I wanted something simple to sew on my Featherweight machine back in March and settled on some strip piecing using batik fabrics. The fabric created (you can read my post HERE) is going to be for a pretty circle quilt from the Strip Your Stash Craftsy class. I made yards of the gorgeous, colourful strips and I've been anticipating actually getting to the cutting.
I made plastic templates using the class materials to trace and cut both pieces of the drunkard's path units. I'm slightly intimidated by the pinning and sewing of the curves but Nancy Smith has such a relaxed attitude to the whole process that it totally gives you the confidence to dive right in! I actually did do some curved piecing in the FREE 2012 Block of the Month Class with Amy Gibson and it wasn't too bad. The fabric is cut on the bias so it is easily manipulated into the arc, even though it looks like the two halves will never fit! The adorable Angela Pingel (she has a Disappearing Blocks with Pre-Cuts Craftsy class) is also a huge fan of curved piecing and she has some great tips. She actually sews from one side to the middle using one pin to hold the fabric. Then she cuts the thread and sews from the other side to the centre and gets a great curve with no shifting. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to go without a lot of pins but I might try the technique once to know for sure!
This was a fun way to use my vintage machine without worrying about a perfect 1/4" seam. I could stitch away mindlessly and it was so relaxing. I think I'm going to try some half square triangles next because I can draw the stitch line right on the fabric. Again, no need to worry about a special foot or measuring the seam allowance. In the meantime, I'll share the first few blocks of the circle quilt when I get them done. It is going to be fabulous to see those curves of Batiks popping out from the white background. Check out Nancy's class if you're interested in learning about strip piecing - she's a hoot!
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