Curved Blocks in the Grand Convergence Experiment

There it sits on the flannel wall, these curved pieces seemed a little more challenging.

Not because they were curves, but because it was hard for me to figure out exactly how I was going to sew them together because of the point.

It took Stephanie to point out the best way to do it. And once she did, it became obvious.

She split the block into two sections at the point where the curve went from one side of the block to the other.

The idea, then, is to sew the pieces in each of the sections together, and then, sew the halves together to complete the block.

Beginning with the bottom two pieces, fold one section on top of the other so the right sides face together. I chose to fold the pieced section on top of the yellow batik fabric. That way, I could keep track of the seam allowances on the pieced section, and make sure they all stayed facing the same direction.

It looks very much like sewing two triangles together in that there were little dog-ears sticking out.

One of the big differences is that the only part of the raw edge you can line up is about 1/2 inch long. After that, the pieces begin to curve and become un-aligned.

This block will be sewn together in the same way as the first block with the wavy pink batik. As you sew, you will need to adjust the fabric, lining up the raw edges and moving the fabric around so it will go under the needle straight.

In doing that, you will create little bubbles and tunnels. Just be sure that the seam allowance remains flat so you don’t sew in the puckers or tucks.

The key is to keep the edge flat so that you don’t stitch any puckers or pleats into the seam.

Once the first seam is stitched, follow the same procedure to sew the other section together.

Now with both halves sewn together, you can sew the center seam, and your block will be complete.

Fold one half on top of the other, facing right sides together. If you want the center seams to line up, you will want to begin sewing the halves together in the center.

Beginning about 1/2 inch before the spot where the seam allowances meet, put your sewing machine needle in the fabric.

Line up the edges of the two sections and begin sewing, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Because the pieced block is on the bottom, I need to watch the seam allowances on that section to be sure that they stay facing their original direction.

Once the seam is sewn from the center to the edge of the block, take the pieces out of the machine, and repeat the process with the other half of the seam – stitching from the center to the edge of the block.

The block is done! Actually, pretty easy.

This finished block ends up being a rectangle, and the edges do not line up, with the batik being longer than the pieced sections. These will need to be trimmed before it is sewn to make the quilt.


Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
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