Make this Summer quilt with stars and pinwheels using your favorite quilting fabrics. An easy quilt pattern perfect as summer decoration!
I came across Moda Fabric’s Rainbow Garden collection and was struck by the brightness of the prints and the whimsical garden motifs. So, I set out to design a quilt that would showcase those fabrics I loved so much. Yes, fabrics are often the source of inspiration for my designs.
“Summer Groove” measures 73″ x 87-1/2″ with blocks that finish at 6″, 10″, and 12″. I wanted to include a lot of movement in the design because that is what summer is like: spending hours at a time outdoors, whether in the garden, at the beach, or just walking around and enjoying the blue sky, nature’s gorgeous palette, and amazing sounds.
The alternating pinwheels, the watering cans that face opposite directions, and the star blocks with the center square placed either up or down denote the dance that was going on in my mind while I was designing the quilt. As for designing, I work with EQ8, the software by The Electric Company, instead of sketching my ideas on paper (affiliate link).
All the blocks I chose for this quilt are easy to make. The spout of the watering can is paper pieced, yet the shape is straightforward – ideal for those new to this technique. Here is a tutorial to show how simple paper piecing can be. The flowers and leaves are fused and machine-appliqued using the blanket stitch, but you can use any stitch you like.
When I first began quilting, the background of the blocks I stitched was always made with solid fabrics. No more! It is so fun to add texture to a quilt with low-volume fabrics or prints with very small motifs. I love the tiny stars on the block above!
When auditioning fabrics from your stash for the blocks in the Summer Groove quilt pattern, be sure to choose fabrics that contrast with one another to achieve the best results. Notice how I changed the location of the colors in the block above – usually, we find the light one in place of the navy blue but, hey, why not shuffle things around?
Melissa, from Sew Shabby Quilting, quilted this Summer quilt with stars and pinwheels with a simple, fun design called Shine. So cool.
Today, the sky is preparing for a drizzle. The colors in Summer Groove cheer me up no matter the weather though, and that is exactly the point of working with bright colors, right? The red pinwheel blocks were made with a solid fabric, the only one I used in this whole project!
You see, it is possible to use all prints and still achieve a harmonious, not busy, look. Just vary the scale of the prints and make sure you have a lot of negative space – even if that space features small prints.
Ahhh, this rainbow sunshine. So appropriate for the month of June! The hanging sleeve for Summer Groove is cut from the same backing fabric and here is a tutorial showing how I put it together.
Do you piece your backings? I mean, really piece it, using different fabrics or blocks, almost making a two-sided quilt? I have done it in a couple of projects but prefer to use one fabric for the backing. If it is a wide back, it is even better. Usually, one or two vertical seams for very large quilts, or one vertical or horizontal seam for medium-size quilts, is what I go for. At that point of the project, I really want to get it done and sit down to attach the binding…
… which I do the traditional way – stitching the binding to the front, folding it back, and hand-stitching it using the slip stitch. The fabric color I choose for the binding could match the last border (as shown here), could contrast with it by being darker or lighter, or have a fun texture such as stripes that pick up some of the colors from the quilt top. Do you have a preference?
Have you ever pieced the binding using many scraps? Click here to see the quilt where I did it and I think that was the only one.
One of the fun things about Summer Groove is its row-by-row look. The only row I did not repeat was the one with the star blocks. If you want to make more than one quilt, you may consider sewing all the pinwheels, all the stars, etc., and then you just have to put the rows together for the many quilts you are planning.
The pattern for Summer Groove was published in the July 2022 issue of the American Quilter magazine, published by the American Quilter’s Society. The patterns on this issue are beautiful and the quilts that won the Paducah and Branson Quilt Shows are a Must See!!!
Drop me a line and let me know how you liked this Summer quilt with stars and pinwheels. In the meantime, sew away and sing a song!
