
The next thing to be learned
concerns sewing the units together. When you have a piece in a
patch that takes up several grids or sections, it can be
tricky to sew all the pieces together.
Take a good look at the pieces laid out to the
left. It would seem logical to make the Flying Geese Unit
first, and then lay all the rest of the pieces around it so you
don't get confused as to placement.
However, which pieces would you
sew together next?
The pieces overlap, and do not
fit together. You could do it, but it would be difficult.
Here is how you sew the units. You sew them
together so that the units match in width.
First sew the Half Square
Triangles to the Geese units, and then match that unit to three of
the half square triangles (sewn together).
You can then sew the Flying
Geese unit to the side of that piece.
Repeat the process for the
bottom and the top, and then sew those two units together.
Again, what makes joining the
pieces together difficult is the Geese unit taking up two sections
of the division of the Grid.
In order to make your seams
nest, you will want to press towards the blue in the Half Square
Triangles, and press the seams away from the Rectangles.
When you are finished, your
block should measure 12 1/2 inches, which will finish at 12 inches.
It is a big block, made dynamic
with lots of movement. It looks great in a Sampler Quilt. Once
you make it a few times so you don't get confused, it makes a speedy
quilt.
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