I have been looking for an opportunity to use my new “Lil’Twister” and this weekend I finally found time to make the Pinwheel Table Topper “Twisting Pinwheels” that uses this handy tool.  True to its word it did make the creation of pinwheels easy!   

Here is a list of items you will need to make this fun 19” x 26” table topper

Lil’ Twister tool

Charm pack

1/3^rd yd of coordinating fabric for inner border

1/3^rd yd of coordinating fabric for outer border

7/8^th yd of   fabric for backing

Piece of batting 19”x 26”

I decided to use some fabric I have just been itching to use Deb Strain's Trick or Treat so I grabbed a Charm Pack and got started.   An important thing to note is that all these steps and a drawn out diagram of how to do this simple project come with the Lil’ Twister tool.

First lay out the 5” squares into a 6 x 4 grid.  You can lay the pieces of fabric however you would like there isn’t a right way or a wrong way.

Then simply sew all the squares together into rows and then sew the rows together to create a wonderful patchwork of squares.   Once the rows are all sewn together attach a 3” border.

Now this next part was a little trickier but got easier as I went along.  You start at the left top corner and place the Lil’ Twister at angle with the lines that intersect on seam between the 2 borders and first  square.  Cut around the entire block and leave the cut block in place.  (This was the part that was a little tricky at first until I did it a few times)  You then continue across the row cutting out the little squares at the intersecting seams. 

Take the first piece you cut out and angle it so that it is straight and the sew the first square to the 2^nd square which you will also need to angle slightly.  Keep sewing the squares together in order the 1^st to the 2^nd and the 2^nd to the 3^rd and so on till you get to the end of the row.  Then you start the 2^nd row from the left just like

you did the first row and do the

process

all over again until you have finished another row and then you simply attach that row to your first row and so on.

Once this is done you have a wonderful pinwheel creation!!!  I then added another 3 inch border to my table topper to finish it.  After the top has been sewn together, I simply finished it like any other table topper.  I quilted it and then bound it.  This was a very fun quick and simple project that I can see myself doing time and time again with many different fabrics.   Hmmm  maybe I will make a Christmas one next.