Hi, I am a little foggy at figuring this out right now. I am making a baby blanket-- cutting solid block at 6 1/2 "; and need alternate block - pinwheel to end up same size. Do I cut pinwheel blocks 4 1/2 " and then make 1/2 square triangles from them ? I don't have alot of fabric to waste on errors so will the 4 1/2 " block come out right?? I want 6" finished blocks in the end. Thank you, Elaine

I think that you need to do 4" squares to make your hst's. That will make 3.5" hst. When you join those, you'll end up with 6.5" pinwheel block, unfinished. I always have to trim as I go to end up with the right size.

Hi purple,

this is the way I have it figured.

You are going to make a pinwheel block that is basically a four patch, each one made of half square triangles right..

So, if the finished size of the whole block is 6 inches then your four patches will be 3 inch finished.

To cut the half square triangles for the 3 inch finished patch, cut your squares 3 7/8 and cut in half diagonally. when you sew it back together, you will have a 3 1/2 square that will finish 3 inches.

try it with a scrap of something else and make sure it comes out right before you cut the fabrics that you are short on.

Judy is right. That's the size to cut.

TY Susie, I love the picure in your avatar...

beautiful, hopefully no tornado dropped out of that there...

I know jstitch is right, I just have to cut a little bigger and trim. I tend to end up with hst's that are smaller than I want them to be otherwise. Easier for me to trim down, than stretch them out :)

bj, that is another good way to do it..
I know many people like that method..

Thanks Judy, I took that pic myself. I even entered it in the fair and won a blue ribbon. All we got from those clouds was rain.

What one author suggested - and I don't remember who - suggested making your pinwheel squares first, and then measure them and cut the solid alternate squares to the same size

She wrote "It's Okay to Sit on My Quilts" (or something like that)

Thank you . everyone for your help. Elaine