If you starch your fabrics before you cut them to size and sew them, you can probably skip the hammer!

LOL, Margaret.... that's one quilter's tool that I don't have in my sewing arsenal ....a hammer! At this point, I'll try all solutions offered....I'm so thankful that we still have a place to run to for personal quilting advice. Thanks, Debbie & Dan, for finding us a new home!!

Judy, LOL !!! I can see you were able to "visualize" my frustration!
Georgia

Margaret, I had to laugh (and believe me I need a laugh) with the hammer idea. I would think that it might work in two ways, one the way it was meant to, and the second and maybe most important, it would let you beat out your frustrations with the block even if it didn't work. My problem would be if I was that frustrated I would probably beat a hole in the block and have to applique something flat over it.

Judy

Georgia,

I have a prob similar to this w/ a new BOM I am doing. What the lqs told me was similar to Agnes. Open the center stitches. Press then leave it alone on the ironing board until it cools. Then move it. That helped me a lot and I used steam instead of a dry iron like normal. The other thing they said to try if that didn't work (and I laughed at it and haven't tried it...) but take a small wood block (we have a ton laying around since we're finishing our basement from all the studs) and lay it on top of the block (I would think to put a piece of scrap fabric on it first.) Then hammer down the block. Supposedly the force will lay it flat perminately. Who knows... Good luck!

Margaret

Once again, Agnes, you have added a teeny, tiny step which I had forgotten. We told you, we NEED you here!!
I had the chasing (like dominos) down pat. And tried it again with Margo's kind directions. But....I was not twirling those remaining teeny, tiny centre parts and setting them with the tip of the iron. I'll give it another "twirl" this morning with your setting and ironing tips. Thank you both so much for your guidance!

Georgia

Georgia-- From what you say you are doing, I believe you are trying to press too soon. Hold off with that iron until you have popped open those centre stitches. Now press the two unpressed seams in the direction so that the seams are like dominoes chasing each other. Then I twirl the teeny centre parts and use the tip of the iron to set them before I use the full plate to press it all down a final time. Hope this is of help.

Thanks Margo for your reply. I believe the "twirling" method you mention is the same one shown on the about.com website. I've tried that method more than once (pressing around in a circle, then clipping a thread or two in the exact center (from wrong side) to make the block lie as flat as possible). These pinwheels will always make me feel like a "newbie", despite quilting for 16 years now! I also wandered around TQS a bit and watched Alex's tutorials ~ good refreshers. I'll need to make some time to sit and watch some of the others....all look interesting.

Georgia

Laceyirish, if you were a TQS star member you would have access to my tutorial for the February instructions of the 2011 Ruffled Roses BOM where I show how I "twirl" the intersections of blocks to make the center intersections really flat. The blocks we are working on this month aren't pinwheels, but the technique and principle are the same.

Here is the finished photo:

No matter how many pinwheel blocks I have made, I continue to have trouble with the center of the pinwheel laying flat. My 4 blocks are the correct measurement and I do press vs. iron. After joining, I press the two top blocks and the two bottom blocks to the dark. After sewing the top blocks to the bottom blocks, the center seam will not lie completely flat !! I generally press that seam open just to reduce the bulk, but it still has a slight rise in the center. I've tried a scant 1/4 inch on that seam, I've tried clipping a thread or two in the exact center (a tip from about.com), but still a problem. To spend a whole day trying to find a better way to construct a pinwheel has been frustrating!! Please, please...if anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears.........
TIA, Georgia