Polder Patchwork

Inspired by a Delftware plate, Lesley originally intended to make a blue and white quilt but decided the orange and yellow added a bit of pizazz. It is an ideal size as a quilt for a child’s bed. Made using a combination of foundation and quick pieced techniques with the doors and windows appliquéd on after piecing. All of the fabrics used in this project are from the Kaffe Fassett fabric collection by Rowan. Some or all of the fabrics can easily be substituted for other makes.

General Construction

Selecting which fabrics to use for the blocks is a matter of personal preference and as such this project provides an ideal opportunity for experimentation. Care should be taken with the orientation of striped and patterned fabrics.

Lesley’s instructions trim excess fabric from the the borders and sashing strips after they are sewn. if you prefer to cut exact strip sizes, adjust the strip measurements accordingly.

Windmill Blocks

Each block is constructed of five separately pieced units with the addition of sashing. The fabric codes are as follows:

• a - background
• b - sails
• c - building
• d - balcony
• e - roof

1. Using the templates provided on and a suitable foundation-piecing or hand-piecing technique, construct your six basic windmill blocks as shown in Figure 1.

   Please remember that the finished blocks will appear to be the reverse of the templates provided.

2. Using hand or machine appliqué, add a door and window. The templates are provided but add seam allowances for hand appliqué.

3. For each completed basic block add the following sashing, trimming excess fabric as you go:
   • Two strips 12 x 1 1⁄2in from background fabric for the sides
   • One strip 11 x 1 1⁄2in from background fabric for the top
   • One strip 11 x 2 1⁄2in from patterned fabric for the bottom
   The blocks should measure 10 x 14in with sashing. To add variety to your quilt why not try introducing some mirrored windmills, or vary the position of the doors and windows?

Sashing Corners

1. From your selection of fabrics cut twenty four 2 3⁄8in squares.
2. For each block, randomly select a pair of squares, place RS together and press. Cut across a single diagonal from corner to corner to create four triangles (two of each colour).
3. Sew together to form a quarter square triangle block (see Figure 2). Make a total of twelve blocks 2 1⁄2in square.

Pinwheel Blocks

From your selection of fabrics cut:
• forty six 4 1⁄8in squares from striped fabric
• forty six 4 1⁄8in squares from plain/patterned fabric

1. Place your squares in two piles. Working from each pile, randomly select a pair of squares, place RS together and press.
2. With a fine pencil or other suitable marker draw both diagonal lines from corner to corner across the square.
3. Using a scant seam allowance sew alongside the diagonals as shown in Figure 3.
4. Using a rotary cutter cut along both of the original diagonals. Open and press the resulting triangles. Stitch triangles together to form a pinwheel using the quarter square triangle technique. Press. Make forty six blocks 4 1⁄2in square.

   Note: this method of construction ensures that you get identical triangle pieces and lessens bias stretch.

Assembling the top

Work from the centre of the quilt outwards. From patterned fabric cut:
• six 11 x 2 1⁄2in sashing strips
• nine 15 x 2 1⁄2in sashing strips
• two 52 x 1 1⁄2in strips of blue for first side border
• two 29 x 1 1⁄2in strips of blue for top and bottom borders
• two 62 x 2 1⁄2in strips of blue for second side border
• two 41 x 2 1⁄2in of blue for second top and bottom borders

1. Attach strips and quarter square triangles as shown in the photo. Join blocks and strips into horizontal rows first. Trim excess fabric from the sashing strips as you proceed.
2. Using the dark blue fabric strips sew to the top RS together, trimming excess fabric as before.
3. Take thirteen pinwheel blocks and join together into a strip. Make another strip in the same way.
4. Matching ends and centre points, attach one pinwheel strip to the sides of the quilt, easing in any fullness.
5. Join nine pinwheel blocks to form a strip. Make two strips in total.
6. Matching ends and centre points, attach one pinwheel strip to the top and bottom of the quilt, easing in any fullness of fabric.
7. Using dark blue fabric add the second border to your quilt top, trimming excess fabric as you go. Your quilt top is now complete.

Quilting and Binding

1. Cut and join the backing fabric - it should be at least 46 x 70in for commercial long arm quilting. For quilting at home it needs to be about 2in larger all round than your quilt top.
2. Layer the backing, wadding and quilt top together. Baste and quilt as desired. Lesley’s quilt was long-arm machine quilted by Jan Chandler of Quilting Solutions. Jan stitched in the ditch around the windmills, sails, doors and windows and stippled the sky. The foreground was left unquilted to give an impression of depth within the view. The sashings were cross-hatched whilst the borders and the sails were quilted with a curve to give an impression of movement. A navy blue quilting thread was used throughout.
3. Cut 2in wide strips from the denim blue fabric (six widths should be sufficient) to measure 214in (544cm). Join binding strips across the bias.
4. Starting in the centre of the bottom edge and with RS together, attach the single binding to the edge of the quilt, carefully working the bias corners. Slip stitch in place on the reverse making sure that you cover any lines of machine stitching at the edge of the quilt. Add your label.

Suppliers

• Kaffe Fassett fabrics are available from Rowan stockists nationwide.
• Quilting Solutions offers a complete custom machine quilting service including basting for hand-quilters; all-over quilting and customised quilting which can follow the contours of a pieced or appliquéd design. Traditional and contemporary quilting designs are available. For further details or a catalogue, visit the website

First published in Popular Patchwork Volume 10 Number 7 - July 2002