You could say that the Drunkard's Path Block is my new favorite. I've avoided sewing curves for some time but now seem to have found that I can in fact sew curves with some confidence (and better still without pinning).
I was really keen to again work with the Drunkard's Path block (using the same templates that I used to make this quilt), and my only hesitation came from having had a very sore neck/shoulder/arm from using my rotary cutter to cut around the curved templates. I did not realize that I had been holding the rotary cutter and cutting with such great intensity around the curved edges of the templates and allowing my hand/arm to follow suit - probably also with poor posture - when making the last Drunkard's Path Quilt. I wasn't able to turn my head for several days, and needed to support my head/neck to get up in the morning. Not so fun. But it seems it was muscular only and I've recovered sufficiently to try it out again.
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| Piecing quarter circles for a Drunkard's Path Block |
And so it began. The Drunkard's Path Block is essentially just a quarter circle in a square. I decided that this time I was going to piece the quarter circle, which was simple to do. I first pieced Half Square Triangle Units, trimmed these units to ensure a 90 degree angle, then placed the quarter circle template on top and cut around the curved edge with a rotary cutter. (To avoid further neck/shoulder strain I have invested in an even smaller - 18mm - rotary cutter which makes cutting around the curved edge of the template easier. The small blade really hugs the curve and requires less effort. I have also focused on maintaining a better posture when cutting, and taking short breaks to stretch and rest my arm).
I have gone for a very scrappy look for the pieces of the pie (the circles) as well as a scrappy low volume background, and overall I am very happy with how this quilt top has turned out. The circles really stand out and the blocks all came together remarkably well. Most seams match and I am even happy with the centers of my circles where 8 seams come together.
I am thinking about adding some pieced borders but haven't made any decisions yet ...
Lots of photos to share with you today which is a good outcome considering it is a horribly cold and windy day in Melbourne. Great weather for sewing, quilting and knitting though!
And of course a Happy 4th of July to all of my readers from the USA.
Thank you for stopping by,
Rita
RELEVANT LINKS:
A Piece of the Pie Quilt - The Finished Quilt
Drunkard's Path Quilt
Drunkard's Path Quilt in Progress and Sewing Curves ~ No Pins ~ Tutorial
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