Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Curves

This quilt project has been on my design floor over most of the Christmas period, choosing fabrics at leisure, piecing at irregular intervals whenever I felt the need to sew, even whilst wrapping presents and basting the turkey. 



I have been wanting to practise curved machine piecing for some time, and although I think I have improved, I still don't enjoy curved piecing. 

I have used Matilda's Own Drunkard's Path templates to make the blocks.  And because I don't like tracing templates, nor cutting fabric with scissors, I have used a small rotary cutter to cut directly around the templates.  No tracing, no scissors, so much easier.

 
28mm Rotary Cutter

An even smaller rotary cutter (18mm) is available, but I found that this size managed the curved templates quite well.


I have used the 3 inch Drunkard's Path templates, with each complete and finished circle block measuring 6 inches.    100 three inch curved blocks and I am glad the center panel of this quilt is finished. 

Work on the borders has commenced, and these will add some geometric contrast.  No more curved piecing for now.  Phew! 

55 comments:

  1. I love the circles - I am a big circles fan but have always appliqued, one of my quilting new years resolutions was to piece some circles and the mini rotary cutter and template tip is inspired! Thanks!

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  2. It looks so bright and fresh, job well done!

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  3. I agree with using the small rotary cutter. Makes all the difference. This is gorgeous!

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  4. Another amazing quilt that I can only aspire to! Curved machine piecing - sounds challenging! Loving this and can't wait to see it completed with a border.

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  5. Fun colors! I need to try the curved piecing too. Thanks for the motivation!

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  6. Love this. Even my husband who glanced at the computer over my shoulder commented on how neat it is.

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  7. it looks great. Curved piecing scares the bejesus out of me!

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  8. so pretty i have been wanting to make one of these...but am intimidated by the curves.

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  9. This a great way to do the block. Nice invigorating block colours.

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  10. It's beautiful!!!! I have the templates, but thanks for the tip on the small rotary circles! I'm not intimidated in sewing circles as I sew a lot of clothing, but the cutting has intimidated me!

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  11. Look at all those circles!! Great job! I've only done a few quilts with curved piecing and when I finish I am soooo done with it I like the idea of the templates. :) Christine

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  12. You might not enjoy it but the result is seriously good. I love your use of white ... as always ... and your colour choices are so fresh and gorgeous. I so wish this was mine!

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  13. I am always so impressed with your quilts! I am currently working on my first and triangles are proving a challenge, let alone circles! I love the colours too!

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  14. It looks great. But I can see that it is a lot of work!

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  15. beautiful. i love how you have matched together four different materials into each colored circle. I really like using the drunkards pattern. I can`t imagine doing it by machine so beautifully, but you have made me want to give it a try.

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  16. Yo Rita...those sure are some happy looking circles!:)

    I'm getting ready to try some of those curved pieces with the Old Red Barn Quilt-Along's 4th round Circle quilt....kinda scared. But I'm not worried about cutting the circles since I won a compass style circle cutter!:)

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  17. Love, love, love the circles!!!!!!

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  18. Rita, I just love curved piecing and have made a similar quilt to this, just different colors. Your choice of colors always amazes me. Your quilts are happy and cheerful. This is no exception, I love it and I may have to make a similar one!! Love the curves.

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  19. I love sewing curved blocks but 3"??
    whew is right! I hardly ever go smaller than 6" .. SO much work to work so small.

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  20. These are lovely! The colours really pop against the white background.

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  21. I love the circles - looking forward to seeing what you do with the border. and also looking forward to more PDF patterns!

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  22. Love the rainbow colors and the way you've laid out the drunkard's path block. I have this template for my accuquilt machine and hope to get kits cut up some time soon, soooo maybe by the time you want to do more curved sewing I'll have some made up.

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  23. Oooh, I love this quilt! The circles are beautiful -- I can't wait to see how you do the borders!

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  24. This is fantastic! Probably one of my favorites! Glad you persevered through the curved piecing because the results are spectacular. Can't wait to see the finished project!

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  25. Beautiful circle quilt. One of my favorites! Great color & fabrics.
    I too am not excited about the templates, but they do work. On the other hand I was very excited to use the Drunkard's Path Die with the AccuQuiltGo. Very fast to cut and truly much easier & faster to sew than templates. The Go leaves a little notch in the fabric which really helps to match up the curve in the two pieces.

