block

Did you know that if you google (yes, I’m using it as a verb…) “Peas and Carrots Poem”, you get about 352,000 results? I’m not even sure how many page loads one would have to endure to get to the one that was at the bottom of the list.

The first page of the search results in a plethora of poetry and I was surprised to see that most of them were about love! I guess I never paid much attention to the pairing in the past, and certainly didn’t think that the next block I chose to make from Farmgirl vintage was a thing you could find in the “Urban Dictionary”! However, if it means “goes well together”, then it is aptly named! I really love this block and had fun pulling the perfect shades from my stash.

Farmgirl Vintage: Peas and Carrots

I think I should design a quilt block called “Pickles and Ice Cream”? As long as you eat the pickle first, the ice cream might still work out!

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.