Need helpful hints for a Winding Ways block
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Morris Plains, NJ
Posts: 1,802
I am very old school when it comes to quilting and sewing which probably stems from learning to sew garments long before I ever attempted my first quilt. I would not attempt ANY curved seams without pins and lots of them. Winding ways is on my bucket list. At a minimum I would use 3 pins for every seam, probably more. The first pin to match the center point of the curve on each piece and one for each end. More than likely I would insert two more pins at the half way point between center and edge.
Some people have the curve master foot for their machine and I have seen it demo'ed at many shows and they don't use any pins. In order to use this foot on my Bernina I would have to buy a special adapter to fit my shank which drove the price of the product up quite a lot and quite honestly I don't mind pinning and I get good results with pinning.
If I were you, I would try a few units with pins and see if your results aren't more to your satisfaction.
Some people have the curve master foot for their machine and I have seen it demo'ed at many shows and they don't use any pins. In order to use this foot on my Bernina I would have to buy a special adapter to fit my shank which drove the price of the product up quite a lot and quite honestly I don't mind pinning and I get good results with pinning.
If I were you, I would try a few units with pins and see if your results aren't more to your satisfaction.
#22
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ontario,canada
Posts: 474
Things are going much better now. I was very surprised to find that for me the best results on piecing the curves came from using no pins at all. Thank you for the backporch design link and also the reminder to watch Ann Peterson's class, both were especially helpful. Also the tweezers were a really good tool for feeding those last little bits in right at the 1/4 inch. And of course the convex curve underneath made it much easier.
The pins seemed to twist and ripple the fabric so much that it was slow and frustrating ( not much patience here).
I love the pattern that your colours are making Kristakz. It really shows the benefit of a design wall. Did you lay it out in EQ before the wall or design the placement right on the wall?
faykilgore the die cut curves are great because they have the middle markings on them and are so consistent but I have used the backporch design templates on a NYB and found my curves were very consistent with them as well. I doubt very much that I could have made a decent block with a paper template and really admire anyone who has made a curved quilt that way.
Thank you again everyone for offering so many different ideas. It would have been a shame to continue making a pile of dog bed stuffers ;-).
The pins seemed to twist and ripple the fabric so much that it was slow and frustrating ( not much patience here).
I love the pattern that your colours are making Kristakz. It really shows the benefit of a design wall. Did you lay it out in EQ before the wall or design the placement right on the wall?
faykilgore the die cut curves are great because they have the middle markings on them and are so consistent but I have used the backporch design templates on a NYB and found my curves were very consistent with them as well. I doubt very much that I could have made a decent block with a paper template and really admire anyone who has made a curved quilt that way.
Thank you again everyone for offering so many different ideas. It would have been a shame to continue making a pile of dog bed stuffers ;-).
#23
Thanks coffeecozy. I did the design placement right on the design wall. I've tried using EQ for this kind of thing before, but I don't have the patience to colour each individual square for a quilt which is essentially scrappy Plus, stupid EQ (at least my version) doesn't actually have a Winding Ways block. I found something similar but not quite the same curves under the "orange peel" set. There are some EQ pictures on my blog which I made after the fact to play with border ideas.
#26
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lake Stevens, WA
Posts: 1,914
My winding ways was hand pieced, a project carried on a train tour. I started at the point of the skinny pieces, first one side, then the other. Press these seams toward the larger piece. The outer pieces went on after.
#27
Member
Join Date: Feb 2024
Posts: 1
Another video
I am working on this block too. I found a different video which helped me a lot. Maybe it will help someone else.
The block is assembled as a four patch, which just makes more sense to me. You get four corners (A+B+C each) and then sew them together.
I am not using any pins most of the time. When I do pin, I pin ALONG the seam line from the bottom of the seam up and taking just a tiny bite with the pin. I don't have to remove the pin until the needle gets to the very tip of the pin, then I can ease the pin out one stitch at a time if necessary. The pin is parallel to the the gap between the presser foot toes, in other words, with the head of the pin towards me.
My struggle now is to actually attach the blocks to each other and match the points.
https://youtu.be/iDwMSsRt5Xw?si=8GypB-OHRpz1KGdT
The block is assembled as a four patch, which just makes more sense to me. You get four corners (A+B+C each) and then sew them together.
I am not using any pins most of the time. When I do pin, I pin ALONG the seam line from the bottom of the seam up and taking just a tiny bite with the pin. I don't have to remove the pin until the needle gets to the very tip of the pin, then I can ease the pin out one stitch at a time if necessary. The pin is parallel to the the gap between the presser foot toes, in other words, with the head of the pin towards me.
My struggle now is to actually attach the blocks to each other and match the points.
https://youtu.be/iDwMSsRt5Xw?si=8GypB-OHRpz1KGdT
Last edited by Nola Chi; 02-29-2024 at 11:52 AM.
#28
I also made one using the Marti Mitchell templates. I will never make another one. The templates were good, but the whole process was just thoroughly unenjoyable for me. It's pretty and hangs on my wall in the quilting room, but one was enough for a lifetime.
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