giving a go at the pinwheel

I got a bee in my bonnet to try out the pinwheel design of a quilt. Since no one I know is having a baby (who doesn't already have a quilt in the closet waiting to be gifted) I decided that my niece Emily would love one. She is at the active stage right now, so even if all she does is roll around naked on it or drool Cheerios all over it or stack blocks, it will be serving its purpose.

I had to buy quarters of fabrics since I seriously overestimated the amount of different designs I had in my scrap pile. I figured out the arrangement, then cut the triangles out with a template. Here, the stack of triangles to the right is actually extra, as the size I originally cut out was too big. So, I cut each of those triangles in half and got the right size, but twice the triangles I need. Just less prep work for the next one.



Once sewn together with the white triangles to create the pinwheels, I laid them out on table and had a giddy fit when I realized how cute it was going to be!



I also decided to throw in some pink ric rac, because who doesn't love ric rac? This double border was a logistical nightmare, and in the future I will have to remind myself that attempted shortcuts just makes the process longer in the end. And while I intended to sew the ric rac and borders on by hand, I got tired of it three inches in and grabbed the machine!



I quilted around each color triangle, so the whole quilting process took about three weeks. Finished!


This is the backing fabric and binding. I love this fabric, and even made a dress for Britton out of it. I am not a big believer that boy stuff must be blue and girl stuff pink, and I think this quilt will be timeless and match anything Emily decides to throw it on. I can't wait to give it to her when Jessica and the family come to visit this June!