Are you one of those quilter's who shies away from curved piecing? Have you tried it but gave up because it was too hard or time consuming? Then this tutorial is for you!
I was in the aforementioned category....until recently! As an Ambassador for Island Batik, we are given monthly "challenges" in which we make a project with the fabrics we were given in our Ambassador's box. Some months, these projects can be anything we want...other months, they include a specific tool, technique or quilt block. When I read that for one of the upcoming months we were supposed to make a project using the Drunkard's Path quilt block (curved piecing), I groaned (rather loudly)!
I had tried curved piecing several times over the years, but always gave up because it was too time consuming and just not enjoyable to me. I was determined this time to finally conquer it and set out to find the best method to achieve this. After practicing with the usual methods, I made a realization that made everything fall into place (and made curved piecing seem nearly as easy as regular piecing)!
Fabric
Let's start with the basics - fabric. I used batik fabrics for my Drunkard's Path quilt. This was (of course) because I was making it for an Island Batik Ambassador project, but I realized that because batik fabric doesn't stretch like non-batik fabric, that helps a lot when dealing with those curved edges. This eliminated the need to use starch on the pieces before piecing. If you are using non-batik fabric for your curved piecing, it is really helpful to starch each piece before you begin.
The pieces below were cut using the Drunkard's Path die from Accuquilt. This made the cutting so easy and matching the center points effortless.
Tools for Success
After preparing your fabric (using either batik or starched non-batik fabric) you need to gather your tools for success. With curved seams, you need a really accurate 1/4 inch seam (not a scant seam, but a full 1/4" seam). I usually use an adhesive strip on my machine bed and align the fabric to that as I sew. That method was not accurate enough to use for curved piecing. Instead, I used a solid seam guide shown below:
The next tool that is indispensable for curved piecing is a stiletto:
The stiletto will allow you to direct the fabric as you sew around the curve, keeping it nice and tight against the seam guide. There are many different types of stilettos on the market...find one you love and get used to using it!
Lastly, and certainly
not least are
Fabric Glue Pens. These are the "secret" weapon for curved piecing. They allow you to sew your curved pieces without all that time consuming pinning. I've always used these pens for matching seams when I piece, but using them for curved piecing was the thing that made everything click for me. These pens are from Sewline, but there are other brands on the market as well.
Start Piecing!
Below are the cut fabric pieces for the Drunkard's Path Quilt Block. With any curved piecing, you will have a concave half and a convex half. In the photo below, the convex half is on the left and the concave half is on the right. When you sew, you want the concave half on the top, this will keep you from getting pleats underneath as you sew.
To begin, find the center of each piece. The Accuquilt cut pieces have a notch marking the center. If your pieces don't have a notch just lightly fold them in half and mark the center with a crease. With right sides together, place the convex half on top of the concave half, aligning the centers. Put a dab of fabric glue at the center point and put a pin there as well.
Now take your fabric glue pen and run it along the entire length of the first half the convex piece:
Align the edges, pressing down on the edge of each piece to adhere the glue and then place a pin there as well:
Pick up the pinned fabric piece in both hands and gently press the edges together along the length where you put the fabric glue. If they are not aligned to your liking, you can pull them apart and re-stick as needed. Depending on the size of your cut pieces or whether the fabric has been stretched in preparation, you may find one side has a bit more length, causing some puckers to happen. If this occurs, gently stretch the shorter fabric to take up the excess and press the edges together as usual. This seems to happen more in smaller block sizes, but it can easily be eased in by gently stretching and then gluing into place.
Here is the first half the piece aligned and glued. No other pins are needed.
Now prepare the 2nd half the piece exactly as you did the 1st half. The photo below shows the convex side, ready for sewing:
Here is the same piece, showing the concave side ready for sewing:
Here is the same size block pinned in the conventional way. This is way too much work!
Ready to Sew!
When you are ready to sew, place the edge of the fabric up against your solid seam gauge (concave piece on top) and under the presser foot (be sure to use a leader piece to begin your sewing). Use your stiletto to assure the fabric stays where you put it. You will need to take the pins out before they reach the solid seam gauge, which is another reason to use fabric glue when using a solid seam gauge.
Sew slowly, using the stiletto to guide the fabric against the seam gauge. Go as slowly as needed and as fast as you feel comfortable. In time, you will be zipping around these curves!
When you get to the end, guide the fabric against the seam gauge carefully to be sure your seam is aligned at 1/4" and the ends are even. Now you're ready to being the next unit (chain piecing) or just cut your threads if you are done.
Here is the finished block after pressing. Notice how the edges are perfectly aligned. The fabric glue assures they stay this way throughout the sewing process:
Summary
You will find that with just a little practice, you will be whipping through these curved blocks in no time! I hope you have found this tutorial helpful!
You can read my Blog post about the Drunkard's Path Challenge here.
My pattern Circle Dance, using the Drunkard's Path quilt block is available here.
Happy Sewing!
