How These 3 Tips Revolutionized My Ability to Piece Curves

Let me just put it out there, quilts with curves are spectacular! There's just something about how the two fabrics come together in a curved fashion that boggles the mind. A well placed curve adds motion to a quilt the way no straight line can. To a quilter looking for a challenge, the curve is an especially unique one.

Yes, curves are challenging… But I'm here to say that they don't have to be intimidating or difficult. Once you know some of the basic techniques, even beginner can have success. Practice and persistence are your friend. Want to tackle a pattern that doesn't rely to heavily on precisely piecing the curves? Check out my Little Black Dress pattern.

1. Identify Convex and Concave Pieces

There are two sides to a curved seam… the convex side (the one that bows out) and the concave side (the one that caves in). Therefore to achieve a curved seam you will be sewing a convex piece to a concave piece. At first this might seem impossible… but fabric has some nice properties that make this type of pieces easier than you think.

First, fabric is pliant. It can easily conform to the shape you need it to be. This means that you are able to bend the fabric as needed when stitching. Second, fabric has just a bit of stretch to it. While you don't want to stretch too much… you can use just a bit of stretch to sew the tight parts of the curve.

There are many ways to seam the pieces together, and I've tried them all. The method that works best for me is to start with convex piece on the bottom. It's easier for me to guide the convex cut fabric through the machine as I fidget with the concave piece.

2. Start With Needle Down

Now that the convex and concave pieces are identified, place your sewing machine needle in the down position. I find that I can use the needle and the 1/4" marking on my machine to line up the starting points on my pieces precisely without additional marking, cutting, or pinning. I line up the convex piece first. Then I place my concave piece on top of the convex piece with the start of the fabric piece opposite the convex piece start. This makes a V shape with the needle right in the middle. I match the fabric edges and begin.

3. Match Pieces At The Foot

Here comes the fun part. Slow and steady wins the race here. Slowly begin stitching, holding the two pieces apart and only matching the edging at the base of the foot. Yes, this is contrary to typical piecing where the two fabric pieces are pinned together and you can sew right through, but curved seams are not your typical seams. They need a different approach. Holding the pieces apart until just before they are seamed allows for you to use the pliancy and stretchiness of the fabric to meet exactly where you need it to.

Don't get me wrong, this may sound and look easy, but it takes a LOT of practice! The best way to practice is to work on a quilt with lots of curves that can later be trimmed to size. My "Little Black Dress" pattern is just that: one curved seam, over and over, that is later trimmed to size to give the exact result you want. As you get better you can move on to patterns like the double wedding ring and drunkard's path.

Have fun piecing those curves! Interested in trying curves out? Check out my Little Black Dress Quilt pattern, where you can practice gentle curves and make a beautiful quilt that hides any mistakes you might encounter.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my mailing list today so you don't miss another!