Pinwheel quilt - Day 1

I'm gonna make another pinwheel quilt and share some thoughts and photos along the way. Do join along. Feel free to share your progress with comments and photos over in my quilt along flickr group too.

This won't be as detailed as my first quilt along. Mainly because the information and instructions on everything from accurate cutting, pinning, making binding, binding and quilting are all easily accessible by clicking on the "How to Make a Quilt" button found in the left hand side bar. But also because I'm too lazy to repeat all those photos and written instructions again.

I will spend a total of four posts laying out how to make my pinwheel quilt. Here is what I am planning.

Day 1: Selecting fabrics -- importance of lights and darks
Day 2: Cutting & construction
Day 3: Determining size and assembly
Day 4: Finished quilt

Let's get ready to rumble, shall we?

After such a pronouncement I feel like I should be wearing a spandex singlet and really cool wrestling shoes laced up to my knees.

Anywho.

Ok. Eh-hem.


Basic pinwheel blocks are made with four half square triangle block units that are light on one side and dark on the other. Like so.




The light and dark is what will make the pinwheel obvious to your eye and make the pinwheel appear to spin once sewn together.

Let's talk about light and dark. Really I mean the contrast between the two color values that are going to make up each half square triangle unit. Take a look at the photo below.





Above, the circled blocks are examples of good contrast between the colors that make up each half square triangle unit. Standing back and looking at this quilt, your eye easily detects the pinwheel.

Compare this with the photo below.




In the above photo, it is harder to see the pinwheel in the circled block than most of the others. You have to try harder to see it. Why? Poor contrast between the colors that make up the unit. See what I'm saying?

Your starting point for light and dark is completely up to you. You just need contrast people. Contrast!




These are the fabrics I plan on using. The pile on the left I am considering darks and those on the right I'm calling lights. There are some questionable subjects there on the left. Particularly the aqua one second from the top. Looks kinda light there. But, when I am teaming it up with a light I will be sure that there is contrast. It is all about the contrast.

And besides, even if I get it wrong who is going to care? I don't think the quilting police are gonna come after me. And no one is going to come after you either. But the better contrast decisions you make now the happier you are going to be with your quilt in the long run.

May the force be with you.

dana