Friday, September 17, 2010

Third time's a charm...sort of

Like a lot of you, I'm in a couple of bee swaps. This month's swap leader requested Drunkard's Path.

No problem. In my day, I have set in a lot of sleeves into garments, without any puckers, I might add.

In preparation, I even ordered a special foot, called the Curve Master, as it claims pinning the convex and concave pieces is unnecessary. I printed out the tutorial. I watched the video. Ready to go.

Wait a minute....this can't be right. I must have done something wrong...


Something is definitely wrong. No problem. I'll just try it again, this time without the Curve Master, and with pins. Carefully pinning the center, then both ends, and working my way back to the center.


I don't think so...I'll try it once more, pinning closer together this time.


Ugh. Still not right. (Question: would you keep me in your bee??)

Let me read those directions again. "Place those pieces together matching centers with the white on top. Pin from the center to the outer edges. You will have some little white hangovers on each side. This is okay."

Okay. Wait a minute. Where is that homemade pecan pie Mark brought me last night? I need sustenance.


Don't worry. This is not a full-sized pie. It is only 5" across, and I already ate about a fourth of it last night. But I know a couple of bites will give me the energy I need to try it again. Ran out of other "practice" fabric--(sure hope I don't need it for the sampler quilt-along I was using it for). Oh, well, I'll try this fabric.


Not too bad.

The real fabric pinned together. Feeling a little nervous...


Look! No puckers. Hmmmm...why is there more white fabric hanging over on one side than the other?


I probably need some more pie.


Tangent thought: are you a "geometric" eater? Do you like your pie/brownie edges nice and neat? I'll just eat trim that pie so it's a little neater as well...

There. Much better.


After the edges are trimmed and all four components put together...


Our bee partner said we only had to make one block, but I was kind of on a roll, so I sewed the rest of the parts together too...


Not bad. Maybe my bee partners will keep me after all. Now, where is the rest of that pecan pie?

ADDENDUM:

The pie worked its magic, because then I turned around the did this (oops--sorry for the untrimmed threads--I was just happy to be done).

24 comments:

05 08
Angie said... #

Curves are tricky! Your third try looks great :)

Fran said... #

Try that Curvemaster again, be sure to use the tweezers. I LOVE it, and was able to use it efficiently after only two samples.

Terriaw said... #

I haven't tried this block, but I'm encouraged by your perseverance! Well done in keeping at it! I love your last block with the triangles inside. BTW, when I have small pies like that in the house, I tend to just dive in with fork.

Melissa said... #

I was so impressed! Then I saw the picture of the curve with all the triangles pieced in. Amazing! I haven't tried anything like it yet.

Grandma G said... #

Perfectionism? At its best! ;)

As for the pie-eating method, yeah... I do the trim thing, too. (Also works well with brownies, mind you.) Sometimes, though, in my effort to get the edges 'perfectly' even, the entire pie disappears! But the pan looks nice and neat afterwards!

Needled Mom said... #

Wow...that pie works wonders. I may have to try some.

chris baker said... #

LOL...you got me chuckling up a storm. That pie looked good too and was obviously the key to your sewing. Maybe I just need to keep pie on hand to get things done.

Your blocks turned out great, I am nervous for the day someone asks me to do a curve block, but now I know for sure that practice makes perfect. I am a total geometrical eater, gotta keep the neat!

Jennifer said... #

Wow! Curves can be tough but your end results are awesome.

Jennifer :)

PS: Pie makes almost everything better.

ktquilts said... #

I always think better after chocolate!!! Way to stick with it!!

Crystal said... #

All those different outcomes with just one block! Curves are crazy! But your finished blocks look amazing. I'm going to have to try circles one day...but not today. :)

felicity said... #

I would definitely not kick you out of any bee I was in! And your final results are beautiful!

I agree with Jennifer: pie makes EVERYTHING better. Especially if it's pumpkin pie.

mmmm....pieeeeee.....

Staci said... #

Enjoyed this post a lot. I appreciate you showing your progress through a tricky block. I've been too chicken to try those curves, and I feel encouraged when I see a post like this.

Oh, and can I eat your Pie???

KatiesModernNest said... #

no way...how'd you go from simple circle to crazy triangle-thingy? Do you have directions for that? I'd love to try!

Jen said... #

wow, just wow! All those pins!.....Exactly why I'll NEVER do curved piecing! I rarely use pins, pretty much only when I'm sewing rows together. I know, I'm bad! They look great though!
(p.s.) I sent a package your way today!

Q @ JAQS said... #

Very nice. That last block is well worth all the tries and work :).

More pie just for the heck of it! :)

beth said... #

Glad I'm not in that bee and pie was the perfect idea!! thanks for the smile.

Retrogirl said... #

beautiful blocks. It takes a few attempts to get the hang of curve master. i'll do anything to avoid tons of pins. anything!
=)

Nichole said... #

i'm a little bummed to hear that the curve master isn't the pure genius that i thought it was! your finished blocks look perfect and gorgeous the "old-fashioned way". nice work!

allisa jacobs said... #

woo hoo! I'm so scared of curves (in more ways than one ;) but your block turned out fabulously- way to go!

Anonymous said... #

Geometric eater, yes. That ice cream MUST BE FLAT.

Julie @ Jaybird Quilts said... #

I agree with Fran.. try the curve master again. The trick is to keep the fabric apart {like in my video} and then it works.. i didn't design the foot and i get no money from promoting it.. i just do it because it works!

Sara said... #

So, how did you like the curve master foot? I've seen it praised on another blog (fellow quilter with a great blog name of which escapes me right now). I have to admit, I stay away from circles b/c of all the pinning and I really want to do a NY beauty and a drunkard's path.

Amanda Jean said... #

you are so funny, Cindy!

i'm going to try curves next month at my quilt club meeting. i'm going to have someone hold my hand every step of the way.

your curves look FABULOUS in the last few blocks. Perserverance pays off!

CitricSugar said... #

Something that tricky and I would've eaten more than one pie. The oven and the sewing machine would've both been in constant use that day.

Nice result on the blocks, though. And I just about died laughing reading this post. :-)