Mini Pinwheel Quilt

For a recent Blythe doll craft swap, with the theme "Spring", I made my partner a quilt for her doll, and used the same fabrics to make a matching outfit.  The quilt could be a bed cover, a wall-hanging, or a picnic blanket--or maybe she will use it for all three!

My partner commented that she had never tried the pinwheel pattern because she didn't feel comfortable working with all those little triangles...but there's a secret to this pattern that I will now reveal:  you don't have to sew any triangles together to make this quilt!  Sounds impossible, right?  But it's true!  They are called "half-square triangles", and you make them like this:

1.  Cut two different fabrics into squares (mine are 2 1/4" square).
2.  Draw a diagonal line down on the wrong side of one of the squares.

3.  Layer the squares, right sides together.  Sew two seams, 1/4" away from the drawn line, one on each side of the line.

4.  Cut along the drawn line, and trim the corners as shown in the triangle on the left.

5.  Iron the fabrics open, and ta-da!  You have made two half-square triangle patches!  Do this again to make four patches, then sew them together to make one pinwheel block.  Easy!

My finished mini quilt is about 12" square.

On a side note, I got some exciting news this week:  I have been accepted as a new moderator on Craftster!!  I have been assigned to the Miscellaneous Topics and Crafting for Good boards.  I am very excited to become more involved in this website, where I have enjoyed spending so much time in the past couple of years.  I hope to see you and your crafty creations there!