Making Pinwheels

• 1
  Make a pattern for a square from a sheet of paper.paper page curl image by Georgios Kollidas from Fotolia.com
  
  Make a pattern for a square by folding one corner of a sheet of paper toward the center of the page until it reaches your desired size. Be sure to account for 1/4-inch seams. Crease the paper and cut around the triangle with scissors or a rotary cutter. Unfold the paper.
  
  
• 2
  Cut two squares, one from each color of fabric.fabric swatches image by Empath from Fotolia.com
  
  Pin your pattern to the fabric with straight pins. Cut one square from the first color of fabric and one square from the second color.
  
  
• 3). Cut one fabric square diagonally into two triangles. Cut each triangle in half from the tip to the base so you have four triangles. Repeat with the other fabric square so you have a total of eight triangles, four of each color.
  
  
• 4). Match one triangle from the first color with a triangle from the second color. Repeat until all triangles from the first fabric are matched with triangles from the second fabric. You should now have four triangle pairs. Pin each pair together along the base.
  
  
• 5). Sew the triangle pairs together at the base, following the 1/4-inch seam gauge on your sewing machine. Press open the seams of each triangle pair with the iron. You should now have four fabric "blocks" of two triangles each.
  
  
• 6). Take two of your fabric blocks and lay them right sides facing. Stitch them together along one edge, following the 1/4-inch seam gauge on your sewing machine. Repeat with the other two fabric blocks. Press open the seams. You should now have two rectangles, consisting of two blocks each.
  
  
• 7). Lay the two rectangles right sides facing and stitch them together along one long edge, again following the 1/4-inch seam gauge on your sewing machine.
  
  
• 8). Press the seams open. Apply your pinwheel to clothing or accessory as an applique, or make more pinwheels for a quilt or other large project.
  
  

Pinwheel Coasters

• 1). Cut a square of batting material the same size as your pinwheel by using your paper pattern.
  
  
• 2). Make a second pinwheel and create a "pinwheel sandwich," with the batting material in between the seamed sides of the two pinwheels. Pin the layers together at the corners.
  
  
• 3). Fold quilt binding that matches or accents your pinwheel fabric around the edge of the pinwheel square and pin it into place. Top stitch through all the layers, removing the pins as you go.