Free 3 Yard Quilt Pattern: Weathervane

Sew a beautiful Weathervane Quilt Pattern with just 3 yards of fabric! 3 yard quilt patterns are super popular right now and easy to sew. If you have 3 one yard cuts of fabric in your stash and are feeling creative, let’s sew a quilt. The Weathervane Quilt Pattern from SewCanShe is a 52” x 52” throw quilt pattern that showcases Weathervane Quilt Blocks mixed with some Windmill Quilt Blocks to really make the Weathervane dance!

This blog post has been converted to an optional PDF that’s optimized for printing. Find it here. The free Weathervane 3 Yard Quilt Pattern is included in the blog post below and is totally free to read, print, and sew! Just hit CTRL +P on your computer to print. The PDF download is inexpensive and optional. Did you know you can get ALL the Optimized for Printing PDF files organized in a library for you to access anytime you want? Check it out.

What size quilt does 3 yards make?

Most 3 yard quilts are throw quilts or lap quilts because they don’t require a lot of fabric. You can also make a darling baby quilt with 3 yards of fabric. Since this type of quilt isn’t very big, you can finish your quilt quickly and give it as a gift or use it in your home. Because of the size, throw quilts like this one are easy to quilt on a domestic sewing machine. This Weathervane quilt pattern teaches shortcut methods for sewing half square triangles and flying geese units. It is great for beginners.

You’ll have enough fabric to finish the quilt top including 9 blocks and 2 borders. More fabric is required for the backing and binding.

If you love to use your AccuQuilt fabric cutter like I do, I’ll share the optional cutting die numbers to make this pattern Accuquilt-friendly. Using an Accuquilt is optional, but I love it! See all my Accuquilt-friendly quilts. Look under the cutting dimensions below for a list of fabric-cutting dies you may use instead.

Except for the strips, all of the dies I used for this quilt were in the GO! Qube Mix & Match 10″ Block set.

How to Choose the Right 3 Yards of Fabric

All my 3 Yard Quilt Patterns make it really easy to pick your fabric. First find a beautiful ‘focus fabric’ in your stash or at your local quilt shop. This should be a fabric that really sings to you – or that makes you think of the intended recipient of the quilt.

In the example above, I wanted a lush floral quilt, so my focus fabric is from the Chic Escape collection by Tilda Fabrics.

After you have chosen your focus fabric, choose one coordinating fabric that is lighter and one coordinating fabric that is darker. Both of my coordinating fabrics are Moda Grunge Basics.

Wouldn’t this quilt pattern make a beautiful baby quilt too? The focus fabric in the quilt above is the llama print in the Hibiscus Collection by Riley Blake Fabrics.

If you follow these instructions for choosing your fabrics, you can’t go wrong, and you probably already have 3 fabrics in your stash that will make a beautiful quilt.

Weathervane Free Three Yard Quilt Pattern

This free quilt pattern includes instructions for 2 different blocks: the Weathervane Block and a Windmill Block variation (there are 100’s of different windmill blocks!). Both of these blocks have 2 1/2” squares in the corners and they look great together. There are a total of 9 blocks in the quilt and each block finishes at 15”.

The finished throw quilt is 52” x 52”. It’s perfect for snuggling on the couch or donating to Project Linus, or another worthy organization.

Important note: This pattern squeezes as much as possible out of each yard of fabric. The width of each piece must have 42” of usable fabric. Most fabric printed in the last 5-10 years will work great because it’s 44” wide, including the selvages so it is 42-43” wide after you cut off the selvage. Please measure the width of your fabric pieces before getting started to make sure and follow the cutting charts below carefully.

You will need:

• 3 one yard cuts of fabric (a main focus fabric, one darker fabric, and one lighter fabric)
• a rotary cutter acrylic ruler, and mat
• sewing machine
• thread (I suggest thread matching the lighter fabric)
• ironing board and iron
• pencil or fabric marking pen

To sew the quilt top into a finished quilt, you will also need:

• 3 1/2 yards of backing fabric (or enough to piece together a 57” x 57” quilt back)
• a piece of quilt batting at least 57” x 57”
• 1/2 yard of binding fabric

Cutting:

Fabric A is your focus fabric. From this fabric, cut:

• 20 rectangles 3” x 5 1/2”
• 5 squares 6 1/2” x 6 1/2”
• 8 squares 6” x 6”
• 5 strips 2 1/2” x 42”

You will need to sew together the 5 strips to make the outer border. It is best to wait until it’s time to make that border. Then you can measure the quilt top and cut exactly what you need.

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• The 3” x 5 1/2” rectangles may be cut with die 55810 (in the 10” Qube set)
• Instead of cutting 6 1/2” squares, cut 20 5” finished QST triangles with die 55806 (in the 10” Qube set)
• Instead of cutting 6” squares, cut 16 5” finished HST triangles with die 55805 (in the 10” Qube set)
• The strips may be cut with the 2 1/2” strip cutter die 55017

Fabric B is the darker fabric. From this fabric, cut:

• 5 squares 5 1/2” x 5 1/2”
• 20 squares 3 1/2” x 3 1/2”
• 36 squares 3” x 3”
• 4 squares 6 1/2” x 6 1/2”
• 5 strips 2” x 42”

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• The 5 1/2” squares may be cut with die 55803 (in the 10” Qube set)
• The 3” squares may be cut with die 55804 (in the 10” Qube set)
• Instead of cutting 3 1/2” squares, cut 40 2 1/2” finished HST triangles with die 55807 (in the 10” Qube set)
• Instead of cutting 6 1/2” squares, cut 20 5” finished QST triangles with die 55806 (in the 10” Qube set)
• The strips may be cut with the 2” strip cutter die 55025

Note: I only used my AccuQuilt cutter to cut the HST and QST triangles.

