triangles 3, 5 and 7. Place them back in the design (Fig 19).
Fig 18
Fig 19
14 Take pieces 1 and 2. These need to be joined together along the diagonal seams (Fig 20). Pin and stitch the two pieces together, taking care not to stretch the bias edges of the fabric as you stitch. Press the seam towards piece 1. Repeat this to join pieces 3 and 4, then pieces 5 and 6 and then 7 and 8.
Fig 20
15 Trim the squares, if necessary, to exactly 5½in × 5½in (13.8cm × 13.8cm) and arrange them back into the Pinwheel block as in Fig 19.
Trimming the squares at this stage is really helpful as they will fit together more easily into the final block. Use a square ruler and match the diagonal line on the ruler with the diagonal seam on the fabric square when you trim.
Joining the block
16 Pin and stitch the top two squares together, matching seams carefully. Press the seam to the left, ironing from the front (Fig 21).
Fig 21
17 Pin and stitch the bottom two squares together. Press the seam to the right (Fig 22). Finally, join the two halves together, matching the centre seams carefully. Press the final long seam to one side. The remaining blocks can be arranged as block 1, or varied as described in the panel, right.
Fig 22
Making the second set of blocks
Repeat the block-making process to make another eight blocks, using the second set of eight fabric squares and the four squares and thirty-two strips of the second background fabric.
VARYING THE BLOCKS
You could repeat block 1 for the whole quilt or vary the spinning pinwheel colour layout so there are eight different blocks, as follows.
Block 2: pick up the pile of triangles marked B in Fig 6. Arrange them in a cut square, beginning with the top fabric 1 in position B in Fig 6 and working round clockwise to finish with fabric 8 (Fig 23). Once the fabrics are in position ignore their numbers and just follow the instructions as for block 1. All the fabrics will have shifted round one place in the circular design, which gives a very different effect.
Fig 23
Block 3: pick up the pile of triangles marked C in Fig 6. Arrange them in the cut square beginning with the top fabric 1 in position C in Fig 6 and work round clockwise as before. Again, follow the instructions for block 1 using this new arrangement of triangles.
Block 4: use the triangles marked D in Fig 6 and lay them out with fabric 1 in position D in Fig 6, working round clockwise as before.
Block 5: use the triangles marked E in Fig 6 and lay them out with fabric 1 in position E in Fig 6, working round clockwise as before.
Block 6 starts at F, block 7 at G and block 8 at H. The completed blocks will now all have a different layout.
SASHING THE BLOCKS
The sixteen blocks are sashed with pieced cornerstones that echo the pinwheel design of the block (Fig 24).
Fig 24
1 Arrange the sixteen blocks in four rows of four blocks (Fig 25).
Fig 25
2 From the sashing fabric cut twenty-four strips each measuring 2in × 10½in (5cm × 26.6cm). From the fabric for the cornerstones cut forty-five squares each 2in × 2in (5cm × 5cm).
3 Pin a square of cornerstone fabric at one end of twelve of the cut sashing strips. Stitch diagonally across the square as in Fig 26.
Fig 26
The cornerstones must always be stitched in the same direction as shown in Fig 26.
4 Trim both fabrics ¼in (6mm) beyond the stitched line (Fig 27). Press the cornerstone piece away from the strip, ironing from the front (Fig 28).
Fig 27
Fig 28
5 In the same way, pin and stitch a square of cornerstone fabric to both ends of the other twelve sashing strips. Trim and press as before (Fig 29).
Fig 29
6 Pin and stitch three of the single-cornerstone sashing strips between the top row of blocks (Fig 30). Press the seams towards the sashing.
Fig 30
7 Repeat this for the bottom row of blocks, turning this row of blocks through 180 degrees once the cornerstones have been added.
8 Pin and stitch three double-cornerstone sashing strips between the blocks of both row 2 and row 3 (Fig 31).
Fig 31
9 Join two single-cornerstone sashing strips and two double-cornerstone sashing strips together with three squares of cornerstone fabric as in Fig 32. Make two more joined strips like this.
Fig 32
