I completed the cutting and sewing of the first block of the Curve It Up quilt pattern today.  This was also the very first time that I have tried the “Quick Curve Ruler”.

My color selection didn’t vary much from the pattern (this time), call me chicken!

Step 1:  Choose your fabrics
I plan to incorporate a mixture of solids and prints in my blocks.  I will probably carry over one of the fabrics to each subsequent block to attempt to tie everything together.

Step 2:  Precut your fabrics – What I learned… I precut my fabrics to the sizes suggested.  The sizes are supposed to be a little larger than the final sizes needed for the curved pieces.  However, no extra is given for the more traditional non-curve pieces.

Step 3:  Sew your block per the pattern…
So far, the beauty of the “Quick Curve Ruler”  is that it gives you a slot to follow for cutting the curve AND after you have pieced your curve (and it isn’t perfectly centered) you can use the ruler to correct it by cutting it down!

This ruler doesn’t make it any easier to match the starting point of your curve.  You also still need to be careful during stitching not to tug or stretch the curve.  I found the blue concave piece the most susceptible to the stretching.

Here is what helped me:
1.  To center the blue concave curve piece and the background convex piece, overlay them, and then mark where they intersect.  (I used a pink friXion pen… it will disappear with ironing, and will be within the seam allowance.)

2.  Use a stylus to help feed the two layers under your foot while sewing the curve.  I found that my fingers tended to tug at the fabric more than a fine edge.  I’m trying out “That Purple Thang”, and it seems to do the trick. 🙂

Step 4:  Press and admire…
The finished blocks of this quilt are 16 1/2  x 16 1/2.