Pinwheels, Bows and Maple Leaves: 7 Best Quilt Block Patterns

Starting with a whole quilt can feel daunting: hundreds of pieces, yards of fabric and a long wait before you see the result. A single block lets you practice one technique without committing to a full quilt, and a good set of quilt block patterns gives you exact cutting sizes, a clear piecing order and a block you can turn into a pillow, a table runner or a whole quilt.

Most of the seven are pieced; Two Hearts and the Christmas gift are appliqué, and the turkey is foundation paper pieced. Their sizes run from 5 to 12 inches, which starts to matter as soon as you put two of them side by side.

Quilt Block Patterns from Maple Leaf to Paper-Pieced Turkey

Barn quilt designs (painted on wood), laser-cut files and coloring pages that only resemble blocks stayed out; each pick is sewn in fabric.

TL;DR: Seven blocks from 5 to 12 inches: a maple leaf in three sizes, a windmill pinwheel and Two Hearts appliqué that both need seam allowances added, Christmas bows and gift blocks, a holiday truck and a foundation paper pieced turkey.

• Maple Leaf Quilt Block Pattern – Best for beginners
• Windmill Designer Pinwheel Patchwork Quilt Block – Best pinwheel block
• Two Hearts Designer Pinwheel Appliqué Quilt Block Pattern – Best appliqué block
• Christmas Bows Quilt Block 10.5" X 10.5" – Best Christmas pieced block
• Christmas Gift Block Appliqué Pattern – Best Christmas appliqué
• Holiday Truck Sewing Block – Best novelty block
• Turkey Foundation Pieced Quilt Block – Best foundation paper piecing

Quick Comparison

Finished Size, Unfinished Size

Block sizes in quilt patterns usually mean the finished size, what the block measures once it is sewn into the quilt. Before it is joined, the block is 1/2 inch larger in each direction, because a 1/4 inch seam allowance sits on every side. A 12 inch finished block measures 12 1/2 inches unfinished.

Two patterns here change that math. The windmill and Two Hearts templates are drawn without seam allowances, so you add 1/4 inch around every patch as you cut. The Christmas bows block is listed at 10.5 inches without saying which size that is; if it is the unfinished size, it finishes at 10 inches, the same as the gift block from the same shop. Confirm the intended measurement in the PDF before planning the layout.

Three Ways a Block Gets Built

• Pieced: fabric shapes sewn edge to edge. The maple leaf uses only squares and rectangles, while the windmill’s long arms come from larger triangles cut from templates. The pinwheel is a traditional design, and the windmill is a modern variation on it.
• Appliqué: shapes stitched on top of a background square. Two Hearts finishes each heart with a bias-bound edge and, in the original quilt, machine stitching in the ditch; the Christmas gift is a 10 inch appliqué block with a detailed bow.
• Foundation paper piecing (FPP): fabric goes on the unprinted side of a paper template and you sew on the printed lines, in numbered order, with a short stitch so the paper tears away easily afterward. It gives sharp points and small details, like the turkey’s tail feathers.

The holiday truck uses its own template pieces with basic instructions, and the designer notes that sewing a straight line matters for the finish. The turkey comes with no piecing instructions at all, so it is the one block on the list that assumes earlier FPP practice.

From a Stack of Blocks to a Quilt Top

To count blocks, divide the finished width and length of the quilt by the finished block size. Without sashing or borders, 3 x 4 blocks of 12 inches make a 36 x 48 inch baby quilt and 4 x 5 blocks a 48 x 60 inch lap quilt. Sashing and borders add to every measurement, so recount with them included; if the numbers do not divide evenly, a wider border is often the easiest fix. Whole quilts measured against twin, queen and king beds are in the quilt patterns roundup.

1. Square up every block to the same unfinished size before joining.
2. Lay the blocks out on the floor or a design wall and move them until the colors balance.
3. Sew the blocks into rows with a 1/4 inch seam. When the pattern presses seams to one side, press each row’s seams the opposite way from the row next to it, so they nest when the rows meet; with seams pressed open, skip this step.
4. Join the rows, pinning at each seam intersection.

Press rather than slide the iron across an unfinished block: lift it and set it down, and press each seam right after you sew it, in the direction the pattern gives. Pressing matters even more against a white background, and my modern quilt patterns explain how to keep dark seam allowances from showing through.

One Block, Smaller Projects

Several listings suggest uses beyond a full quilt. The maple leaf at 5 inches is sized for coasters, the holiday truck includes steps for a placemat top with the block at its center, and the turkey designer suggests a simple border to turn it into an autumn placemat. The windmill and Two Hearts are both offered as a cushion cover or a small wall hanging, and the Christmas bows block suits a runner, as the cover shows. Finished wall and table pieces for December are in my Christmas quilt patterns.

A single quilt block with a border also makes a pillow front. A 12 inch finished block with a 1 inch finished border on each side, for example, gives a 14 inch front, which you then sew to the size your pillow pattern asks for.

FAQ: Before the First Block

What is the easiest quilt block to make?

A four patch or nine patch, which uses squares only. Of these seven, the maple leaf is the most approachable in my view, since it uses squares and rectangles and the designer says no special rulers are needed.

What are some traditional quilt block patterns?

The nine patch and the pinwheel, which the windmill block reworks, are two of the classics. Most traditional quilt blocks are built using the same few units, such as squares, rectangles and half square triangles.

What is quilt-as-you-go?

A way to quilt a large project in small pieces. In one common version each block is quilted onto its own batting, with or without the backing, and the finished blocks are then joined, often with sashing strips that cover the seams; methods differ in when the backing goes on. The windmill designer suggests it for that block with sashing.

Mixing Sizes in One Sampler

The seven blocks finish at different sizes: the maple leaf at 5, 7.5 or 10 inches, the turkey at 8, the gift and the truck at about 10, the bows at 10 or 10.5 depending on how that size is meant, and the windmill and Two Hearts at 12. Border strips bring them to one size. An 8 inch block with a 2 inch finished border on each side becomes 12 inches, and a 10 inch block needs 1 inch on each side. For finished autumn wall pieces with pumpkins and stars, see my fall quilt patterns.

Add the 1/4 inch seam allowance to every strip you cut, and sew the borders after the block is squared up. This is how quilt block patterns from different designers can share one sampler; whole-quilt designs are in the quilt patterns section.

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