Nancy your center and the stars look great! Such happy colors!!
Please post your pinwheels when you can!! Isn't it frustrating when your computer misbehaves!

Hi Margo,

There was a little method to my "random" pinwheel layout also. I started by sorting all of my pinwheel half square triangles (HSTs) in stacks by fabric (or color for a few unique scraps used). Next, I divided each stack into four stacks--one for each side of the border. That way, I would have the same number of HSTs for each fabric/color on each of the four sides of the border--evenly distributing the colors and fabrics. Then, I sorted all of the HSTs for each border side to create unique pinwheels without duplicating the same fabric in any pinwheel. Lastly, I laid out the pinwheels for each border side such that touching HSTs did not have any of the same fabrics, or at least the same fabrics were not touching in adjacent pinwheels. Since I had a lot more pink fabrics than yellows or greens, I made a couple of all pink pinwheels and placed them in opposite diagonal border corners. For balance, I placed an all green pinwheel and an all yellow pinwheel in the other two border corners. I'm pleased with the result.

Unfortunately, I cannot post a photo until I get my PC fixed. I'm currently using a borrowed PC which has no photo handling software.

I like how it looks with the sawtooth stars there. Your fabric is really neat! Karen

I finally finished my March BOM and posted it in Show & Tell.

You're right about the randomness. It takes a lot of planning. I layed all my borders out on a table and exchanged pieces to make sure no same colors touched. Then I pinned them each to the other so I didn't have to think about it again while sewing. Karen

Nancy, I used my design wall. I also made sure that each pinwheel was sewn with a varied assortment of fabrics, then put them on the wall around the center. I used a reducing glass (actually a peephole from the hardware store!) to check the placement, being especially careful about the placement of the values of the blocks as well as the color. In my case, I had to be especially careful about the position of the bright periwinkle pieces. When I was satisfied with the arrangement, I carefully pinned each border (one at a time) to stitch them and check the placement on the wall again before I stitched the next border. There is nothing random about the border....it is very carefully arranged!

I only just got my feathered star made this month (finally got a printer ) It came up the right size too ( minus 1/8" in one direction only ) Now I am trying to sort out my pinwheels. Having read others problems with pinwheels spinning off in the wrong direction I folded some origami boxes to hold the pieces in the correct layout - photos on my profile for any one interested. I am also planning on being a rebel on their layout after seeing some of the other borders posted

I've finished the March Pinwheel Border, but not posted yet. The most difficult part this month was making the pinwheels look like the pieces were randomly placed. Matching or alternating the colors would have been so much easier. There's nothing random about random placement, it actually requires much more planning to ensure that the colors, lights & darks, are evenly distributed. My knowledge of possible permutations and combinations helped, as no two of my pinwheels are exactly the same. However, I'm curious if anyone has a great, quick & easy, random placement technique--besides just pulling colors from a paper sack.

I got my pinwheels done today. I am planning on sewing them together tomorrow. Then I need to put everything together. I have the setting triangles sewn onto my feathered star and my four patch borders sewn together. So I have to figure out the floaters and get everything together. I probably won't get that all done tomorrow, but hopefully by the end of the week I will be ready to start on April. I haven't even started the sawtooth stars yet but was thinking about saving those for last. DS will be home this weekend (his small group in Serial Murders is going to a local museum) so we can talk about fabric for the April blocks.
Frances in Austin where it was in the 80s again today.

MargaritaW wrote:
That got me confused just reading it. Karen

Karen I am only using 8 fabrics plus the background, for the whole quilt. But I am only using 6 fabrics for the 4 patches, the pinwheels, and the sew tooth blocks. ( so I will need 12 center of each of the 6 fabrics,) I was just too tired when I did my last post.

Margarita in Auburn, CA

I was able to work all day today so I got all of the paper piecing done, cut out and pressed. I got a good start on sewing the pinwheels together. I was happily chain piecing when I noticed the bobbin thread had run out. (Left a bunch unsewn) Decided to quit for the day. I feel so much better

Margarita if you are using the 18 different fabrics there are four centers of each fabric. Karen

I just posted my March update on my quilt on Show and Tell for March.

It took me almost all month to get it done, still have to do the sew tooth stars. I have to figure out how many duplicates I need to make, I have the Feb. 8 done, but before I go on I want to see how many of the same centers I need to do.

Margarita in Auburn, CA