Since I know next to nothing about quilting, I'm making a Christmas practice quilt. My pieced blocks have been going pretty well. Sunbonnet Sue is one of my all time favorites, so I decided to give her a try. I read every hint and tip I could find and set off today to make her.

Problem #1 even you folks can't fix. I spent 10 minutes trying to iron the pieces on the block and couldn't get it done. I reread the instructions and kept on trying. Finally, I realized I forgot to take the paper off!! :oops: Everything ironed just fine. You can't fix stupid!

I starched the block into cardboard just like a tip on here said to do. That worked great.

The problem is my curves. They are jagged. I've read tips that say you have to pivot with the needle on the inside or the outside depending on the shape of the curve, but I just don't get it. Can you give me specific tips based on these pictures?

The only bit of advice I can think of is this. When you're doing the curves, stop at one point and keep the needle in the fabric, raise the presser foot, and turn it slightly. Do a few stitches, and re-peat the process until you get around the curve.

Anyway, I think this looks stunning! And I don't think the curves are very jagged at all, I think they're really great!

Ditto. Just slow down. Take your time. It's looking great.

Lisa, what the others said, and think about this: you had to enlarge the picture, so we could see any minute 99/100 of any kind of not perfect.
Nobody's is perfect.
Mine aren't - just loved!
Your doing great. :D

One thing that helped me do rounded areas was to think of a clock face. Every time you reach another "hour", you pivot slightly. It looks a lot better than some of my early pieces! I also find tear-away stabilizer helps keep things from puckering.

Oh, wow. I was expecting something bad! These look FINE. I think all you need is a little practice, which is what you are doing. My first ones looked way worse than my recent ones.

(I use old magazine pages instead of tear-away stabilizer. It's cheap and it's recycling!)

You are being way too hard on yourself, it looks SO good compared to the one I have tried (and never done again)

I think it looks great!
I have been trying to zig zag applique like that for oh...a year, and I dont have the patients to sew two or three stitches and pivot. so I don on my free motion foot and do raw edge applique or I don't applique at all. lol

I think it looks nice. Those little blips that are driving you over the edge will smooth out over time and aren't as noticeable as you seem to feel they are.
I think they are really sweet!

I really don't see a big problem. You did a million times better than my first time.