Kicking Curve

Dear reader, in my opinion, the past few months of posts here on From Bolt to Beauty have been reporting more on my tribulations at my sewing machine and my growing neurosis about quilting than on my sewing triumphs. Well, do I have a post for you today. It chronicles how I faced a challenge, tackled a few firsts, and kicked some curve.

So you’ve read that I’m taking Stitched in Color’s Curves Class. Last week, I eased my way into the world of curves with a clam shell journal cover. Since then, I delved into improvisational curves. It started with one note card, using lovely scraps that were so small I would have otherwise tossed them.

 
Then there were two cards.

And three.

I think I made eight or nine cards in total. There was just one casualty: a card I sewed shut. Arg!

I enjoyed the card-making process a lot, but it was time to move on to the next assignment: Oh Christmas Tree. This was a higher-stakes project. It took more time, and I really, really liked the design. I didn’t want to blow this project. I’ve done little improvisational sewing—this was by far the largest piece I’ve done—but I took my time with the curves and I’m pleased with the results.

Curves classmates: I departed from Rachel’s color palette, for fear that the neutral sky would be lost once the quilt was hung on one of my neutral walls. I think it works! The biggest change in my technique between the cards and this quilt is that I took more care not to pull on the fabric as I sewed. The hardest part for me—would you believe it?—was the wonky star. It was my first time sewing a wonky anything. The points on my original one were too close to the seam allowance, and I had to remake it. (Boooo!)

Did you notice the dots on the tree and one hill?
Yes, this project is also my entry for Le Challenge’s
dot theme. Woo hoo!

To recap, these projects were my first substantial foray into improvisational sewing and included my first wonky star. Oh Christmas Tree was also my first project sewn entirely on my new machine, a Janome 1600P-QC. It is too early to pass judgment on this machine, but once I saw how easily and evenly she sewed through the side seams on a Sew Together Bag without a walking foot, I knew I needed to get comfortable with her, and fast.

Linking up to Let’s Bee Social, WIP Wednesday, Needle and Thread Thursday, TGIFF, and Finish It Up Friday ...