Weathervane Quilt Block

Skill level: Confident Beginner

Whether the quilting winds blow traditional or modern at your house, the Weathervane Quilt Block pattern could easily find its way onto your list of favorite blocks. This little 9-patch block lends itself well to both classic and contemporary quilt designs. While technically it’s a “star” pattern, it has fewer star points than most blocks that are categorized as a star. Recently, it has been a popular pattern among modern quilters, as many believe it’s clean and simple lines lend itself to a “fresh” look.

This symmetrical design, with its use of HSTs and squares in each corner, is reminiscent of the blades on a weather vane (or windmill, too, in my mind) thus its name. According to Jinny Beyer ‘s research, the design first appeared in print in 1929 in the Kansas City Star. It is particularly well suited to “scrappy” designs, as you can see here in this Robert Kaufman pattern which has been created in traditional 30’s reproduction prints.

When the block is grouped together in straight sets, an “X” design appears in the corners where four blocks meet. Here is an example of how a grouping of Weathervane quilt blocks would render:

Grouping Example

A grouping of Weathervane Quilt Blocks

Block Construction

Click the image below to download a pattern for the Weathervane Quilt Block.

Exploded version of the Weathervane Quilt Block

Coloring Sheets

Click to download coloring sheets for the Weathervane Quilt Block.