Waterwheel Quilt
Waterwheel is a simple, sparkly quilt that's the perfect size and skill level for a beginner! If you'd like to go bigger, the shapes are easily reusable, or you can double the amount of packs you buy.
Finished Quilt Size: 37" x 43"
What you'll Need:
Paper pieces:
294 (2 packs) 1 1/2” Kites
106 (1 Pack) 3” Equilateral Triangles
Fabric:
(12) 3 1/2” x WOF strips of assorted saturated prints for coloured Kites.
(5) 3 1/2” x WOF strips of white or low volume fabric strips for white Kites
(6) 3 1/4” x WOF strips of white or low volume fabric strips for white Triangles.
1/3 yard for binding
1 1/2 yards for backing
ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES
48" x 58" batting
Rotary cutter/mat/ruler
Embroidery scissors
Hand-sewing needles (Bohin Milliners, size 9)
50-weight thread (Aurifil)
Fabric glue and/or Clover Wonder Clips*
Sewing machine
Pressing tools
*See tutorial for more information on basting.
METRIC CONVERSION CHART
1 inch 2.54cm
1 foot 30.48cm
1/2 yard 45.72cm
1 yard 91.44cm
CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS:
Coloured Kites: Lay the kite template on the 3 1/2” coloured strip and add 3/8” seam allowance on the right side of the template. Flip the template upside down and nest to the previously cut edge, adding a 3/8” seam allowance then cut again for best use of the fabric. Cut 204 coloured kites.
White Kites: Using the same directions as above, but using the white fabric, cut 90 kites.
Triangles: Lay the triangle template on the 3 1/4"” strip and add 3/8” seam allowance on the right side of the template. Flip the template upside down and nest to the previously cut edge, adding a 3/8” seam allowance then cut again for best use of the fabric. Cut 106 triangles.
Coloured Hexagon blocks:
1. Prepare all the pieces for the quilt by basting the fabric to the paper templates.
2. Place two coloured kites right sides together. Starting at the outside edge, whip-stitch the shapes together along the longest side until you get to the end of the point of the two kites. Stitch a few times to anchor the thread. Open the shapes out. Keep the thread attached and add another Kite to the block, stitching back out to the outside edge. Knot and snip.
3. Repeat step 2 to make a second half block. Stitch the two half blocks together.
4. Make (18) coloured hexagons.
Mixed Hexagon blocks:
5. Place a coloured kite and a white kite right sides together and sew. Add a white kite on the other side of the coloured kite.
6. Stitch the other half of the block with one white kite between two coloured kites.
7. Stitch the two half blocks together.
8. Make (28) mixed hexagons.
Half Blocks.
9. Place a coloured kite and a white kite right sides together and sew. Add a white kite on the other side of the coloured kite.
10. Stitch (6) half blocks.
Sew the Columns:
11. This quilt is made from two different laid out columns, Column A and Column B.
12. To make Column A, sew 2 triangles to 2 adjacent sides of a coloured hexagon. This will become the 'top'. On the opposite side, the 'bottom', sew 2 more triangles to the 2 adjacent sides.
13. Sew a mixed hexagon, with a coloured kite pointing to the top, to the triangles under the first hexagon. Sew 2 more triangles to the bottom of the column.
14. Sew a mixed hexagon with a coloured kite pointing to the bottom, to the triangles below the second hexagon. Sew 2 more triangles to the bottom of the column.
15. Repeat this pattern as shown in the column diagram until (7) hexagons are sewn into a column. Make (4) Column A
16. To make Column B, take a half block, with the flat edge at the top, and sew two triangles to the 3" sides.
17. Sew a mixed hexagon with a coloured kite pointing to the bottom, to the triangles below the second hexagon. Sew 2 more triangles to the bottom of the column.
18. Sew a coloured hexagon to the triangles at the bottom of the column. Sew 2 more triangles to the bottom of the column.
19. Sew a mixed hexagon, with a coloured kite pointing to the top, to the triangles under the first hexagon. Sew 2 more triangles to the bottom of the column.
20. Repeat this pattern once, so that there are 6 full hexagons sewn into the column, with a half block at the top. Complete the column with a half block at the bottom.
21. Sew (3) Column B.
Sew the Quilt top.
22. Lay the rows out to check for pleasing colour placement according to the diagram below. Number the rows 1-7.
23. Join the rows in numerical order. Place row 2 over row 1, right sides together. Using 3 stitches for anchoring the threads and small whipstitches for joining the fabric folds, sew the edges of the pieces together. Using Clover Clips to hold points together along the row will keep it from shifting.
Finishing
24. Open out the turn-under of the outside edge pieces and press again.
25. Layer the backing (wrong side up), batting, and quilt top (right side up). Baste the layers together. Quilt as desired. The featured quilt was hand quilted with perle cotton using vertical lines between the diamond points and outlining around the diamonds.
26. Trim the excess quilt top, batting, and backing 1/4” beyond the seam line where the papers have been.
27. Sew the binding strips together end to end using diagonal seams. Press the binding in half wrong sides together.
28. Leaving an 8" tail of binding, sew the binding to the quilt through all layers, matching all raw edges. Miter corners. Stop approximately 12" from where you started. Lay both loose ends of binding flat along quilt edge. Where these two loose ends meet, fold them back on themselves and press to form a crease. Using this crease as your stitching line, sew the two open ends of the binding together right sides together. Trim seam to 1/4" and press open. Finish sewing binding to quilt.
29. Turn the binding to the back of quilt and hand-stitch in place.
