Fourth of July and pinwheels go together like peanut butter and jelly (but there is no sticky mess and they don’t stick to the roof of your mouth). Whether you make them big or small, they are sure to add to the holiday feeling.

Supplies:
2 – 5” squares of cotton fabric – the size of the fabric will determine the size of the pinwheel
1 – 5” square of heavy fusible web, such as Heat and Bond – match the size of the fabric
Note: if you want a stiffer pinwheel, you can apply fusible web to the wrong side of both fabric squares and fuse them to a piece of light weight poster board.

Instructions:
You may prefer to cut only the fusible web to size and work with a large fabric piece from which you will cut pieces to fit the fusible web while in a stack.  The photos show this process. This technique reduces the problems cutting all items to the same size and precisely aligning them into a sandwich of fabric and fusible web.
1. Place 5” square of fusible web on wrong side of fabric. Following manufacturer’s instructions to adhere to fabric.

2. I find it easier to trim the fabric after the fusible web has been pressed.
3. Remove paper backing.

4. Position trimmed fabric wrong side to wrong side, fusible web in the middle. Press.
5. Using tailors chalk and a ruler, draw two chalk lines diagonally across the square.
6. Draw a chalk mark circle centered on the crossing chalk lines. The size of the circle will vary according to the size of your fabric square. A 5” square and a quarter work well.
7. Cut on chalk lines to the point where the circle crosses the cutting line.
8. Fold one corner to the center (where the diagonal lines cross). Use the machine stitch for attaching buttons to tack the corner to the center.  Note – you can create pinwheels that look like they should spin clockwise or counterclockwise.  If one visually appeals more to you, be sure to use that technique to create your pinwheels.
9. Continue the above step, bringing in the each corner and tacking it.
10. Last of the corners being tacked down.
11. This is a 2” square. It would be hard to stitch by machine, so you can use a hand needle and a double strand of thread. Bring needle up from the back side and push each of the corners onto the needle. You will need to use a thimble to push the needle through all the layers.

12. Push the needle from the front to the back and secure thread. Attach a pin back to the small size pinwheel and wear it, or attach it to a hair clip. It can also be used as a napkin ring when attached to a ribbon.