Make a pinwheel block

1. Select five fat quarters of fabric: two light-coloured (we used Village Horizon Rise and Soaring Free Cloudy), two mid-tones (Overland Journey Orange and Forest Leaves Raspberry) and one dark (River Shadows Midnight). Download the template, print and trace onto thin card making sure to include the 5mm seam allowance. Note that the solid line is the sewing line and the dashed line is the cutting line.

2. Trace around the templates onto the reverse of your fabrics. Use the darkest fabric for piece 3, the mid tones for pieces 1 and 4 and the lightest materials for pieces 2 and 5. Cut out four of each shape.

3. Join pieces 1 and 2 to create a right-angled isosceles triangle [1], and press the seam. Join pieces 3, 4 and 5 to make a matching triangle [2], and press. Join the two sections together to make a square [3].

4. Create three more squares, and press. If necessary, trim the edges with a rotary cutter so each one is exactly a 16cm square including the seam allowances on each edge. Rotate the squares so that the darkest triangle of fabric points inwards and stitch together to make a large square.

Sew a quilt

1. Make five pinwheel blocks. Fussy cut four 31cm squares of a feature fabric such as Animalia Splend our, so the main design is central.

2. Cut five 11cm x 31cm pieces from each of four prints (we’ve used Moonmoth Dusty, African Palm Turquoise, Overland Journey Lime and Tribal Stripe Grass). Cut two 11cm x 16cm pieces from the remaining fat quarter and sew together to make a sixth panel.

3. Using the leftover River Shadows Midnight and Animalia Splendour, cut eight 11cm squares of each to make cornerstones. Piece the panels together so that each block is surrounded by four 11cm x 31cm panels and four cornerstones, referring to the picture for guidance. Stitch into horizontal strips with a 5mm seam allowance before sewing together on the long edges, matching up seams as you do so.

4. Press the quilt top. Fold under 5mm along each edge and tack, mitring the corners neatly. Lay white cotton down as backing fabric, place the wadding on top and position the quilt top over the stack. Pin in place at regular intervals before quilting the layers together along the seam lines.

5. Trim the wadding to the size of the hemmed quilt top. Cut the backing fabric 2cm bigger than the quilt top and fold the edges over the wadding to line up with the hem. Mitre the corners. Pin, then topstitch the edges together.