Curved Piecing is a challenge for many quilters and some quilters will simply avoid such designs. But today, SewCalGal wants to again encourage you to try curved seams and to practice till you have mastered them.
Use some scraps in your stash to practice, or consider tackling a small project, like a table runner and even consider purchasing a kit at a reasonable price. However you practice, I'm confident you can master curves and will enjoy the beauty that they add to your projects, if you have not already been incorporating curves into your projects.
Karen Johnson of Connecting Threads has a great tutorial on Curved Piecing. It shows how to sew curves and uses a rather complex piece that has both a concave and convex curve to it.
If you have problems watching this embedded video, click here to watch it directly via youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cHu7a3UyYU
And Connecting Threads has a free downloadable pattern for you to practice your curved piecing skills and make this cute table runner.
Seriously, give curves a try. And this tutorial from Connecting Threads can help.
Don't want to cut fabric to practice sewing curves? Try a pre-cut kit!
Inchworm Fabrics accepts special orders where you could order curved pieces for the curved Drunkards Path with scrap fabrics to practice, or fabrics from Inchworm that you may want to use to make a baby quilt, table topper or a quilt. Cutting services and fabrics are offered at an economical price, making this an excellent opportunity for those that want to work on their precision piecing skills with curved seams.
I'm also excited to share insights with you about an opportunity to purchase an inexpensive pre-cut kit that can give you a chance of stitching curved seams without the expense of purchasing a stencil or die and manually cutting your fabrics. Pre-cut curved pieces are one of the fastest and easiest options for sewing curved piecing.
Barb of Bejeweled Quilts has created a super cute pattern to make a Baby Quilt using the Drunkards Path design. This design is available for purchase on Craftsy and at Inchworm Fabrics, for a very reasonable fee ($4).
Inchworm Fabrics provides kits that include pre-cut pieces.
To clarify, you can get a kit with pre-cut fabrics to make this Drunkards Path design baby quilt or table topper. The kit is very reasonably price for fabrics, pre-cuts and pattern all for $20. And if you would prefer to use different fabrics, talk with Jeanette at Inchworm about what fabric colors/prints you might like to get a pre-cut kit for. I bet she'll be able to find some beautiful fabric to create a special kit for you.
SewCalGal wants to know if you have worked with curves previously, or if you are going to make a personal commitment to learn to stitch curves this year? I know you can do it!
You can find Inchworm Fabrics at:
http://inchwormfabrics.com
http://inchwormfabrics.com/pages/BLOG.htm
https://www.facebook.com/InchwormFabrics
You can find Barb at Bejeweled Quilts at:
http://www.bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barb-of-Bejeweled-Quilts/304512689608531
http://inchwormfabrics.com/pages/BLOG.htm
https://www.facebook.com/InchwormFabrics
6 comments:
I have been puttering with curved seams off and on for several years. Once I realized that the "hard" part for me was stitching slowly (I like to zoom-zoom) my work improved. Drunkard Path is the hardest curved seam so it requires slower stitching than say Double Wedding Ring. But finally I'm not afraid of them anymore!
I took a drunkard's path workshop last winter and fell in love with curves. I designed a really cute penguin quilt using the drunkard's path block.
EXCELLENT post and great video! thanks for sharing, I'd like to pass this along to my guilds yahoo group to share. Thanks!
I've done at least one DP quilt, didn't turn out as nice, then did a winding ways quilt for Quilt it today and that was fun! I need to do more.... hmmmm ideas ideas, I have enough of, just have to decide WHAT and how and when ;) and SOMEONE also needs to make a red and white quilt to show SOMEONE else.... hmmm no curves in that one though.
I learned curved seams several years ago from a friend. Not as hard as I thought, and I was so pleased that I taught my mother how to do them. I have used them in sampler blocks, but never a whole quilt. My Mom, however, went on to make a beautiful, traditional Drunkard's Path quilt which currently graces my bed.
I have done quite a bit of curved piecing, some of it with templates, some of it doing more of a free cutting of the curves. It's fun, though it would definitely be more fun to have them cut by machine rather than cut them from templates!
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