Framed Pinwheel Quilt Along: Week 3

It’s Week 3 of our Framed Pinwheels quilt along! This pattern is from Missouri Star Quilt Company, my favorite Missouri Star pattern. You can read a little more about that and why it’s my favorite HERE.

Videos for this week

I’ve been making lots of videos for this quilt along: demos, advice, reveals and such. We just have one video for this week.

Trimming Half Square Triangles

I will be adding videos throughout the quilt along. You can view all of the currently available videos at any time in this playlist.

On the Schedule for this Week

For this week, we are going to trim our Half Square Triangles. I decided to separate this step from the half square triangle construction since there are so many of them in this pattern. Next week we’ll be done with the more tedious steps and can start having a little fun making our pinwheels.

A Few Ways to Trim the Half Square Triangles

Going over how to trim them makes a lot more sense if I show you. So, for this post, I’m just going to go over the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Check out the video for this week HERE if you want to see my actual demo.

The methods for trimming half square triangles can be divided into two groups: press them first or trim them first. I know what I like to do and why, and I assume you have a good reason for why you prefer whatever you prefer. Neither of these is a right or wrong way. Don’t take what say here as a rule, just a preference. If you prefer a different method than me, we can still be friends.

A little confession: in the video for this week, you can see me using both methods. Those triangles I was trimming were all part of the same pinwheel. So, I put a pinwheel together even though I used different techniques for the half square triangles. Guess what, you can’t tell they were made differently, and the pinwheel still looks nice. So, do whatever works best for you.

Pressing Your Half Square Triangle First
This is what I like to do. I like to press them first so that I don’t have to worry about accidentally distorting and/or stretching the shape by pressing them AFTER they are perfectly trimmed and squared. This may be a silly, irrational fear, but it’s my silly, irrational fear and I’m going to keep it (except for when I make demo videos for the other side).

This one can be further divided into two groups.
1) Line up your ruler with two edges that are already pretty close to square and trim the other two sides.
2) Have the alligment points within the half square triangle and trim all four sides.

I go back and forth between these two depending on the needs of each individual half square triangle. If you have two sides that are already pretty close to square, option 1 does save you a little time. If you got a little wonky and neither side is as close to square as you’d like for it to be, option 2 will take care of that for you.

Option 1 is more time friendly, but Option 2 can save you if you accidentally got a little wonky. The only thing that might be an issue with Option 2 is that if your pattern didn’t leave much wiggle room it may be hard to fit your allignment points within the half square triangle. The Framed Pinwheels pattern leaves you plenty of wiggle room so this shouldn’t be an issue for this quilt along. I also tend to build in a little extra wiggle room in my own patterns for this reason.

Trim Your Half Square Triangles First
A lot of people like this method better because of time, and I can’t argue with that reasoning. If you find a method that saves you time and still gives you the results you want, go for it! I’ve never been into extra work without extra results.

I think one of the reasons some people avoid trimming them first is because of the notion that you need a special ruler for it. BUT, you don’t need a special ruler for them. You can easily trim them first with a regular square ruler and a dry erase marker. So, if not wanting to by a special ruler is the only reason you don’t trim your half square triangles first check out the video for this week where I show demo half square trimming including a way to do the trim them first method without the special rulers. Of course, if you love your half square triangle trimming ruler, use it! This is not about finding a one RIGHT method; it’s about finding the right method for YOU!

Each Week on the Blog

I’ll link to all of the other weeks near the end of each post. I will add each post here as I have them. You can also find this on the Quilt Alongs Page.

Week 1 – Gather Fabrics & Cut Pieces
Week 2 – Make Half Square Triangles
Week 3 – You are currently at the Week 3 post
Week 4 – Make Pinwheels
Week 5 – Make 9-Patches
Week 6 – Cut, Rearrange, and Resew your 9-Patches
Week 7 – Assemble Your Quilt Top

Prize for this Week

Our prize for this week, my Crosshairs quilt pattern sponsered by @cutloosepress and @thegypsyquilter AND a bundle from me for making the foreground of that quilt. Crosshairs quilt is one of my five patterns with Cut Loose Press. I like working with them because it’s a great way for me to bring you some super affordable patterns!

This one is for US winners only due to shipping costs. If the winner is an international quilt alonger, I will send you one of my PDF pattern so you don’t miss out on getting a prize.

To be eligible for prizes:

– You must be following me and ALL of our sponsors on Instagram and post at least one progress picture for the week on Instagram by Monday at 5:00 PM Central Time. You must tag me @snugglebugstitching and Missouri Star Quilt Company @missouriquiltco in your posts and use the #framedpinwheelsqal and #msqcshowandtell.

Here are the Instagram accounts you need to be following to be elligible for prizes:
@snugglebugstitching
@benartex_fabrics
@missouriquiltco
@cutloosepress
@thegypsyquilter

-I will announce the winner on Instagram and tag the lucky quilt alonger so that they know they’ve won. The winner will have one week to contact me to claim the prize. Any unclaimed prizes will be forfeited.