Traditional Quilts with Carefree Curves Templates

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Traditional Quilts with Carefree Curves Templates

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Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves TemplatesCurved seams have been in traditional quilt blocks for years. Unfortunately, curved seams are not necessarily fun or fast to sew, until now. Using two squares, yes squares, you can create a 1/4-circle block, similar to the well-known Drunkard’s Path design, without matching any opposing curved seams.

Watch and learn as I demonstrate the simple machine appliqué technique in this two-part Sewing With Nancy series, Quilt with Carefree Curves. It is the featured online Sewing With Nancy video.

Traditional Curved Piecing Technique

Let’s take a look at the traditionally cut pieces used to make a curved seam block. To sew the seam, opposing curves must be joined. Whenever I tried to sew this seam, I was quite unhappy with the results. I generally avoided all quilt patterns with curved seams, and I’m not alone.

Templates Come to the Rescue

Liking the looks of curved-seamed blocks, but totally not liking the technique, I thought about enlisting the help of a sewing product, fusible interfacing and some unconventional quilting techniques.
I found it easier to trace the curve shape and then sew those curves, rather than working with opposing seams. So, I developed a set of templates, Carefree Curves Quilting Templates. These templates assist you in making traditional to super-sized blocks.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves TemplatesTo create the 1/4-Circle blocks, I use the circle template, which makes three sizes of blocks: 4-1/2″, 6-1/2″, and 8-1/2″. You’ll see how the other two templates are used next week!

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves TemplatesCarefree Curves Quilt Templates Nancy ZiemanHow to Create Carefree 1/4-Circle Blocks

  • For every four blocks cut four background squares, and cut one square to create four 1/4-Circles. The sizes are printed on the template.
  • Cut a square of lightweight fusible interfacing the same size as the 1/4-Circles.
  • Layer the squares (fabric and interfacing), right side of fabric to the smooth side of the interfacing.
  • Place the template on fabric/interfacing squares. Trace circle and quarter markings.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Stitch along the traced line.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Trim away excess fabric. For best results, use a pinking shears or pinking rotary cutter blade.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Align ruler along quarter markings. Cut, using rotary cutter, ruler, and mat.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Trim away excess interfacing from the interior, leaving 1″ of interfacing.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Turn interfacing to wrong side. For best results, run a smooth edge Hera Marker along the stitching line to define the curve.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Press curved edge, making certain seam is at the edge.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Pin 1/4-Circle to one corner of the background square. Each sewn/cut circle creates four blocks.Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates
  • Machine stitch 1/4-Circle to block, using a straight stitch, blind hem, or zigzag stitch.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves TemplatesDesign Options:

When you watch the Sewing With Nancy series, you’ll see all of these steps in motion! Plus, I’ll show how easy it is to create a variety of designs.

  • 1/4-Circle—you’re not limited to one size of circle. Here I placed the larger 1/4-Circle in one corner of the block and the smallest 1/4-Circle in the opposite corner.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Propeller

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Mohawk Trail

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

  • Drunkard’s Path

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves TemplatesWatch Quilt with Carefree Curves,the two-part Sewing With Nancy series online. 

To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.

Sewing With Nancy | Nancy Zieman | How To Quilt with Carefree Curves Templates

Nancy Zieman's Giveaway For a chance to win a copy of the Quilt with Carefree Curves book and a set of the Carefree Curves Templates, tell me which Carefree Curve Design from the show is your favorite. Now, I didn’t show you all of them, there are more to see on the TV show! A random winner will be announced April 16.
Nancy Zieman's Giveaway WinnerThe random winner of the book, Sew Amazing Scarves is Gail Beam. She said, I really like the shirred scarf and the date night scarf.

Bye for now,

Nancy Zieman The Blog

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51 Comments

  • mary
    April 2, 2015

    What a great new process. I am just finishing a wedding ring quilt and the curves took lots of practice to not bunch or pucker or pleat on the back. I would love to try the Mohawk Trail pattern!. Thanks for the giveaway!!

  • Heather
    April 2, 2015

    I’ve always loved the Drunkards Path and this looks like a great technique. I’d really like to try it!

