Perfect Pin-Free Curves: A Tutorial
I'm on a mission to make everyone love sewing curves, also known as
drunkard's path blocks, as much as I do. And to celebrate the stand-alone pattern release of Chalk Stars, I'm sharing my pin-free method for sewing them.
There's no way around template cutting when you are sewing curves. The pattern includes paper templates you can use to make sturdy cardboard versions. Cut out the templates, then glue or trace them on a piece of cardboard (I used a cereal box). The extra thickness makes it easier to go around the curved edge with your rotary cutter.
Speaking of rotary cutting, besides the obvious "use a sharp blade when
cutting," a smaller size blade is invaluable for smooth, clean cuts! I
have four different-sized rotary cutters in my sewing room and I always use
the 18mm one when cutting curves. The smaller size glides around the
curved template pieces.
Here's a close-up of that perfectly cut fabric ready to be made into a
curved block. The larger the curve, the easier it is to sew, and
the Chalk Stars pattern has big beautiful curves in it!
Preparation
Prepare your machine by setting the stitch length to 2.0 and choosing a
thread color that matches one of the fabrics you are using in your curve.
If your machine has an "automatic needle down when stopping" setting,
that will also be a huge help; you'll be starting and stopping frequently to
ease the needle around the curve.
Since we aren't using pins, the preparation for sewing each curve block is
simple: fold the inner curve piece in half, right sides together, and
finger-press a half inch, just pass the seam allowance. Fold the outer
curve piece in half, wrong sides together and finger-press the same way.
Line up your finger-pressed creases, and your fabric pieces are
prepped!
Here's an alternate view of the prepped fabric pieces:
This takes barely any time and I do it block by block, prepping each set
right before I sew it.
Sewing the Curves
Line up the crease where your pieces are nested under your machine needle
and take a few stitches, backstitching to secure the thread. The arrow
in the photo below points to the finger-pressed crease.
Now, start sewing slowly, stopping every half-inch or so to make sure the
edges of the two fabric pieces are aligned. Make sure your needle is
down before you start adjusting your fabrics! Both pieces were cut on
the bias, so the edges are super-stretchy and will fit together nicely, you
just need to keep easing them together. Use two hands! I moved
my second hand for better pictures, but both hands are essential for making
sure everything works the way it should.
When you reach the end of the curve, cut the thread and flip the block over.
Start sewing from your original start point in the opposite direction
using the exact same instructions as above.
Experiment with starting both ways - I prefer to have my inner curve on top
initially, but you might prefer to have your outer curve on top. Both
give you the same result!
Finishing
Press towards the inner curve, being careful not to stretch the fabric in
the process.
The outer curve template in Chalk Stars is slightly oversized to give you
some leeway in piecing errors. Trim the inner curve sides first, leaving a
quarter inch between the curve seam and the outer edge of the block, then
turn and trim the outer edges to size.
And your beautiful curve block is complete! No pins, just a lot of
patience and careful sewing! Slow sewing may sound tedious, but it's
much faster than using dozens of pins and having to put them in and pull
them out again. With practice, you'll get faster and fall into a
rhythm. By the time you finish the 64 curves needed for the
Chalk Stars quilt, you'll be a pro!
Chalk Stars is available in
my pattern shop. It was also featured in Issue 39 of Make Modern Magazine (affiliate link).
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