Pinwheel Potholder

Let's make a potholder and then there will be no more pinwheels until Monday. (If you're not sure what I'm talking about, we made half square triangles here and then a pinwheel over here.)

First, we'll make the little hanging loop.
Cut a 2" x 6" strip of fabric.

Fold it in half wrong sides together and press.

Open up and fold both ends towards the center press line.
Press again.

Fold along the center and press.

Stitch close to the edge to secure.

Cut two 8.5" x 8.5" squares out of Insul-Brite or another insulating batting.  I like to double up on this.  If you'd like your potholder even thicker, you can put a layer or two of batting inbetween the two Insul-Brite layers. (You can find Insul-Brite at JoAnns or Hancocks or mabe even your quilt store, although I'm not so sure of that.)

Cut a 8.5" x 8.5" square out of the fabric you'll be using as the back of the potholder and lay it right side up on top of the Insul-Brite.

Fold the loop you made in half and pin it to the fabric on the diagonal. Stitch close to the edge through all the layers as in the photo below.

Place your pinwheel wrong side up on top of your sandwich.

Stitch all the way around leaving an opening for turning. You can make your seam a little wider than 1/4" if you'd like. As long as all seams are the same width, your pinwheel will keep its shape.
Stitch diagonally where the loop is to make the potholder hang neatly when you turn it right side out. Trim that little corner on the diagonal.

Turn your potholder right side out through the opening you left in the seam. Use a chopstick to push out the corners.

Press and then topstitch close to the edge and again about 1/4" in.
I also stitched "in the ditch" along all the seam lines.
I'm not completely happy with how this turned out, but that's operator error (I was in too much of a hurry) and it is a utilitarian product after all.