Friday, May 6, 2011

VIBee Block for Tracey

*** Last Day to enter the Burgundy Button Sponsor Giveaway here :)

And I thought the unpicking (see yesterday's post) was going to be the pain part of this block.  Boy was I wrong.  What really drew me to this pattern was the curves on the inside.  I have never pieced curves before and have wanted to learn how.  Well I think the next time I try something new, I won't find the most difficult pattern that teaches that technique.

Trying to piece a curve that is only 2 inches wide and piecing it to 4 separate pieces of material, defiantly a learning experience.  My first few pieces were done several times.  And I do mean several times!!!  By about the 5th segment, I was starting to figure out the process and only had to piece it once, even though that once still took a lot of patience :)

So then I am thinking I am out of the woods right, wrong :)  Once you have all the segments done you piece them all together and then fiddle with those seams to get the whole thing to lay flat.  Luckily, I only had to adjust one seam and it laid down fine :)  Then you turn the raw edges under on the outer edge and stitch the entire wheel to the background fabric  (it is a lot harder then it sounds to get those curved edges to turn under perfectly without little seams wanting to pop out on you while sewing )

So with all that said, I will add that I am happy with the result.  I am not ecstatic, because it isn't perfect.  Some of my seams don't line up perfect and the outer edges don't curve as perfect as I would like.  But I am happy :)  I learned a lot, and that makes me super happy because it makes me a better quilter!!!  I do love the little border I added to make the block the right size :)  Will I make another??  Maybe, but not for a while :)

So if I haven't completely scared you off and you want to give this block a try, you can find the pattern here.  You can also see much better versions of it here at Twin Fiber's blog, where I first got the idea :)



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24 comments:

  1. That is a beautiful block. Well Done. You should try one of those Curve Master feet (if you don't already have one). I bought one at a quilt show. Left it in the draw for 2 years and then finally had the courage to attach it to my Pfaff. Brilliant. No pinning. No tears.

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  2. That looks so great! Good for you for sticking with it.

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  3. Melissa, you are amazing. Having sewn lots of curved seams in my life for dresses and blouses and whatever else, I cannot imagine how incredibly frustrating and obnoxious it would be if they had to turn out perfect in the end. I'm always fudging something, and that just would work on a quilt block. It's beautiful!

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  4. Your block is beautiful! I don't know that I would have stuck with it as long as you did. Maybe you could make it into a pillow.

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  5. You have way more patience than I do! Nice job.

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  6. Oh my goodness that is gorgeous! A curved foot, huh? (I was reading your comments.) That might be something to check out.

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  7. hahaha, I tried sewing curves with the same thought - "It can't be that hard!" Wrong! :)

    Your block looks wonderful!

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  8. It's a beautiful block...all that hard work was worth it!!

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  9. wow, you stuck with it. I would have been so frustrated. Your effort was definitely worth it. Such a great block.

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  10. Beautiful block! Had a giggle at your comment--I do that myself. Start with complex and hard instead of taking baby steps. Then kick myself every step of the way and wonder why oh why did I ever start this! Good for you though, you finished in style!

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  11. I think it looks great! I can imagine how hard that was to piece the curves.

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  12. It's so pretty, perfect or not =)

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  13. It turned out so cute. Man that was a project and a half.

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  14. Sometimes having a blog really makes us keep on doing stuff 'cause everybody is watching. If we were doing it all alone it would be much easier to throw it in a drawer and forget about it. Good job at working through it. Now how about some feathers.

    Mary Ann

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  15. It looks pretty darn good to me and complicated enough to scare me away. Congratulations on the preserverance.

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  16. That is a GORGEOUS block!

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  17. Wow! It looks perfect from here! You did a great job. I like all the curves too...it looks very hard but it sure is beautiful!

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  18. You are a great quilter and your work definitely shows!! Whoop,whoop!!!

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  19. The block turned out beautiful despite the 'duh' moment. lol

    *hugs*
    Debbie K

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  20. Beautiful block, Melissa! I'm so glad you linked up with us today! Whoop whoop!!

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  21. An easier way to turn under a curve is to run a gathering stitch just inside the seam allowance you want to turn under. Then pull the thread slightly so you don't get a gather but you get rounding. Press the seam allowance toward he fabric and you should have a nice, clean curve. Once pressed you can clip the curve but it should stay down easier and be easier to pin and stitch. Of course I use this on hems, facings, collars, much bigger projects and you may feel it is more work than it is worth. But it does make a smooth curve. Beautiful block. Glad you persevered with the unpicking. As I tell Kaylee, if you can't unpick, you shouldn't sew. happy Mother"s Day

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Thank you so much for your sweet comments. I just love hearing from you!!
Have a Happy Quilting Day :)

Melissa