Look at Those Curves

Materials (24" x 24" wall hanging):

Butterfly Flower pattern
3 to 5 pieces of 1/4-yard light value print fabrics for "butterfly-flower"
1 yard of dark interesting print for background and border
1/4 yard extra light print for narrow inner border
25" x 25" tracing paper
25" x 25" lightweight poster board (for templates)
3M Spray Mount repositionable spray adhesive
mechanical pencil with .07 lead (yellow or silver)
paper scissors
small rotary cutter and mat
sharp fine pins
sewing machine with narrow presser foot or hand sewing supplies
neutral colored thread

Alter any straight-line quilt block and curve the lines to give a block new dimension and create the look of movement. Creating a quiltable design is only part of the process.

Here are a few tips to remember:

• Refine the design so it is doable in fabric. Because this project is pieced and not appliquéd, watch for sharp curves and check for too many pieces coming together in one place.
  
• The design needs to be anchored to the outside edge. Draw lines out to the outer border to anchor.
  
• A master pattern or roadmap is created once the design has been refined. Label the templates in a logical order, draw in registration marks, intersection marks are shown with an "x" to show where pieces start and stop, and grain lines are shown with an arrow.
  
• It will be important to remember that the templates do not include the 1/4-inch seam allowance. A sewing line will be marked on the back of the fabric and each fabric piece should be cut 1/4-inch bigger.

Fabric Selection:

Choose fabric that has beautiful color and texture but not necessarily a recognizable image. This allows the design to shine through and the focus will not be on the pieces of fabric. Contrast in value and color enables the foreground to pop and each piece is distinct.

• To make templates, trace the pattern onto tracing paper, including all marks. Paste the FRONT of the tracing to the shiny side of poster board. This reverses the pattern, assuring that the finished block is an exact replica of the pattern, and positions all marks on the back of the template so they are visible when templates are being used.
  
• The registration marks are the small slashes perpendicular to the seam line. When templates are cut apart, the slash is separated into two parts. The mark is transferred to the back of the fabric and then realigned when the two pieces of fabric are pinned together. This assures that the fullness of the curve is eased in properly so that the seam will lie flat.
  
• Remember: marks are on back of the template, whereas, the front is blank. Intersection marks indicate where a seam intersects another seam, which is not always obvious due to the lack of a sharp, noticeable corner or angle. These marks appear as an X but separate into two V's when templates are cut apart. The V is transferred to seam allowance on back of fabric and will indicate how a smaller piece will match up with a larger, or where a pre-existing seam will fall.