The block for November went relatively quickly. It is called Palace Garden. It does have the look of an aerial view of the type of formal garden one might see at a palace in Europe.
What makes this month's block different is that it has a curved seam based on the curve used in the traditional Drunkard's Path pattern. This was my first time cutting and sewing such a seam. I had to make two templates and they weren't easy to use. It was very difficult to cut the curves with a rotary cutter, so I ended up cutting by hand with scissors. (It is interesting that you need two templates for the single curve. With your seam allowances, the two curves need to be different sizes.)
It was difficult and I don't like the result. I think you could do some nice designs with Drunkard's Path, but I don't like this one. This is a seven-patch block, so the quarter circles are intersected by a center cross. This flattens out the circle into more of a square with rounded corners, and I don't particularly like the the way that looks.
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| Here is a sample of a traditional Drunkard's Path, made by Tim Latimer and posted on his blog, Tim Latimer - Quilts etc |
Lessons learned:
- Avoid curves.
- If you think you have made a cutting mistake and run out of fabric, don't freak out. Don't run out to the store. Calm down and breathe. Maybe even wait overnight. When you come back to it, you may find that you did not make a mistake after all.
I like your advice about staying calm after making a mistake. Regarding cutting curves, I was advised to get a rotary cutter with a smaller-size blade, which I did. I have not tried cutting curves like yours with it yet, though. And congratulations on finishing that block! I have made just a few "standard" blocks and I find it very challenging to do so perfectly!!!!
ReplyDeleteI do have one of those small rotary cutters, but it never occurred to me to use it on the curve. Thanks for the tip!
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