For the Pinwheel Quilt Lovers

July 18, 2025

For the Pinwheel Quilt Lovers

Pinwheel Quilt quilt is on the ground with concrete pots close to it. The area closest to the bottom is in focus and blurs as you get to the top of the photo.

In this months Make Modern

Inspired by my Field of Flowers quilt from last year’s Great Jelly Roll Bash, this is Wind Echoes. I am totally into pinwheel quilts and have made many different types over the years.

One of my favorite parts of the drive to California is watching the wind turbines scattered across the landscape. These giant windmills spin slowly against layered mountains. They captivate me. It might be because my parents are from Holland, but I love all things windmill-ish and pinwheels are just mini windmills.

Wind Echoes is my version of a Pinwheel Quilt made with a jelly roll. The quilt is hung in the middle of a local garden full of blooming flowers.

🌀🌀 I guess you could say I’m in my Jelly Roll season here is another Jelly Roll pattern for you.

Design decisions can be hard for me, and that was especially true during last year’s Great Jelly Roll Bash. I knew two things:

I wanted to design a quilt that used multiple blocks contained in rows.
I was obsessed with how the pinwheel row looked on its own.

The row quilt won that round, but I also knew it wouldn’t be long before I turned that idea into a full pattern. Releasing it through Make Modern was the perfect excuse to complete the journey—from design, to writing, to sewing the final quilt.

Pinwheel Quilt

You can find Wind Echoes in Make Modern issue 65, along with detailed instructions to make this quilt and many other gorgeous designs. The issue also includes thoughtful, inspiring quilting articles that make this digital magazine a must-read.

You can purchase the issue on its own, or get a subscription for access to their monthly releases. Wind Echoes is my second pattern featured in Make Modern, and I’m so proud of this one.

Get Issue 65 of Make Modern

The corner of the quilt is in full view. the quilt is folded over itself in a few places so you see some of the back of the quilt.

Please pet the fabric!

Let’s talk about this fabric—because it’s soooo good! I used Salutations by Rashida Coleman-Hale. This collection celebrates the lost art of letter writing and features sweet little motifs like pens, washi tape, paper clips, glue sticks—everything you’d need for a chain letter.

The background fabric is a Ruby Star Society Speckled print in the color Caviar. It’s one of my all-time favorite colors—it’s not your average brown. It has a pinky-purple undertone and the scattered drops of color on top of it give it depth. The deep color and texture create the perfect combination for a moody quilt allowing the yellows and whites in the quilt to shine.

The quilt pattern features 16 interlocking pinwheels—4 in each row. I arranged the colors in a light-to-dark gradient, grouping them diagonally to add a sense of movement.

Everything is blurred other than the bound edges of the quilt.

Quilting the Wind Echoes Pinwheel Quilt

I quilted this beauty on my Bernina Q20 with soft curves and gentle swirls that make me smile. The motion reminds me of playful wind currents—starting and stopping suddenly, shifting direction on a whim.

Because the background fabric has pink in it, I used my cone of Aurifil pink thread to quilt it. I also used black batting—specifically Hobbs 80/20 Black Cotton Batting. It adds a lovely loft and is perfect when working with dark palettes like this one.

All these details came together to create a quilt I’m absolutely in love with. I can’t wait to make more versions from this pattern—it’s perfect for jelly rolls and ideal when you need a quick but beautiful make.