Here is a photographic walk-through on how I make pinwheels, taking hints from various sources. I actually DID figure out the math this time, and was spot-on, so very proud of myself there. (pat, pat, pat on the back) Only measured the length of each square side before cutting the initial strips-- none of that 'hypotenuse' stuff, believe me. (My 7th grade son would be embarassed about my lack of math retention...)
Step 1: Cut even-sized strips of alternating contrasting colors, then cut into squares. (Mine are 3 1/4", to make a 5"X5" finished pinwheel)
Step 2: Face one of each color square, right-sides together, as exact from tip to tip as possible. With fabric pencil or pen, draw across the square diagonally. (Diagon Alley??) Now sew with your 1/4" mark on the presser foot lined up with the drawn line, going down both sides of the line. You are creating two sets of joined triangles per each square.
Step 3: Cut down the line from corner to corner of each square.
Step 4: Press the triangles open on 'high' setting of iron, if working with cotton. It takes four of these joined squares to make one pinwheel. Eight total triangles.
Step 5: Cut off overhanging tips and threads to neaten squares. At this point, I arrange the pinwheels just to keep my mind straight on how to pin them together.
Step 6: Pin the correct sides together, making sure that they are congruent with the pattern your pinwheel needs. Once you get the first set correct, they are all the same after that, they simply get rotated into position. The pins not only hold the correct pieces together, but are also to remind me which sides I am sewing together. I also sew them at this point one after another, feeding the next after coming off the last, and then cut them apart when finished.
Step 7: Press your rectangles open. The 'point' of your pinwheel half should fall about 1/4" short from the edge-- this is exactly what you want when you go to sew the two sides together, as it is your seam allowance.
Step 8: Pin the two halves of the rectangle PRECISELY, (right sides facing together) after making sure you rotate one half to create the pinwheel. I drive one guide pin up through the point of one rectangle, and then spear the second half again right through the other point, then line up the corners keeping the pin in place. With that center guide pin, you can then pin the rest of the side and know that, when you sew down that center seam, your points will be touching. I take out the guide pin before sewing-- I found that, when I laid it over to push through the rest of the fabric, it would shift the top over and the centers were no longer aligned. The photo shows the guide pin still straight up and down at the points before being removed, having already pinned the side in place. Sew with 1/4" seam allowance.
Step 9: Press the center seam open, and press it hard! I press first from the bottom, and then on the top side of the pinwheel. And VOILA! It's ready to sew as a square!
Just as an aside***
I had some fun arranging the initial split squares to see how they would look in other designs. The geometry can do some really fascinating things when aligned in various ways. Below is an accent pillow I MUST make to compliment the main pillow when this is done, as the colors will be the same palette, but wow, what a difference swapping out two corners of a pinwheel can make!
Below is the layout now for the bargello pillow, along with the framing strips sewn in place. There will be final strips on the outside of the pinwheels as well to anchor the sides, and then it will be time to quilt!!!
I will be back to post more soon, will put up a picture of the finished top before beginning to quilt it. Thanks for sharing this with me, it's exciting stuff! :)