  • Judie Sparling
    April 2, 2015

    Oh propeller certainly caught my eye! The templates certainly make the construction much easier.

  • Chris B
    April 2, 2015

    I am using the Mohawk Trail design idea with your smooth edge circle idea to recycle some Dresden fans I made. I will smooth the fan edges down, cut the circle in quarters, and sew them in the Mohawk Trail design. That way they are no longer UFO’s but a great project.

  • Jennifer Fried
    April 2, 2015

    Dear Nancy, I like the Mohawk Trail. Very clever to to applique the 1/4 circles. The look so perfect. Jennifer

  • Diane C
    April 2, 2015

    My favorite would be playing with the possibilities and seeing what I could make.

  • Cynthia Taylor
    April 2, 2015

    I have always like the Drunkard’s Path but am drawn to the Mohawk Trail. I like the balance.

  • Leslie
    April 2, 2015

    I’ve always wanted to do a Drunkard’s Path quilt, and even have some squares completed…but those darn seams don’t lay flat for me either. So I look forward to using this technique to not only complete a Drunkard’s Path quilt, but enjoy the process as well!!
    Thank you Nancy for another ingenious technique!

  • Martha
    April 2, 2015

    I like how you can create so many patterns with the curves.

  • Kathy
    April 2, 2015

    I love your Drunkards Path. And what a great carefree technique. Thanks so much. kathleendotlutzatcomcastdotnet

  • Diana G
    April 2, 2015

    I have always wanted to do a Drunkard’s path (but curves are tricky!), love the propeller !
    Thanks for the chance to win.

  • Gina
    April 2, 2015

    I like the Mohawk Trail. It leaves a great negative space for an awesome quilting design.

  • Melody DeGraziano
    April 2, 2015

    I love the Drunkard’s Path pattern and would love to make a quilt with that block…. the easy way!

  • Cathy Wallace
    April 2, 2015

    I won’t have a favorite since I am new to quilting. However this example of how to sew curves looks really easy. I’ve looked at quilts with curves an thought “I can never do that and it look good”, but now I know I can. thank you so much. Cathy Wallace

  • Kelly Sasman
    April 2, 2015

    I DVR’d and saved your Carefree Curves TV show (like I do most) because when I make the Mohawk trail I will be able to watch and refresh my memory. Easter blessings to you Nancy and all at Nancy’s Notions. You are like family to me!

  • Jennifer Baldwin
    April 2, 2015

    I love all of your designs but really want to do the Mohiccan Trail! I have always wanted to do anything with the curved design but they always looked too hard. You make it easy!

  • Cindy Schultz
    April 2, 2015

    I liked the moon and waning moon design. It looks fun. I am intrigued with the heart and gizzard design that you mentioned. Thanks for making this look so easy.

  • Mary B
    April 2, 2015

    I have never done a lot of curves for the very reason given. This looks like a great way to get around all the pinning, etc. Just takes too much time to get a professional finished product the old way.

  • Kim Harrington
    April 2, 2015

    Makes something that seems difficult very easy! Would love it!

  • craftygramma
    April 2, 2015

    I love the Mohawk Trail and the Heart and Gizzard patterns! Would love these templates!
    Thanks, Nancy.

  • Pat
    April 2, 2015

    I really like the Mohawk Trail best with the Drunkard’s Path being my second favorite. Wonderful to think they both can be made without stitching opposing curve seams.

  • Berenice
    April 2, 2015

    That certainly looks much easier than the traditional method (and the frustration) that I have used in the past! When I am done with the bag I am working on right now, I am going to try this!

  • Debbie Wetzel
    April 2, 2015

    Mohawk Trail!

  • Connie W
    April 2, 2015

    I like the quarter circles. They appear to be floating. It’s cool! The heart effect shown in the video is also a favorite.

  • Delaine
    April 2, 2015

    I really like the Mohawk Trail. Thanks!

  • Allen
    April 2, 2015

    So far the propeller is my favorite but that may change in upcoming episodes!

  • Cindy Holthaus
    April 2, 2015

    Thank you for such nice and informative videos. Would love to win the template set and book. I would like to make the Drunkards Path pattern, but really they are all so neat. I don’t think I would tire of using this set of templates for a long time. There are so many ideas to try.

