There are a lot of quilters that are hesitant to try sewing curves, but this blog will give you the 4 steps to sewing curves! Don’t let it intimidate you! I’m here to help! I too was once scared of sewing curves. Looking at two pieces of fabric bending in opposite directions… and I’m supposed to make them match up how? My kind and wise mother-in-law walked me through it and once I figured it out, I wondered what I had been so afraid of! Let me show you how to sew curves for quilts. Just follow these steps and you’ll be a pro in no time too!
Step 1: Cutting Curves
The first step in sewing curves is printing the templates and cutting out your fabric. The MOST important thing you can do for yourself is to make sure that your printer is set to “100%” and NOT “fit to page”. But you can always double check by measuring the 1 inch reference square that comes on most template pages. Make sure it measures 1 inch exactly before you move on to anything else! Some people like to transfer their templates to cardboard, card stock, or template plastic for a more sturdy guide but you can just use the paper piece and go slow.
I also really like to use the Creative Grids Circle Savvy Ruler. I can measure the templates in a pattern and figure out what size to cut with the ruler.
Once you have your templates and fabric squares cut out, you’re ready to start cutting curves. You most likely have two template pieces. Let’s call them Template A, which curves in, and Template B, which curves out. I like to start by stacking my fabric pieces in groups of four or five. Line them up exactly or your measurements will be off. Then, place your template on top of the fabric and align the straight edges. Slowly cut along the edge while holding the template down as close to the curved edge as you can. Once you do this for all Template A pieces, do the same for Template B pieces.
Step 2: Crease & Pin
For the next step, you’ll need to find the center of your curved Template A pieces and your curved Template B pieces. To do this, simply fold the fabric in half along the curve and pinch to create a crease. Now you will lay your Template A piece on top of your Template B piece, matching the center creases, and pin them together. Next you will force the top piece of fabric to follow the curve of the bottom piece of fabric and pin the edges.
Step 3: Sewing Curves
There are several methods on how to sew curves for quilts. I usually do the whole curve at once, but while getting comfortable with sewing curves, sewing half at a time might help reduce puckers.
Sew along the first half of the curve, slowly, and taper off once you get to the center pin. Then flip the pieces over and start from the other side and sew along the curve to the center. When you get to the center, continue along the curve to overlap stitching for about an inch and then taper off again.
If you’d like to see exactly how to sew curves using this method, check out this short video.
Step 4: Pressing Curves
The direction to which you should press your seam depends on the pattern. So be sure to pay attention to those details. In the Evolve Quilt, it varies in order to nest seams. Nesting seams is when the seams fit together like a puzzle- nice and snug!
BONUS TIP: CHain Piecing
I like to chain piece as much as I can when making a quilt to help save on thread and to make the process a bit faster. So, you can do ALL of them chained together, sewing half of the curve. Then cut them all apart and flip them over to chain piece the second half of the curve.
I hope this tutorial helps you feel more confident in how to sew curves for quilts. Go ahead, and give it a try! Sew those curved fabric pieces! You’ll be a pro in no time, and it opens you up to so many more possibilities in the world of quilting!
MY patterns with curves
And if you need a tutorial on how to make full Inset Circle curves, you can visit my blog post on Inset Circles!
