How to Make a Baby Quilt with Ducks and Pinwheel Blocks: Step by Step

This quilt is perfect for babies: cheerful, delicate and made with traditional patchwork techniques and duck applique. It mixes pinwheel blocks, simple squares and duck appliques, with soft fabrics in shades of green, yellow and orange.

🧸 Necessary Materials
100% cotton fabrics in the following colors:

White or cream (background)

Light and dark green (blocks)

Yellow and orange (ducks)

Acrylic blanket (R1 or R2)

Lining fabric

Permanent heat-sealant (or Heat’n Bond paper)

Sewing thread (in the colors of the fabrics)

Pins and scissors

Sewing machine

Iron

Duck template (I can generate one for you, if you want)

📏 Final size (approximate)
80 cm x 110 cm (adjustable according to your preference)

🧩 Step 1: Create the Patchwork Blocks
1. Pinwheel Block
You will need:

2 10×10 cm squares in green

2 10×10 cm squares in white

How to make:

Join a square green and one white, right sides together.

Draw a diagonal on the wrong side and sew 0.75 cm on each side of the line.

Cut along the drawn line.

Open, iron, and you will have 2 triangles (HSTs).

Assemble the pinwheel with the 4 HSTs.

Sew the quadrants together to form the block.

Tip: Make 3 blocks as in the image.

2. Simple Square Block
Use 5×5 cm squares in printed greens (polka dots, plaid, etc.) and sew 4 together to form a 10×10 cm square.

🐤 Step 2: Duckling Applique
1. Duckling Pattern
The duckling is made up of:

Oval body

Smallest wing overlapping

Round head

Beak and paw

Tip: I can create this pattern in PDF for you to print!

2. How to make the applique
Iron the back of the fabrics (yellow, orange).

Cut out the parts.

Place them on a square with a light background (e.g., white checkered).

Secure with an iron.

Apply with a buttonhole or zigzag stitch.

🪡 Step 3: Assembling the Quilt Top
Assemble as follows (from left to right):

Row 1
Duck (looking to the right)

Pinwheel block

Duck (looking to the left)

Row 2
Simple square block

Central duck (looking to the front)

Simple square block

Row 3
Pinwheel block

Simple square block

Pinwheel block

Sew the blocks together with a 0.75 cm margin.

🧵 Step 4: Sandwich and Quilting
Assemble the sandwich:

Lining (right side down)

Blanket

Top (right side up)

Pin everything securely.

Quilt as desired:

Quilting straight at the seams

Free-form quilting around the ducklings

📐 Step 5: Finishing
Trim the excess from the blanket.

Cut strips of fabric for the bias (2 inches wide).

Sew the bias all around.

Finish with a blind stitch by hand on the back.

💡 Final Tips
Use pre-washed cotton fabrics to avoid shrinkage.

You can add the baby’s name with appliqué or embroidery.

Ideal for a baby shower gift or as a handmade keepsake.