I learned stress free piece curved lines from reading a library book. It is that easy to learn. Rarely have I learned any technique from a book. Like many, I prefer to watch someone demonstrate the technique in person. I regularly use this technique to add movement in my abstract art quilts. This technique is not for creating equal curved lines for traditional quilting blocks.
Steps to Practice Curved Line Piecing
Materials needed-100% cotton fabric, rotary cutter, cutting mat, sewing machine, thread, iron and ironing board to press final product
Step 1
Choose 2 pieces of cotton fabrics about 4″ x 4″
(10 x10 cm). Printed fabric makes it easy to tell which side is the right side. Solid color fabric ensures success.
Step 2
Place the 2 pieces, right side up, on top of each other. Using a rotary cutter on a cutting mat, cut a simple curved line starting somewhere in the middle of the two pieces. Don’t stress about the shape of the curve or the exact middle. It doesn’t matter.
Step 3
Separate the pieces. Take the top right piece and place it next to the bottom left piece. Take the top left piece and fit it next to the bottom right piece. They should fit together like a puzzle pieces.
Step 4
To sew, place fabric right sides together. Sew together with a
1/4″( .5)cm seam. The important part-The two pieces need 1/4″ (.5cm)seam when moving through the presser foot. Due to the curve,the length of the fabric pieces won’t line up on all edges. Lift the top piece of fabric to adjust slightly as it moves through the presser foot. Also gently move the bottom piece of fabric if necessary. It sounds more difficult than it is. Press flat. That’s it!!! Repeat with the other 2 pieces of fabric.
Step 5
Step 5. Practice,practice, practice. As your skill develops, vary your cutting line to create different curves. I found this technique amazingly forgiving. Incorporate creatively into your art quilt projects.
Taking Curved Line Piecing to the Next Level
After practicing this technique for a while, I decided that I didn’t always want duplicate pieces for my art quilts. I adjusted the technique to use two pieces of fabric instead of four. I placed the edges of the two pieces face up close together, overlapping the fabric(step 6). The overlapping part is the section where I make the curved cutting line. Place the 2 fabric pieces together like a puzzle piece (step 7).
Once you have mastered the basic technique, let the experimenting begin. Lots of room for variation in the shape of the curves. Try different fabrics that are not 100% cotton. It works with them also.
Issues with Curved Line Piecing
Sometimes quilters can get carried away. If a few curved lines are good then a whole piece of them must be better. At least that is what I thought at one time. This turned out not to be a good idea. The piece would not lie flat. Maybe there were too many small pieces of fabric. The way it looked was also a problem. It was not pleasing to my eye. Lesson learned. Moderation is fine.
Entering Shows
When one is ready to enter shows, one may find size restrictions. Sometimes it is easy to complete a piece within those limits. Yet,depending on the technique that one uses, it can be difficult.
I use curved line piecing in my abstract art quilts. This technique uses more fabric than just straight line sewing. If I am making a piece for a juried show with a small size restriction,it can be difficult to get the size just right. It is difficult to plan for a particular size especially if the size is on the small side,like 12″ x 12″. One has to take into account the seam allowances at the same time as planning for the fabric of an interesting shape of a curve. Be forewarned!
In spite of the issues that I brought up,I enjoy using this technique to add movement to my art quilts. I hope that you will also add this technique to your toolbox of skills.
Read more here. https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/06/yarn-adds-texture-to-an-art-quilt/
https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/09/scale-and-size-is-important-on-fabric/
https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2023/07/new-to-quilting/
http://www.saqa.com/ Learn more about art quilts at the Studio Art Quilt Associates website.
https://annbmayartquilts.etsy.com/ See more of my art at my Etsy shop.