Here are some pinwheel quilted coasters for summertime entertaining. I used Amy Butler’s Lotus dots available here mixed with a linen/cotton solid. I think this design would be nice with striped or gingham fabrics as well. This project took me about 2 hours to make four coasters.
Since I don’t really quilt, I found a couple of challenges. Be sure to cut all of your fabric perfectly and make sure the seams line up so that your pinwheel points will meet. I got this fine when I started actually paying attention. I also had a little trouble sewing in the ditch, but I think I’ll get better with practice. Quilting seems to require a level of precision that I don’t possess. Still, this is a pretty straight-forward project and I think it would be a good introduction to quilting for beginners (like me).
Supplies:
- Fabric Scraps
- Matching thread
- Bamboo quilt batting (four small pieces)
- Iron
NOTE: Seam allowance is 1/4″.
Step #1: Cut fabrics according to template: pinwheel-coasters-template.pdf
Step #2: Press all fabrics and begin to sew triangles together to form squares. Then press back seam towards darker fabric and trim edges. Make sure that each section is a true square and should be about 3″.
Step #3: Lay out squares for each coaster to make the pinwheel pattern. Sew two squares together to make a rectangle. Repeat.
Step #4: Align mid-point of each half of the pinwheel and press one side of each new seam to opposite sides so that the seams won’t be too bulky for your machine to sew (see picture below). Sew these two rectangles together to form the full square of the top of the coaster.
Step #5: Press open the middle seam as shown below. Place patchwork top and cut bottom fabric, right sides together, and sew around three sides. Trim any excess fabric, particularly around the corners. Turn right sides out and punch corners out with a pointed (but not sharp) object.
Step #6: Cut your batting just a bit smaller than your finished coaster and insert into the opening, being sure that it gets into the corners and lays flat. Turn in the unfinished seam and press.
Step #7: Sew a stitch all around the coaster 1/4″ from the edge (pictured above). Then quilt on the seams of the pinwheel design. Add one last row of stitching between the edge of the coaster and the first edge stitching to make a double row, as shown below. All done!
As always, projects from the long thread are for personal use only. If you make these coasters, be sure to post a photo to the Make it Monday Flickr group. For more summer pinwheel excitement that the kids can enjoy, try making this paper pinwheel.
Super cute! And what a great way to use leftover material. Looking forward to the directions. Hopefully this is something I can actually make. 🙂
Very lovely. I am really love’n the polka-dots. I eagerly await your tutorial.
so cute! You always make the best tutorials!
Thank you for another wondrful tutorial! I really like your blog 🙂
The pinwheel design works really well for coasters! Love your polka dot fabric.
Ok these are amazing! They don’t look like you had any challenges at all! I need to make some of these up for myself – thanks for the tutorial!
These are so cute. Love those lotus dots!
They’re cute – I like that dotted fabric.
These look great! I do love those lotus prints.
I love making coasters, the possibilities are endless! I have always been afraid of doing a pinwheel though. Yours are beautiful, and the dots look great!
Very cute. Next time you want those seams to line up perfectly … put a dot of Elmer’s washable glue across the seam, iron to dry then sew … poof perfection.
I love ’em. Will be sure to make some for my new house.
Oh, how I love these. Thank you so much for sharing. This is my first visit to your blog and I anticipate to be regularly now that I subscribed to your feed. Happy New Year.
Cute coasters! Thanks for sharing; great instructions.
The coasters are wonderful. I am not a quilter but I found a life saving ruler for the pin wheels. It is called Wonder Under Ruler and it makes pinwheels a CINCH.
A MUCH easier way to make these would be to put two squares of opposing fabric right sides together. Then draw a line from corner to corner on one of the squares, and sew 1/4 away from that line on both sides. Then cut on the line & you have two squares that make half of your pinwheel. Us quilters call those half square triangles. That way you never have to try to make the points match, you don’t have to worry about sewing on the bias, and you never actually sew a triangle.
Awesome coasters. Aren’t we always trying to figure out what to do with that extra material.
fantastic. they look really great.
i set a link to your tutorial.
i hope, you’ll agree.
thanks, doro.
I have made coasters from hexagons left over from a quilt project. One hex was big enough for most cups and glasses. I glued the crocheted trim on the edges and then zigzagged the edges. No piecing and look very traditional.
I LOVE this project. And you do a great job of being a faux-quilter! 🙂 I was inspired to make coasters by you, though I didn’t tackle the quilted ones yet. Check mine out here: http://stresstheseams.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-you-be-inspired-days-cinco-de-mayo.html . Make sure you signup for my giveaway while you are there too!
Cheers!
These are so cool coaster thingy’s. Thanks for the PDF and the information on amy’s fabrick. These will make some great gifts for birthdays that are coming up.
I just bought my first sewing machine and was searching for a cute project I could make quickly and I came across your site. These are so cute! I’m going to try them. Thank you!
Love these….as soon as I can get into my craft room, I’m going to try these ; ))