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  26. I evangelize this everywhere I can: Have you tried Dale Fleming's Pieced Curves So Simple method? It'll change your life! http://www.hgtv.com/crafting/pieced-curves-so-simple/index.html

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  27. Pretty gorgeous Rita.
    I made a quilt using the extra huge drunkards path template (Only 9 circles and a couple of borders for a queen sized quilt).
    I found that pretty exhausting with all the curves so I admire your persistance with all those little curves.
    Looks great (as always).
    Andi x

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  28. WOW! So fabulous! Love it.

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  29. That is truely gorgeous! I'll have to pick up some stencils at the next quilt fair I go to.

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  30. Just beautiful!....love your precise seams!

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  31. they look amazing!! hopefully someday i can get brave and try curved piecing.

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  32. that might possibly be the prettiest quilt I have ever seen! YOU know color and I loved seeing this!

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  33. This is beautiful. I really want to make a circular quilt like this, this is great inspiration. Beautiful.

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  34. This is cool! I am going to have to find those!

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  35. Awesome quilt -- it sparkles! I like the Matilda's Own templates and have used them with a rotary cutter, too. Works great!

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  36. Beautiful quilt Rita. I love how the colours POP with the white! It's going to be stunning. Can't wait to see it finished!

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  37. this looks stunning and now I can see how it is cut...but I am curious as to how you actually inset the curves or stitch them together?

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  38. This quilt reminds me of the inside cover of the Very Hungry Caterpillar book. It really is just like it. I love the colours in the book and your quilt. Probably one of my favourites so far.

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  39. Hi,
    thank you for your comment on my blog, so I could find you here as well. I love your quilts! Can't wait to try it myself, but have to improve our etsy shops first. When everything is routined, I can start a new adventure.

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  40. I'm such a circle tragic, I love them. I have the templates and they are good. I also have the 18mm cutter and it's not much good for anything. It is so small, it gets caught on the edge of the templates. Just my experience.

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  41. Every time you do a new quilt it make me want to do the same...
    I really really like yor workk& art!
    Tahel from far far away Isreal....

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  42. I made this quilt
    http://lacubanitacose.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-brothers-quilt.html from a pattern from one of Rowan's quilting books. I made my own templates and used a small rotary cutter. While I loved the final product, piecing curves is not my favorite.
    Yours is looking great!

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  43. Those colors are wonderful! I wish I could just grab that fabric through my laptop screen. :)

    I bought one of those rotary compass things but I am a little intimidated by curves. All I've managed to do is applique circles so actually sewing two curved edges together like you did makes me very very nervous.

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  44. That is fabulous! I have some drunkard's path pieces cut with an AccuQuilt cutter that I still have to get sewn....

    Good to know about the rotary cutter and templates, I've been thinking about buying a smaller one.

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  45. My quilt group has been obsessed with circle quilts for quite some time...raw-edge-machine-pieced circles...but THIS circle quilt takes the cake! You may have just given us a new "rut" to be in! Thanks!

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  46. wow - that is going to be amazing!!!!

    I'm not a fan of curved piecing either, I'd like to be...but I'm not!!!!

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  47. I love curved piecing. It's like magic how the 2 odd pieces just fall together. I do pretty well at it for some strange reason. I agree...templates are my best friend...templates and tiny rotary cutters. What would we do without them?

    I absolutely LOVE that quilt! Gorgeous!

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  48. Oh my goodness, you make me want to try cirlcles!!!! Just gorgeous!
    You are so very talented!!
    Thanks for sharing.

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  49. R, your blocks came out great! I have a dream to create a quilt using this same block. I even purchased a special presser foot, designed specifically for piecing curved pieces, at a quilt show. I really hope to do it this year. Thanks for the motivation, and for the fabulous pix!

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  50. Great quilt! I love the way you have used different fabrics for each circle, but kept them all the "same" color. Can't wait to see the border on.

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  51. It may have been a pain in the butt, but it looks great!

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  52. now having seen the finished quilt.. i still like it just like this better for some reason.. its simple just with the dots... but either way its beautiful!

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  53. I made it through one pieced block of DS Single Girl Quilt and think I successfully accomplished my lifetime quota of curved piecing.

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  54. I love your quilt. It was worth your time and effort..it turned out fantastic.

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