Tackling the Curve
Piecing a curve together might feel a little scary at first. There’s something so simple and comforting about a straight line—but a curve? A curve is definitely not a straight line. When you’re working with curves, you’re dealing with bias edges, which can stretch and shift. You’re joining two pieces that look like they shouldn’t fit together. It might even seem like you’re gathering fabric when you’re not!
And just like in life, there are many ways to do the same thing—and no single right or wrong way. What matters most is getting to the finish line and enjoying the process along the way.
Last week we cut our pieces—now it’s time to move forward!
Click here to check out all the details for Week 2 of the Drift Quilt Along.
So, how do you sew a curve?
There are a few different approaches to piecing a curve, and every quilter has their favorite:
- Fold and pin at the middle, the beginning, and the end.
- Pin all the way around the curve.
- Glue baste the pieces together.
- Or… go rogue with no pinning at all—just guiding it gently through your machine.
Above is my favorite method—the one I think is the easiest and most beginner-friendly for piecing a curve:
Fold. Pin. Sew.
That’s it! It doesn’t have to be complicated. In the pattern extras, I’ve included a detailed video where you can get up close and personal with my sewing machine to see exactly how I do it.
With this technique, you’ll be sewing curves in no time and adding another awesome skill to your tool belt!
Practice Makes Progress
This week and next week, our goal is to sew together the bird blocks:
- Let’s start by focusing on Blocks 1 and 2.
Take your time, and remember—practice makes better.
Don’t forget to trim your wings just slightly!
I’m a bit of a worrywart, so I have us trim a little off the top and bottom of the wing. This helps ensure that the curved seam doesn’t end up showing in the finished quilt top.
Join Me on Zoom!
Let’s tackle curves together! I’ll be hosting a Zoom Sew Day this Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm PST. The link will be emailed to you tomorrow. Bring your questions, your fabric, and your favorite snacks. We’ll hang out, work on our blocks, show off our progress, and get to know each other.
What do you need to have done to join the Zoom event? Buy the pattern and fill out the Quilt Along form – I have it here for your convenience.
Want to join the Drift Quilt Along?
It’s not too late to join the quilt along. You can head over to last week’s blog post about picking out your fabrics to get caught up. Quilt Along Schedule:
JULY
1st – Fabric Pull
8th – Cutting Fabric
15th – Making blocks with F 1 and F2
July 19th Zoom Sew Day
22nd – Making blocks with F3 and F4
29th – Putting the top together
August
5th – Quilting the Quilt
🎉 Instagram Giveaway 🎉
I’ll be choosing winners on Instagram, so make sure your account is set to public for the duration of the Quilt Along. If your account is private, I won’t be able to see your photos—and if I can’t see them, I can’t enter you into the drawings for prizes. Once the Quilt Along wraps up, feel free to make your account private again. If you need help updating your settings, just let me know—I’d be happy to walk you through it!
Week Three Prize: Low Volume Jelly Roll
How to know if you won.
Use the hashtag #DriftQAL when posting your progress photos. With each new step in the Quilt Along, I’ll select a winner. Here’s how it works: I gather the names of everyone who shared a photo using the hashtag that week, put them all in a bowl, and draw one out. That’s our weekly winner!
Each Wednesday, I will be going LIVE on Instagram and YouTube at 4:30 pm PST to pick the winner.
I will update this blog post with the winner the day after the LIVE.
Grand Prize Details
For the grand prize, a mini Oliso Iron, I’ll be looking at overall participation. I’ll tally points based on:
- The number of progress photos you post using #DriftQAL
- How often you comment and cheer on others in the community
The person with the highest total will win the grand prize—so get involved, stay active, and have fun supporting each other!
If you have any questions leave them in the comments below!! Have a wonderful week.
