Month 7 Making Some Pinwheels

[Barbara B.]

You'll like this month--only half of the pinwheels for the next border are being made. Next month, the other half will be done.

To make the best use of my cutting time, which really involves lots of "fabric handling" time, I cut the fabrics for ALL the pinwheels and ALL the flying geese, at the same time. My blog will walk you through this process:

http://bbquiltmaker.blogspot.com/2017/06/halo-star-medallion-month-7.html

[Vernell F.]

Watch 2 videos this am and now have printed out the blog. Always have aimed for perfect and have often been disappointed when I have had to re sew. Will try these ideas and practice.

[Newsletter S.]

Thank you for helping show an easy understandable method each month.

[sewing88]

I know I'm over looking something but what size does the 2 floater's need to be before we add the pinwheel's to our quilt? Thank you

[sewing88]

OK, now I know I had a DUH moment. Sorry, after I ask this I saw your blog. Not really trying to jump ahead.

[Vernell F.]

I have been stressing over making the pinwheels perfect. Is the a fail safe way to make all the points meet exactly at the center. If mine meet perfectly it is because a re-sew ad nauseum.

[Barbara B.]

Sawdust, if you struggle with those pinwheel intersections, where 8 fabrics come together, try basting the center before you sew for real. To do this, pin as you normally would, but turn your stitch length up long, mine is a 5 for big stitches. Then just sew about 1" at the intersection, 1/2" before the intersection, through the middle, 1/2" beyond it--that's about 5-6 stitches total. Go slow, just trying to keep it all together. Take it out of the machine and check the middle. If you are happy, turn the stitch length back to normal and now sew the entire pinwheel seam from edge to edge. If you are not happy, quickly pull out those big stitches and try again.

Another tip: be sure your half square triangles are exactly 2" square, press firmly to the darker fabric, then sew the top half and bottom half of the pinwheels. Check each pair to be sure they are both 2" x 3.5". When both halves are the correct size, baste that center intersection before you sew for real. It is no fun having to rip out little stitches through all those seams--you probably know that. I call this "ruler checking your work". If each unit is not the right size when first made, it will not miraculously become the right size when you do the next step. After checking yourself on a dozen or so, at most, you'll have it down pretty well and the rest should go together faster and easier.

Good luck!

[Vernell F.]

Maybe best tip is slow down. Pressing may also been part of the problem. 4 out of 5 were done first time. Thanks :P

[Vernell F.]

Hi Barbara! I am a Barbara too! Also from North Alabama "Sheffield" Moved to Texas in 1940 Don't you love the Quilt Show? I like your idea for making pinwheels

[Vernell F.]

Both of my pinwheel rows are an inch to big, half square triangle blocks are the correct size as is the pinwheel block. I use Superior's Bottom thread, I checked the print out before making all of them and it was correct. I can't figure out what I did wrong! They are 64 1/2 x 3 1/2 and 58 1/2 x 3 1/2.

[Barbara B.]

Since they are 3.5" wide, you did make the half square triangles the correct size. So the problem comes with seam allowance as you sewed the HST into pinwheels, then joined the pinwheels together. With 19 pinwheels on the sides and 21 on top/bottom, just being a couple threads off with each seam will add up. I recommend you check yourself as you join pinwheels--two sewn together should be 6.5", 2 pairs of pinwheels are 12.5", etc. You will quickly find where the seams are a bit too narrow so you can snug them up. Even though your borders are now complete, you can still use a small ruler to check the measurements of each pinwheel or set of pinwheels and snug up as necessary. The other alternative is to use them as is and have larger floater borders, perhaps two borders as you will see Sue did. My preference would be to adjust the seams on the pinwheel borders now. But the choice is entirely yours, neither is "right" or "wrong".

[Barbara B.]

Thank you for responding. I did check and they are the right size. I will check them with a different ruler. Maybe its just my old eyes!

[Holly M.]

Barbara...I hope you might be able to help on this:
I am just now getting to the pinwheels...I know why the paper pieced pattern is missing a HST in the bottom corner but it seems like a real waste of fabric...and sewing. Since I am so far behind, I will be doing all of my cutting and sewing for the pinwheels at the same time. I could not find any reference for altering...the math is pretty easy and I think I could disperse the extras of a color into the rows. Perhaps someone could direct me to where I might find a pattern for a whole sheet of HST made this method.
Thanks sew much,
Holly

[Barbara B.]

I googled "Half Square Triangle Paper" and found this:

http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/support-files/15inch24hst.pdf

As you can see, you can simply draw in the rest of those lines on the pattern we have.

[Holly M.]

Thanks, Barbara, for the link. I could fill them in or just use this pattern. What did everyone else do with the widowed fabric from Sue's HST pattern? I might be calling it quits after I finish the pinwheel round.
Holly