I Need a New Pin Quilt!

This is a pin quilt. My OLD pin quilt. I've had it for many years and whenever we travel and have the opportunity, we pick up a souvenir pin. It's our thing.

We have pins from Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, New York, California, Disney, Japan, Chile, Peru, Switzerland, Houston Astro's, 2002 Olympics, quilt shows, museums, cub scouts, presidential libraries, and many state parks as well. This last summer, our pin quilt got full. Too full. We had picked up lots of new pins from Glenn Canyon Dam, Salt Lake City, Hole in the Rock, and Disney World. There were 22 pins in the border alone! Time for a NEW pin quilt.

I'd like to show you a great way to make lots of little squares. You can use this method for a pin quilt or any project that needs a lot of little squares.
I learned this from a friend who I think saw it on a Quilt show. So, this method has been around--nothing new. It will give you 2" finished squares.
First, I cut lots of different reds 5" square.
I want my NEW pin quilt to be 10 X 10 squares. (The old one was 8 X 12.)

This means I need 25 - 5" squares but I cut a few extra, because I like a few extra, just in case, and I will need an even number anyway.

Now that I have you all totally confused, let's get simple. Cut some 5" squares.

Pair up your squares. Since I like random, I pair them up randomly. You might want to have only two fabrics and pair them up one of each.

With right sides together, sew two opposite sides with a 1/4" seam. This will make a tube.

Put these double-squares on your cutting mat, seams on the sides. Then with your ruler, find the middle of your square (2 1/2" over) and cut through the middle.

Now you have two half-double-squares. But that sounds confusing again. Let's go back to being simple, because this really is simple and hard to mess up. Promise.

Open up your two half-double-squares and look! You have a square with two different fabrics! Halfway there!

Press those seams and put those squares (or mix them up with other half-squares) back together again, right sides together, seams together, across the middle, horizontally.

Now sew your sides again, 1/4" seam again, and create that tube again.

And now, measure it down the middle again (2 1/2" over again) and cut it in half again.

Now open that up and look at your cute little 4-patch. Perfect 2" squares.

You can mix up your fabrics, if you're using a variety. You get all of these great 4-patches that you can rearrange to find just the right spot for.

That's another reason why I like to do a few extra, so the same two don't end up next to each other.

Sew them all together. 10 squares by 10 squares or 5 blocks X 5 blocks.


Quilt it, bind it, put some pins on it and hang it up!

Then get traveling! :)

(p.s. Try different sizes: for 1" finished squares, start with 3" squares)