  • Mitzi
    April 2, 2015

    I really, really like the Hearts and Gizzards. Reminds me of a quilt my Grandmother made. Really close match.
    Thank you for a great show.

  • Starla
    April 2, 2015

    I like the Mohawk Trail.

  • Nell Beaton
    April 2, 2015

    The hardest part is deciding which design to make first! I think I’ll start with the waxing and waning moon…or maybe a traditional drunkard’s path…or maybe…

  • Linda
    April 2, 2015

    I really like all the designs that use the two blocks in reverse colors but my absolute favorite is the propeller.
    Thanks for all that you do for the quilting world.

  • Lor Morton
    April 2, 2015

    Think the Drunkards Path would be my 1st choice & then the Hearts Gizzards! Love how you make it look sooo easy! 🙂

  • LadyD
    April 2, 2015

    I have long been enamored of the Drunkard’s Path design but far too timid to try it on my own. It looks so very complex! I think I could do it with the templates though.

  • Christina Gonzalez
    April 2, 2015

    I love the Propeller design. It has a movement and great appeal. Thank you for the opportunity.

  • Donna B
    April 2, 2015

    I like the Drunkard’s Path.

  • Judy G
    April 2, 2015

    The very first quilt I ever made was done in the Drunkard’s Path variation that you call the “Mohawk Trail”. This was some 35 years ago and it remains one of my favorite patterns. My oldest daughter still has that twin-size quilt. It was a struggle lining up those curves and getting all the seams to match. Sure could have used your templates then!

  • Tina
    April 3, 2015

    I would like to try lady’s fan and hearts and gizzards! Thanks for great inspiration.

  • Gloria H
    April 3, 2015

    I enjoy nearly everything you post in your letters. I subscribe to it so I can stay in the loop!
    I haven’t made any quilts in a while. I still have a lot of patterns to try. All my families have my quilts and I still have some stored.
    I don’t have much trouble with curves!

  • Judy Adams
    April 3, 2015

    I have only done 1 quilt (small wallhanging) using a curved template. I loved it & want to move on with comething more challenging like a drunkerd path. Judy Adams

  • Linda
    April 3, 2015

    I like the technique, but wouldn’t it be easier to sew the whole circle to a large background square first, then cut in fourths?

  • Ell
    April 3, 2015

    The fan shape in Mohawk’s Trail is my favorite part of the design, particularly with the fabric you showed initially in your show.

  • Kristi Richards
    April 4, 2015

    I love the propeller pattern! And the Mohawk Trail! In the video, you mentioned you were using Batiks! I have never seen with Baltiks…my question is does this fabric sew similarly to cotton fabric?

  • Lynn
    April 4, 2015

    I have liked this template ever since I saw you use it on a Sewing With Nancy show. I hope I can join your circle of winners!

  • Cathey
    April 4, 2015

    I have always loved the Drunkard’s Path. I believe your technique may make it possible for me to accomplish this curved design. Thank you.

  • Dawn Walton
    April 6, 2015

    A great idea for curves. Really want to try it would be fun look on potholders or a table runner. Probably the propeller design. I watch you show every Mon and Fri on OPB plus and watch also on Sat on OPB.
    Dawn

  • Eliset
    April 6, 2015

    I really like the Hearts and Gizzards, cant wait to make one using you techniques. thanks Nancy

  • Mom C
    April 7, 2015

    I’ve always wanted to do a Drunkard’s Path but shied away from curves too. If for nothing else, to say I’ve done it, that’s the first one I’d choose. Thanks.

  • Mom C
    April 7, 2015

    I’ve always wanted to make a Drunkard’s Path but shied away from the curves. That would be my first quilt, who knows what will follow. Thanks.

  • Debbie W.
    April 7, 2015

    Love the easy fusible method to make the Drunkard’s Path. The templates are a big plus in creating this design.

  • Linda G.
    April 13, 2015

    I really like the Mohawk Trail for its elegance and window-like options and the Drunkard’s Path for its graphic energy. Thanks for an interesting method to make sewing curved shapes easier and more consistent.

  • Carole Richardson
    October 21, 2016

    I love Drunkards Path. This is an attention getter – simple, rich and has an elegance.

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