It's All About the Curves - Curved Piecing Techniques, Tips, & Tricks

Spicy Colors + Curved Piecing

Today I'm talking hot and spicy colors and one of those "scary" techniques - curved piecing!
Have you admired curved piecing but avoided trying it? In this blog post, I'll walk you through the steps to sewing a drunkard's path quilt block - an easy quarter circle. You can make the blocks into a quilt like this:

I used a bold, zesty Warm FQ bundle - solids in a range of pinks, reds, oranges and yellows. The bundle contains 12 fat quarters, but I chose 8 to make my mini (more on that below).

Shop the Warm FQ Bundle

If video is more your style, check out the YouTube tutorial here.

Download the template here and print out.

Watch the YouTube Tutorial

Download the Template

Let’s Make a Block!

Let's Make a Block!
Step 1: The block consists of two templates pieces - the quarter circle and the background. Cut out the template shapes on the outer lines. Choose two different prints with high contrast. Cut (1) 5" strip from each fat quarter. Position each template on a strip, trace and cut out (In the photo, both shapes are being cut from the same fabric - I made all 16 of my blocks at the same time, so I cut out both shapes from each color).

Here are all of my cut pieces, ready to be pinned and stitched! I chose a gray thread - Madeira Cotona 691 Blue Gray - to sew the blocks because it will blend nicely with all the colors I'm stitching together.

Shop Cotona 691 Blue Gray

Step 2: Fold both the background and quarter circle piece in half and press to mark the center points as shown. Position the pieces right sides together and match and pin at the folded center points.

Step 3: Align straight edges at both end and pin.

Step 4: Then pin along the curve, aligning raw edges as you pin. The more pins, the easier it is to sew.

Step 5: The key to stitching is to do it slowly and carefully. Your goal is to keep the raw edges matching as you sew your 1/4" seam. This means some stopping and starting and occasional adjusting of the pinned fabric pieces. Even though you're sewing curved edges, because the curves have been cut on the bias, they stretch, so you'll actually be gently pulling them and almost sewing in a straight line.

Here's what your stitched block will look like before pressing.

Step 6: After stitching, press the curved edge open. I find it easiest to press the seam toward the background piece. Here's a look at the finished block from both sides. The last step? Square the block up to 4-1/2".

Making the Quilt

Making the Quilt:
I cut (2) each quarter circle and background pieces from each of 8 colors and then mixed and matched them into (16) blocks.

After laying them out, I sewed them into rows and joined the rows to make the quilt top.

After layering the quilt top with batting and backing and then basting the layers together, I chose to use Madeira Cotona 668 Goldenrod to create some beautiful texture with straight line machine quilting.