I love to sew, mainly quilts and bags. I am 66, married to Fred and have one son, Matthew, who is 27. I enjoy embroidery and applique and prefer to machine piece and quilt my projects. I love my vintage Singer sewing machines especially my Featherweight 222K. I’m enjoying treadling on my 201K Singer and I collect Miniature Sewing Machines and currently have three Essex , one Singer 20, one Singer 40, two Vulcan Miniatures and my latest, a Grain. My love of sewing I believe comes from my Grandmother - I still have the drawings she made for me to embroider on tea towels many many years ago!

Tuesday 27 September 2011

CurveMaster Foot ... TRUE TO ITS NAME!

BLOCK # 33   INDIANA PUZZLE

You know how you go to Craft Shows and buy lots of gadgets and stuff???   Well, last year (or maybe it was the one before!) I purchased the CurveMaster Foot.  The box has sat in my sewing machine drawer ever since.  In playing catch up with my Civil War blocks, I was very happy to find Block # 33 required curved piecing.  So, I said to myself "better have a go at that new foot!!"  and so I did:-)     I made two test blocks first and I must admit I found the foot very easy to use (I did go online to the website for the CurveMaster Foot and followed the directions given).  Once you get used to how to hold the top layer of fabric and allow yourself to trust the foot, the pieces go together very quickly.  You need the tweezers that come with the foot too otherwise you can't hold the last 1/2" or so .... honestly, it was quite easy!!  The pieces I made all came out the exact size and the block pieced up to a perfect 8-1/2" square.  I used the CurveMaster Foot for the curved piecing and switched to my walking foot for joining the quarters together.  I used a scant 1/4" seam when using my walking foot.  The CurveMaster Foot sews with a scant 1/4" seam allowance.  I could have stayed with the CurveMaster Foot when I joined the quarter sections together, but I find I prefer to use my walking foot and my fork pins when joining sections.

Another little trick I used today.....   I printed the templates for the Block onto Freezer Paper, then ironed them onto my fabric for rotary cutting -   too easy!     How did I print onto the Freezer Paper????   It is quite simple...

I cut my freezer paper the same size as a regular piece of printer paper for my printer, then I placed the freezer paper shiny sound down onto the regular paper & ran my iron across the top (iron about a 1/2" down).  Place the joined papers into the printer paper tray (all printers vary, but in mine I placed the joined papers in with the regular paper on top, ironed section leading in) and click print!  I had downloaded the templates from the Civil War site.  The freezer paper templates can be used over and over!

I can see more curved piecing in my future!!  I have the GO CUTTER die for the Apple Core block - I can't wait to try that out now!!!

Happy Sewing!!



4 comments :

  1. I ordered the curvemaster straight after doing this block, i have used it on one of my DJ blocks i couldn't believe how easy it wa.
    Your block is gorgeous

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  2. Wow that is a perfect curved block - I'll have to see if one is available for my machine (Bernina)--- I have the Apple Core quilt on my 'to-do' list too. Your Civil war blocks are look FAB!!

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  3. Go cutter and Curvemaster foot, you'll never do a straight line again!!

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  4. Hi Helen. I watched the lady doing a demo with the curvemaster at the Sydney Shoe, but resisted the temptation that time around. Your block looks great. APPLECORE you say! Want to see your tumbler first!

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