Have you made a Twisted Pinwheel Quilt...need help
 

Have you made a Twisted Pinwheel Quilt useing a template ? if so I need some help.....got a quarter finished quilt top from a friend, said I would finish it for a charity donation.....she had all the 5" squares sewn together and had started to cut them out had perhaps 2 rows done.....so I went in there and finished cutting all the pinwheel out and then said now what....O.M.G. I have such a mess....it is like putting together a huge giant puzzle....trying to match colors left, right, top bottom and then the sides....
i currently have them all pinned on my design wall....having a terrible time on the last couple rows because nothing is matching.....
May I assume that I should have kept track of the squares when I cut them out (now a dumb after thought)......is there an easy way and then a hard way to do this pattern....
I am liking the end result....however it has been really....really...taxing my few remaining brain cells.
Help please :)

Mini Twisted Pinwheel
 

Is this the type of pinwheel you're talking about? I've made one full sized throw quilt and several table toppers and along came the mini - of course I had to buy the template and try making one; this is all the further I've gotten with it so far. I pinned it to a hanging rack the backing is there; I just need to decide how I want to quilt it.

I initially took a class to learn how to make these and the one thing the instructor emphasized is that you lay them out (keep them together) as your cutting them out otherwise you will have a huge puzzle to try an put back together.

I wish there was a simpler solution to your dilemma but there really isn't.

Good luck.

As I suspected....I was my own worst enemy....I jumped in with both feet and went up to my eyeballs !!!!!!
I am down to the last row and think the easiest way out of my situation will be to create some of the last couple pieces by taking apart some of my left over squares....No matter what quilting is a learning process.....

I think you made yourself a jigsaw puzzle :( Yes, you should have kept them all in order as you cut then - then it's a simple twist to set them again. Given what you have now - if you have the scraps (or a photo) of the original layout, that would help a LOT. Otherwise - I love puzzles. Send a pic and I'll see if I can help you find a working layout.

Do you by chance have the leftover fabric from where you cut the squares ? Maybe that can help you get the block placement back in order ?

Does that make sense ?

thank you for your concern and help.....as I said I am down to the last row.....will just take apart and remake some square....hopefully without too much stress....
This whole problem is my fault as I ASSUMED they would go back together with EASE......DUMB....DUMB....DUMB !!!!

I've never made a twisted pinwheel, but I have done thing to make quilting harder for myself. Please don't call yourself dumb - we imprint such things on our brains when we do that. Call yourself an adventurer who made a wrong turn and knows how to fix it. Go ahead and use the help you received here so you can post a finished picture of your quilt. I think the twisters are so cute and you can do so much with the leftovers.

When I made mine, I only cut one row and sewed that, then cut my next row. I know I would have gotten really mixed up if I tried to do any more than that. It may have taken a bit longer, but didn't want to have any problems putting it together. Yes, please share a picture!

... And how sweet are you....Thank you for your words of encourgement....I really needed that as I was feeling so very D__b..... I guess I just figured it would be so simple and believe me it is not when you are looking at like 200 squares.......am down to the last row......and will just take some squares apart and re-sew them into the correct combinations......NEVER AGAIN.....Will I Assume.....or should I say for at least the next 24 hours.....

what was interesting about this pertecular top as my friend did every other square in WHITE, so the pinwheels stand alone rather than intertwining together....which of course make it that much harder to put together.......
Am drinking a lot !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

This is how I have done mine -- took a class and the teacher said if that is the only thing we remembered from the class we would have our moneys worth.

I also took a class and the instructor said to do one row at a time or we would get very mixed up. I guess she was right. The one problem I had was the very first cut I had the template up side down, and rather than stopping right then I continued and tried to sew that one last. I had a terrible time and of course there was no more fabric to cut a new piece. It too me days, but I finally got it done. I'll never do that again!!!
Sue

Do one row at a time ask me how I know. When you do you will get addicted.

I just figured right from the start I would have trouble so I laid out (near my sewing machine) 2 rows.As I sewed the row together moved that off and put up the next row. That way I always had the half pinwheel to compare with. I kind of have dyslexia so I have to be careful with everything. Double check sometimes multiple times.Sigh I feel your pain

Maybe that's why you're having so much trouble!!! LOL! :)

Don't beat yourself up over the woulda, coulda, shouldas. We all learn from our oopsies. I don't cut all the way from corner to corner around the blocks. To start sewing the blocks together I take my snips and cut the corners of 2 blocks and sew, more snipping and another block is added. More snipping....... hey, I get my exercise and my little brain doesn't get too addled. ;~)

piney

We had our first hot air baloon festival here in little "ole" Sequim WA this month and some of those same balloons were here. I recognize them and have pictures of all of them that we here we had 12 in all 3 of which were big bees. I am having same problem with the twister, i sew the squares together, cut them out but none of the pinwheels have 4 matching sections. looks like a paint ball contest. There must be a way to lay the colors out before sewing the original squares together so when cut out they will all fit together each making a full pinwheel of its own color. If you ever found help or there is a book or diagram I can purchase, please let me know
Thanks,
Evelyn
PS mine is for a xmas stocking I bought the pattern from Bean Counter and it is just adorable even with irratic fabric positioning

That's what I was going to suggest!

I finally figured out my pieces, here is the finished quilt.....
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t201571.html

Are you sewing ALL your pieces together at once.....


You sew a simple larger than needed quilt of blocks.....I believe they say it will reduce in size 30%
then you start to cut your twister pieces. Do one row at a time, I started left to right....was finding that I
was over cutting into the next block so I used a pencil first and marked my cutting lines so I didn't over-cut from one block into another. If you have a planning board this is a perfect time to use it, cut your first put it on the board
cut the next, and the next....when you are done with first row, then start the second row..... (I didn't do this just cut and stacked and whatever...big mistake)....It was a huge learning curve for me, but I did it....if you need more help PLEASE....PM me and I will help you any way I can....it is way fun once you figure it out !!!!!

That is the same way I did mine... one row at a time. I was worried if I did it differently, I would totally hose it.
I should make another one of those. It was kind of fun :D

I love the finished project! The white really makes the pinwheels pop!

You have to be very very careful ask me how I know. Only do one row at a time. You can figure it out it takes some time. I got it all back together using only one square to re d, with the scraps.

The Twister pattern is confusing at times until you "get" how the pattern works...you know the top row, side rows and bottom rows always have a piece of the border fabric. The insides match on each block with the pieces that surround them. My first twister I sewed one row at a time. I have taught this class and if they didn't sew them one row at a time I suggested they stack them and mark each row or use sticky dots and number them by row and or block. I have made probably 15/20 twisters now and just stack as I cut and sew all after its cut....its a fantastic pattern.

I guess I am a rebel. I cut all of mine and stacked them up and then sewed. Honestly, the hardest part was the cutting. It was so awkward and mine were not perfect. Definitely will not do one in the larger size again. Like the appearance but not the cutting.