Fabric C is the lighter fabric. From this fabric, cut:

• 4 squares 6 1/2” x 6 1/2”
• 40 squares 3 1/2” x 3 1/2”
• 20 squares 3” x 3”
• 16 rectangles 3” x 10 1/2”

Optional Accuquilt cutting instructions:

• Instead of cutting 6 1/2” squares, cut 20 5” finished QST triangles with die 55806 (in the 10” Qube set)
• Instead of cutting 3 1/2” squares, cut 80 2 1/2” finished HST triangles with die 55807 (in the 10” Qube set)
• The 3” squares may be cut with die 55804 (in the 10” Qube set)

Note: I only used my AccuQuilt cutter to cut the HST and QST triangles.

Quilt Piecing

Use a 1/4’’ seam allowance and a regular stitch length such as 2 – 2.5.

How to Sew the Weathervane Quilt Block

Make 40 Half Square Triangles (HST’s)

1. Use the pencil or fabric marking pen to draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of all of the 3 1/2” Fabric C squares. This is a cutting line. You will use 20 of the squares now, and the other 20 next to make Flying Geese Units.

Place 20 of the 3 1/2” Fabric C squares right sides together with the 20 3 1/2” Fabric B squares. Pin the squares together.

2. Sew 1/4’’ away from the cutting line on on both sides of the line.

3. Cut each piece in half diagonally along the line. Open and press to make 2 half square triangles (HST units). Trim each HST to 3” square. Repeat to make 40 HST units.

Make 20 Flying Geese Units

1. Place two of the 3 1/2” Fabric C squares right sides together on a 6 1/2’’ Fabric A square,  aligned with opposite corners. The squares will overlap and the drawn lines (from Step 1 above) should make a single diagonal line across the larger square.

2. Sew 1/4’’ away from the drawn line on either side. Cut the piece apart along the line.

3. Fold back the smaller triangles and press. Place another 3 1/2” square right side down on each piece, aligned with the remaining corner as shown. Stitch 1/4’’ away from the drawn line on either side.

4. Cut apart the pieces along the line. Fold back the triangles and press to make 4 flying geese units. Trim the flying geese units to 3’’ x 5 1/2’’.

Make 20 pieces.

Assemble the Weathervane Quilt Blocks

1. Arrange 2 HST units together with one 3” Fabric B square and one 3” Fabric C square as shown above. Sew together in 2 rows. Sew the rows together to make the corner piece.

Make 20 corner units.

2. Sew a flying geese unit to a 3” x 5 1/2” Fabric A rectangle as shown above. Make 20 pieces.

3. Arrange 4 corner pieces and 4 flying geese + rectangle pieces together with a 5 1/2” Fabric B square as shown.

Sew together in 3 rows. Sew the rows together to make the block.

4. Square the block to 15 1/2” x 15 1/2”, if desired. Repeat to make 5 Weathervane blocks.

How to Sew the Windmill Blocks

1. Cut the four 6 1/2” Fabric B and the four Fabric C squares in half diagonally twice. You should have 16 triangles in each fabric.

2. Cut the eight 6” Fabric A squares in half diagonally once. You should have 16 triangles.

3. Sew two smaller triangles (one Fabric B and one Fabric C) together as shown. Press the seam toward the darker fabric.

4. Sew the Fabric B/C set right sides together with a larger Fabric A triangle. Press the seam toward the darker fabric.

Pay careful attention to the orientation of the pieces as shown above. Trim and square up each piece to 5 1/2” x 5 1/2”.

Make 16 pieces.

5. Arrange 4 pieces together, rotating each one to make the windmill design. Sew together in 2 rows. Sew the rows together to make a windmill block center.

Make 4.

6. Sew two 3” x 10 1/2” Fabric C rectangles pieces to the sides of a windmill block center. Make 4.

7. Sew two 3” x 3” Fabric B squares to the ends of a 3” x 10 1/2” Fabric C rectangle. Make 8 pieced strips.

3. Sew two pieced strips to the top and bottom of each block center as shown.

Assemble the Weathervane 3 Yard Quilt

1. Arrange the 9 quilt blocks in an alternating pattern on a large table, a quilt design wall, or the floor.

2. Sew the blocks together to make 3 rows.

3. Sew the quilt block rows together.

Measure and Sew the Inner Border

1. Piece together five 2” strips of the darker fabric (Fabric B) to make an inner border.

The expected length of the side border pieces is 45 1/2”. I highly recommend measuring the quilt top and cutting all border pieces the correct size. See how to cut the correct size quilt borders. Attach the side borders.

2. The expected length of the top and bottom border pieces is 48 1/2”. Measure your quilt and cut 2 strips for the top and bottom border. Attach the top and bottom border pieces.

Measure and Sew the Outer Border

1. Piece together five 2 1/2” Fabric A strips to make an outer border.

The expected length of the outer side border pieces is 48 1/2”. Measure your quilt top with the inner border first and cut the strips the required length. Attach the side border pieces.

2. The expected length of the top and bottom outer border pieces is 52 1/2”. Measure your quilt and cut 2 strips for the top and bottom border. Attach the top and bottom outer border pieces.

Finishing the Weathervane Three Yard Quilt Pattern

1. Cut or piece together a 57” x 57” piece of quilt backing fabric and make a quilt sandwich with the backing, batting, and top.

2. Baste together with fusible batting, pins or basting spray.

3. Quilt as desired. Straight line quilting or cross hatch quilting with your walking foot would be fast and easy.

4. Cut 5 binding strips and bind using your favorite method. This is my favorite quilt binding method.

xoxo,