How To Make Perfectly Flat Pinwheels For Your Quilt

And Get Matching Points On Pinwheel Blocks

Pinwheels make the prettiest baby quilts. Colorful pinwheel blocks create a playful theme, are super easy to make with half square triangles, and can be a fun addition to almost any quilt. Use these tips to get the pinwheel seams as flat as possible, reducing bulky seams that could distort the quilting or break the thread.

 

It’s not just about reducing bulk, but also get perfectly matched points for crisp pinwheels. Rachel Rossi says it’s important to press HST seams away from the background fabric, then lay out four hst’s with the triangles pointing in the right direction to form the pinwheel. Sew together two top and two bottom HSTs, making sure to butt the two diagonal seams right up against each other, resulting in perfectly matched (hst) blocks, and the prettiest pinwheels!

 

 

Rachel Rossi of Rachel Rossi Designs has some easy to follow suggestions that almost ensures less bulky pinwheel seams. To reduce bulk in the pinwheel seams Rachel explains:

When sewing your two 3″ blocks together, leave the top 1/4″ of the set unsewn. In other words, start sewing after the 1/4″ seam. Press seams towards the background fabric, just like you did before.

Now, join both halves together along the long edge, butting those seams right up against each other, as before.

Gently press the center of your pinwheel seam to open the seam up. This will push one side up and one side down.

You’ll know you’re doing it right when you see a mini-pinwheel in the seam allowance, then press it really well. Also, all of the seams are going in the same direction. It’s the best way to get a pinwheel quilt top flat, and ready for quilting!