February's NewFO WIP'n along - and a tip for sewing arcs

OK, I cheated a little bit this month. Rule is: Gotta have at least one UFO finished to be allowed to play with Barbara's NewFO party. But I need demos for the binding mini-lesson I'm doing this Friday at our guild's retreat, so I had to save the last step on these two beauties:

And here's my February NewFO: Judy Niemeyer's "Drunkard's Wave," which I'm renaming "Coral Encounter" 

Got one entire block finished at class. I'm thrilled with the effect, which looks so much cooler in real life. Perfect for memories of brain coral underwater, which is what I saw in my mind's eye when my glance fell on this pattern:

Had all my pieces cut out the week before. They look so innocent here!

But I have to make 96 of those arc suckers!! Since this can't have top billing on the attention list, they've pushed my Baby Janes out of the after-dinner show-with-Scott slot, and I prep away on the next seam needed while we gawk at CSI or Body of Evidence or chuckle at old Bonanazas. They are slowly, but surely, emerging. 

As of this morning - 8 more soooo close, 80 ready for the 3rd sew line

Everybody else at the class was doing a different quilt, so Judy naturally used mine to show how my pattern's block layout works. :D

She's a nicely laid-back gal - no stress with her.  :)

~*~*~TIP TIME ~*~*~

Want to know how to make it easy to sew a perfect 1/4" seam on those arcs?  (Because if you just try to eyeball it or use your normal guides - such as quarter-inch foot edges or piecing fences - it won't work unless you go SLOWER THAN MOLASSES. And you'll get a headache pretty darn quick from all that super-close squinting.)  

I made sure to ask if she minded me sharing this super cool tip, and she didn't:  

Make a super-cheap guide!

 •   Take the thread out of your needle.

 •   Lay a piece of painter's tape on the front of your sewing area. Slant it a bit in the direction of the curve, and make sure you don't cover your feed dogs.

 •   Sew carefully along the 1/4" mark on the pattern until you get about 1/3 of the way around. Leave the needle and presser foot down to keep the piece perfectly in place.

 •   Carefully, so the pattern doesn't shift, trace the arc line onto the tape.

 •   And there you have the perfect guide for that size arc! And it didn't even cost you anything.

 •   Put your thread back in, and as you sew, just line the edge of the piece up against the line on your tape. It's MUCH easier to watch that line than to squint right at the needle.

I just love picking up helpful little tidbits!   Have a great week - gotta get cracking at my history books again. Do some sewing for me because now what I really want to do is work some more on this quilt!  ;D


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Thank you very much to Lee for hosting the inspirational WIP Wednesdays and to Esther for WOW. These linkies have helped me stay focused on always progressing forward, and have led me to discover many fine fellow quilters!


2012 Progress Stats
  
UFOs Down: 1 of 30
Finished NewFOs: 1 of 6
Lurkers: You mean those unopened kits and sets? Pleading the 5th.