March Pinwheels

[Margo]

I finally got my pinwheels done, now just have to get them sewn together and put them on my quilt so far. No more sew tooth stars have been made here yet.

Margarita in Auburn, CA

[GloriaH]

I haven't started the pin-wheels yet. That's what a vacation in Mexico without a machine will do. I just can't figure out where all my time went before that week and this last week since getting home has been horrendous at work. Everything got piled up. Tomorrow I am determined will see me sewing. I am moving my mother in with us as she is getting too frail to be on her own so only a part of the day can be spent on me. I have a month to move her apartment into one large room in our house. Oh well, this too shall pass. Gloria feeling a little better after the rant.

[GloriaH]

Im with you Gloria, only I don't have vacation for an excuse. Just every day stuff getting in the way. Cheryl

[GloriaH]

My guild had a UFO day today, so I took my pinwheel borders to get them finished. Of course I forgot to take a photo before putting it away. There were many positive comments about the pattern. I've also finished the 72 small stars for the final border, which will give me a breather during the school holidays in July and August.

Big stars for next month? Can't wait.

[Franceslovesfabric]

Well I have all my HSTs done. And there is nothing on my calendar for Monday and Tuesday. I have no idea how that happened. I do have some stuff that needs to get done, but I should have time to get some sewing done. My 4 patch borders are done but not sewn on. So let's see how much I get done.
Frances in Austin

[Franceslovesfabric]

I just posted my March update on my quilt on Show and Tell for March.

It took me almost all month to get it done, still have to do the sew tooth stars. I have to figure out how many duplicates I need to make, I have the Feb. 8 done, but before I go on I want to see how many of the same centers I need to do.

Margarita in Auburn, CA

[kfstitcher]

Margarita if you are using the 18 different fabrics there are four centers of each fabric. Karen

[GloriaH]

I was able to work all day today so I got all of the paper piecing done, cut out and pressed. I got a good start on sewing the pinwheels together. I was happily chain piecing when I noticed the bobbin thread had run out. (Left a bunch unsewn) Decided to quit for the day. I feel so much better

[GloriaH]

Karen I am only using 8 fabrics plus the background, for the whole quilt. But I am only using 6 fabrics for the 4 patches, the pinwheels, and the sew tooth blocks. ( so I will need 12 center of each of the 6 fabrics,) I was just too tired when I did my last post.

Margarita in Auburn, CA

[kfstitcher]

Karen I am only using 8 fabrics plus the background, for the whole quilt. But I am only using 6 fabrics for the 4 patches, the pinwheels, and the sew tooth blocks. ( so I will need 12 center of each of the 6 fabrics,) I was just too tired when I did my last post.

Margarita in Auburn, CA

That got me confused just reading it. Karen

[Franceslovesfabric]

I got my pinwheels done today. I am planning on sewing them together tomorrow. Then I need to put everything together. I have the setting triangles sewn onto my feathered star and my four patch borders sewn together. So I have to figure out the floaters and get everything together. I probably won't get that all done tomorrow, but hopefully by the end of the week I will be ready to start on April. I haven't even started the sawtooth stars yet but was thinking about saving those for last. DS will be home this weekend (his small group in Serial Murders is going to a local museum) so we can talk about fabric for the April blocks.
Frances in Austin where it was in the 80s again today.

[Franceslovesfabric]

I've finished the March Pinwheel Border, but not posted yet. The most difficult part this month was making the pinwheels look like the pieces were randomly placed. Matching or alternating the colors would have been so much easier. There's nothing random about random placement, it actually requires much more planning to ensure that the colors, lights & darks, are evenly distributed. My knowledge of possible permutations and combinations helped, as no two of my pinwheels are exactly the same. However, I'm curious if anyone has a great, quick & easy, random placement technique--besides just pulling colors from a paper sack.

[Franceslovesfabric]

I only just got my feathered star made this month (finally got a printer ) It came up the right size too ( minus 1/8" in one direction only :? ) Now I am trying to sort out my pinwheels. Having read others problems with pinwheels spinning off in the wrong direction I folded some origami boxes to hold the pieces in the correct layout - photos on my profile for any one interested. I am also planning on being a rebel on their layout after seeing some of the other borders posted :wink:

[Margo]

Nancy, I used my design wall. I also made sure that each pinwheel was sewn with a varied assortment of fabrics, then put them on the wall around the center. I used a reducing glass (actually a peephole from the hardware store!) to check the placement, being especially careful about the placement of the values of the blocks as well as the color. In my case, I had to be especially careful about the position of the bright periwinkle pieces. When I was satisfied with the arrangement, I carefully pinned each border (one at a time) to stitch them and check the placement on the wall again before I stitched the next border. There is nothing random about the border....it is very carefully arranged!

[kfstitcher]

You're right about the randomness. It takes a lot of planning. I layed all my borders out on a table and exchanged pieces to make sure no same colors touched. Then I pinned them each to the other so I didn't have to think about it again while sewing. Karen