Friday, 26 August 2011

Sewing A Drunkard's Path- flippity doodah

I have finished my accuquilt cut Drunkard's path quilt top- it is only a mini- 7 blocks by 3.  I love quilt tops, I feel they lose a little something when they become a quilt, some of the delicacy of the single layer.
The drunkard's path block is not the easiest to sew with convex and concave curves but the accurately cut shapes and the notches help.  I tried sewing these a few ways, pins/no pins, different pieces on top plus following the suggestion from Ebony Love in the newsletter- you can sign up here...22 Free Patterns - Download Now
I started off with Ebony's method and changed the end because I couldn't get it to work consistently.  This method has been the most accurate and needs the least pins and prep!  Like many others, I cannot bear to hear my voice- I talk too fast, sound a bit posh (belies my sometimes sweary self) and mispronounce words with nerves- "steeech" instead of "stitch", but I like to share an effective technique, so here goes!    I am off to test the dies and will do the Go! Baby giveaway next week.  Enjoy, the secret is all in the flip x

If you'd rather stitch by hand, Laura pointed me to this tutorial for a hand sewn method.
sib blog

34 comments:

  1. That was fascinating. Thanks for posting it. :o)

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  2. oh wow kerry, that was awesome! love the video and how precise it ended up. great work.

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  3. Great video! Love the tip about stopping before you get to the end and flipping it over to finish off that curved seam. And now I can read your posts with your voice in my head! Love it!

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  4. Kerry, you're a natural! You *must* make more of these video tutorials, they are so effective.

    And I (for one) find your voice very soothing...as smooth as your stitches :)

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  5. What a great video tutorial and I LOVE your little quilt top. You have used such lovely fabrics.

    Margaret

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  6. Loved the video tutorial and your block is so precise and perfect!! Next video would you swear for us please, just a little 'bugger' will do ;-) lol!

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  7. Thanks for the tutorial! I never would have thought to do that on my own. Oh, and I thought you sounded great! :)

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  8. Gorgeous quilt - your blocks are so perfect!

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  9. I would never have thought about flipping it over to get the other end neat - or your little trick with the pin to get it under the foot. Brill, thanks for doing this.

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  10. Ooh, that was great! I just worked on something similar this afternoon, but I used about a thousand pins...

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  11. That adds up to a very neat block: it all fits perfectly!
    And I love the colours on your finished quilt Is it a mini quilt or will you add more circles?
    And of course there's nothing wrong with your voice, but you knew that.
    I hate working with pins on curves, but I have to admit: sometimes they're helpful iinstead of 'in the way'.

    Where is your bottom finger by the way?

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  12. Fan-flippin-tastic!!
    I love a tutorial that actually works - you made that look and sound so simple - thank you x

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  13. What a great tutorial - simple and effective with plenty of explanation. I stitch DPs with the quarter circle on the top and use three pins - one at either end and one at the reference point in the middle (I've found the trick is in the pinning at the ends - put it through the fabric twice (in out, in out) rather than the usual once and it stops the edges pulling and twisting.) but I love the way you did it and you have a lovely voice! More tutorials, please!

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  14. well done. I wished i had seen this last week before the Brackman BOW and ordering the curve master foot, I think your accent is fine (from an ex Brit living in Aus nearly 50 years whose accent is still "Posh" especially in a recording)

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  15. Thanks for the video! I've always wondered about drunkards path. You are so precise. lovely.

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  16. That was fantastic! I never would have thought of that flippy thing at the end. I'm sure you made it look easier than I'm going to find it but I'm much less daunted about having a go now.

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  17. thanks for the video tutorial. your block turned out so perfect and thanks for making the drunkards path less intimidating!

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  18. Great tutorial Kerry! Haha you do sound a bit more posh than I imagined but you have a lovely voice! You should definitely do more of these video tutes because you are such a natural at them. Thanks heaps for being brave and putting it up there! :)

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  19. What a great idea to flip the block! I really must try it now,you make it look so easy! And I loved your video! Your accent is perfectly darling! I've always loved british accents!:)

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  20. Great tutorial Kerry, Thanks so much for sharing! it's given me the confidence to give it a go - it has always looked nigh on impossible - I've got nothing to lose!!

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  21. i will have to try your tutorial. thank you for your work on it.

    with simple quilt tops, i like how the quilting adds to the overall look. but i'm completely lost with how to quilt improv and paper pieced blocks. the blocks themselves are sooooo pretty and i wouldn't want to distract from them at all. i'm in the same boat with the farmer's wife blocks. all of that piecing takes a lot of work and i want to make it secure but how to quilt 121 different blocks without ruining the quilt top??? boggles my mind.

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  22. JUST LOVELY!
    THANKS SO FOR A SMART VIDEO!
    HAPPY QUILTING!

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  23. I've just watched again and followed this for Susan's Bee blocks! Fantastic - all perfect first time - without this, I would not of had a clue!!!

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  24. I actually found this really easy to do by hand and loved doing it. It was so addictive! I did a hand-piecing tutorial http://quokkaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/08/crazy-curves-tutorial.html if anyone wants to try doing the blocks by hand. I machined them together when they were done, but I like having hand sewing for crafternoons and sewing evenings and these were so fast I couldn't believe it!

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  25. Just realised I *lied* - I stitch mine with the concave curve on top! Still love the tutorial though and have bookmarked it!

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  26. I cannot believe I missed this post! I LOVED hearing your voice. Thanks for the great technique.

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  27. Thanks so much for taking the time to post this...it was very helpful!

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  28. That was great. I've been doing curves in garments for years but not got round to curves in quilts yet, I'm going to put it on my to do list now though. Thanks Kerry

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  29. I think your voice is lovely. Thanks for posting this tutorial. There is so much contradictory advice about the best way to sew these blocks, but obviously what works for one person doesn't for another. Personally, although it's taking me FOREVER to pin all my blocks before sewing, it's the only way I can get everything to match up properly without stretching the curve. Also, I would be so tense trying to "wing it" without pins that I would probably get a stiff neck! :-)

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  30. Thanks for the tute Kerry, definitely going to try this way after having a lot of trouble matching my curves tonight!

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  31. OMG I totally missed this - you're a natural, that was brilliant and I love the flip!

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  32. Thank you so much for this tutorial. I have never done curves before and tried your tutorial today and it worked like a dream. The secret is most definitely in the flip!

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  33. Thank you for this tutorial! It's also nice to hear your voice.

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  34. Dear Kerry! The internet is amazing! Years after you post this fantastic tutorial, I found it! I really love the way you teach how to sew this (very difficult) drunkard path block! Thank you for sharing your awesome talent! Hugs from your brazilian friend, Sil

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