Pinwheel barn quilt pattern
The Pinwheel barn quilt is painted on a 2 × 2 grid. On a 4 × 4 ft board each grid square is 24", and on an 8 × 8 ft board 48". It has 8 shapes in 2 colors.
Four triangles turned to spin around the center, on a two-by-two grid. Only eight shapes: a good first barn quilt.
By Editorial Staff
Measurements for 2, 4 and 8 ft boards
| Board | Grid square | Marks across the top and bottom | Marks down the sides |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 2 ft | 12" | 12" | 12" |
| 4 × 4 ft | 24" | 24" | 24" |
| 8 × 8 ft | 48" | 48" | 48" |
Each mark is measured from the top left corner, rounded to the nearest ⅛". Mark both opposite edges, then join the marks with a straightedge and a sharp pencil.
Paint for the Pinwheel barn quilt
Two coats of exterior latex on the front, at 100 square feet a quart for each coat (labels say 300 to 400 square feet a gallon). Reds and yellows often need a third coat to cover evenly, so buy the next size up for those. Exterior paint starts at a quart, so on a 2 × 2 ft board 8 oz bottles of outdoor acrylic craft paint go further; what is left is for touch-ups.
| Color | Share | 2 × 2 ft | 4 × 4 ft | 8 × 8 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pumpkin | 50% | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (6 oz) | 1 quart (21 oz) |
| 2. White | 50% | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (6 oz) | 1 quart (21 oz) |
| Exterior primer | Front, back, edges | 1 quart (3 oz) | 1 quart (11 oz) | 2 quarts (42 oz) |
Ounces are what the paint takes; the size is what to buy.
Paint the lightest color first: white, then pumpkin. A darker color covers a lighter one that creeps under the tape, but not the other way round. The full method, from priming the board to hanging it, is in how to make a barn quilt.
The Pinwheel as a fabric quilt
The Pinwheel quilt block page has the cutting for four block sizes and the piecing steps. Quilts made with it: Pinwheel.
Try the colors before you paint
Quiltspiration draws any block in any colors, and gives the cut list when you sew it in fabric.
