Now that part 1 is finished, I have several leftover 2" (inch) strips in blues and greens, and in cream. I actually have many leftover 2" chunks of blue/cream 2-patches so I am a bit worried that I've mis-calculated my sewing for part 1 and won't have enough fabric for the next step. But because it's scrappy, I can always find more greens or blues. (If it's creams I'm up a creek... but we won't think about that because it isn't going to happen!)
- For this step you need a million half square triangles. Oh, sorry, I meant to say 388 2" (1.5" finished) Half Square Triangles! Now, that is enough to drive me batty, except that I often forget just how much that really is. Anyhow, I decided to use my beloved 'Thangles'
- First put your 2" strips right sides together, one light and one dark. Then put your Thangle 1.5 sheet over the strip-pair. Just stitch on the broken line and cut on the solid line. Perfect triangles every time. No rulers, no thinking, no muss, no fuss!
- Thangle TIPS: You don't have to shorten your stitch to use Thangles, but I do. Why? Because it makes it just that much easier, and I'm all for easy! Also, it's helpful to keep your fabric borders and your Thangle sheet aligned nicely.
- Last step for Pinwheel Paradise (my own name for this step, Bonnie would have come up with something nicer, but instead gave us a lovely theme song by Dusty Springfield). Stitch up those pinwheels! 388 half-square triangles make 97 pinwheels!
FYI - I am actually going to sew until I get to 100 pinwheels (instead of 97) because once again we are going to need a few half pinwheels... and there is no way I'm going to make a half-pinwheel. I'll just sew it up and take the rejects and cut'em in half!
If the whole Thangles thing isn't for you, and you are interested, there is a nice little half-square tutorial at Mama Crafty's Blog
may the HST god bless you -- my brain hurts just thinking that many... :-)
ReplyDelete