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Tropical 11-27-2010 10:11 PM

Can someone please tell me how to make the four center points match on my pinwheel blocks? I can only get three to meet perfectly and don't understand why. The first time I made a pinwheel block it came out right. Since then only three. I'm so disappointed because the quilt is for one of my great-grandaughters.
Thank you for any help.

mosaicthinking 11-27-2010 10:35 PM

My thoughts: Press your seams in opposite directions so they 'lock' together. Oh and do make sure you pin the whole seam if you're a beginner like me. I saw in the Winding Ways book that you should only take small 'bites' of the fabric when you pin your seams together - I have been trying to do that since reading that book and I think it helps. Other than that, all I can suggest is to keep going. The more pinwheels you make, the better you'll get at it and the closer you will be to having a finished quilt for your great-grandaughter. I'm sure she'll love it even with a couple of less than perfect centres.

Connie in CO 11-27-2010 10:48 PM

I just make sure the seams are going in different directions and i make sure the 2 seams nest against each other.

Farm Quilter 11-27-2010 10:48 PM

For perfect pinwheels, try putting 2 squares together, sew 1/4 inch all around the outside then cut on the diagonal twice to get for HSTs. Spin them around and you have your pinwheel. If you make the beginning squares a little on the large size you can easily square them up to the correct size.

There is a tutorial out there on this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekYpJzHoW6E

woody 11-27-2010 10:50 PM

I thought this was interesting, pressing your seams open

http://fiberfantasies.wordpress.com/...ect-pinwheels/

Scissor Queen 11-27-2010 10:52 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Press all your seams either to the pinwheel fabric or to the background fabric. All your seams will nest that way. Put the piece on the bottom so the seam allowance goes away from the feed dogs. That helps pull those two seams together. Then make a couple of jillion of them. Babies won't notice if they're not perfect and for that matter most other people won't notice one or two centers that are off.

Farm Quilter 11-27-2010 11:03 PM


Originally Posted by woody
I thought this was interesting, pressing your seams open

http://fiberfantasies.wordpress.com/...ect-pinwheels/

I do this with all my pinwheel seams because you end up with a huge lump in the middle if you don't and as a long-arm quilter, they are a bugger to quilt over - can deflect the needle and foul up the stitches or shove the needle to a place you don't want it to go at all!

Sadiemae 11-27-2010 11:14 PM


Originally Posted by Farm Quilter

Originally Posted by woody
I thought this was interesting, pressing your seams open

http://fiberfantasies.wordpress.com/...ect-pinwheels/

I do this with all my pinwheel seams because you end up with a huge lump in the middle if you don't and as a long-arm quilter, they are a bugger to quilt over - can deflect the needle and foul up the stitches or shove the needle to a place you don't want it to go at all!

I have started doing this also.

Tropical 11-27-2010 11:33 PM

Thanks so much. The tutorial is a big help. I feel better already.

craftybear 11-28-2010 01:06 AM

thanks for the links and tips

Deecee 11-28-2010 04:00 AM


Originally Posted by woody
I thought this was interesting, pressing your seams open

http://fiberfantasies.wordpress.com/...ect-pinwheels/

Interesting link Woody. Must give this way a try in future.


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