How To Sew Curved Seams - Orange Peel Quilt Blocks

[@shannoneaster9311]

Excellent tutorial Cathy! You are a natural teacher. Patient, calm and reassuring with a dose of humor is the best way to pass on information. Take it from a retired teacher, you’re terrific! 👍🏼👍🏼❤️

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Oh my goodness! Thank you, Shannon! ❤

[@debbietrapp7757]

Hi Cathy, great tutorial and beautifully done! You made it look like I want to try it, thank you! 🥰

[@marshawallace7522]

Your tutorial is spot on, Cathy. It is so true that sewing curves isn't as difficult as it seems. You will be so happy once you accomplish sewing curves and it adds more options to your quilting arsenal. The more times you sew a curve, the easier and better they are.

[@thecheshirecrafter4522]

One of your best video tutorials yet. But I can't help wondering how many people will comment on your lovely dress, which reminds me of one of your quilts. Dont stand still too long or a thrifty quilter will have it off your back and repurposed before you can say seam reaper! Gorgeous and it really suits you.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Oh wow, thank you Maggie! 🥰 it’s actually a very fine-knit sweater-so no one would use it for a quilt! 😂 But I do love the colorway in it!! There is something about that color combo that is so pleasing to me! Anyway, thanks and have a great day! 😘

[@gillrichards3398]

Saved me going mad with trying understand a paper instruction!! So many useful tips. Thank you!

[@romonaelrod7870]

Hi Cathy,your quilt is going to be beautiful. I love the colors that you chose. They remind me of Creamsicle Popsicles. I love your sweater it is so cheerful.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Aww! Thank you, Romona! ❤🥰

[@TheQuiltingLunchLady]

This is one I’ve been waiting for!!!!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Hooray! Hope you liked it, Christine!

[@glynisreynolds446]

These orange peel blocks really appeal to me 🤩 but I NEED to finish everything else first 🤣🤣 Thanks for all the tips so that when I do get time I’ll hopefully be able to sew the blocks successfully 👏👏🇬🇧

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Orange peel blocks are so appealing to me too, Glynis! ❤ I can’t wait for you to finish your other projects so you can try your hand at curves! 🤓

[@jennjennedington279]

You WILL BE successful!

[@janetjohnson3795]

Cutting, sewing, pressing all seem more doable now because of your tutorial. Perhaps a mugrug, pillow, or tablerunner will be my first goal.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Oh yay!! Mission accomplished! ❤ and yes, TOTALLY doable-love the plan to start small though! Super smart strategy. 🤓👍🏻😘

[@jennjennedington279]

I am going to go back to my curved pattern (one of two curve WIPs) in the morning! I forgot how completely satisfying it is to see that come together. And I know it’s controversial but I love a trimmed block section! Now to bed. Fun watching with you all!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Crazy girl! What were you doing up so late?!? Glad the video has put you in the mood for your curved seam quilt-the trees one, yes?

[@jennjennedington279]

@@TheCatBirdQuilts yes, the trees! The Avenue Quilt in the Jen Kingwell line

[@sherryfaires7931]

Your blocks are perfect and so a-peel-ing! You really did a great job! I am anxious to see the quilt you are making! It was a bit funny when you held up your joined two blocks with the orange color on top. It looked a lot like the cartoonish type foxes in some fabrics. The white under the orange looked like the eyes! Just my imagination playing tricks on me! Looks like you dressed for the occasion… and this isn’t the first time! I have noticed that before! Thanks, Cathy!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you, Sherry! ❤️ I can totally see the fox thing! 😂 You're right, I do often choose my shirts based on either the background or what I'm working on--I don't want my shirt to clash and it be visually distracting for viewers (which is why I wear black and gray a lot)(also I love black and gray lol); it's the sort of thing where you don't notice unless it's really bad! (or maybe really good.🤩) Anyway, good eyes on you--thanks for being a faithful and observant supporter!

[@tracyhost1047]

Nicely done. This is a wonderful tutorial. I’m sure your viewers will reference it again and again, not just for the technical skills you share but for the confidence you instill in other quilters. Love love love your videos. Many thanks.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Aww! Thank you, Tracy!❤ Quilting has so many steps and processes, I know that I sometimes need encouragement-maybe that’s why I seem to often say, “you can do it! I believe in you!” Because you can, and I do (and doesn’t everyone need to hear that sometimes?!)

[@tracyhost1047]

@@TheCatBirdQuilts Absolutely, we all need to know others believe in us. 😉 I look forward to your next video.

[@Ldsks7591]

I learned about curved seams doing a drunkards pathway using Anne of Green Gables fabric. It is joyous when you are successful at something you think is so difficult. Great lesson, Kathy.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you, Sheryl! And "joyous" is the perfect word for that feeling of accomplishment! ❤️

[@gisellejones1139]

Beautiful blocks! Your personality really shows through on these...very precise...but doable😊

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

What a great compliment, Giselle! ❤ thank you so much! 😘

[@christiemiller5478]

Thank you for making my Friday start on a great note! Love listening to your lessons while getting ready and putting on the nurse face.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Oh man, the nurse face! I have a pharmacist face too. ❤ Glad you enjoyed listening-hope work wasn’t too stressful today! 😘

[@silver_csmith]

Such great tips!! Thank you Cathy!! 🥰👏🏻

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thanks, Charity! ❤

[@wendyoc8901]

I’m an experienced quilter and have sewn curved seams with success. I found your pressing advice very very valuable as getting those peels to nest in nicely is such a challenge! I’m ready to try orange peels again. Thanks for the great video and your happy smiles throughout!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you so much, Wendy! ❤️ It's all those little nuances (like pressing) that, to me, make the difference in the final block/quilt! I'm grateful to Tiny Orchard Quilts for turning me onto that pressing style for curved seams---she gets the credit for the idea! 🤓

[@cassieplayford634]

You are an awesome teacher. I have been petrified to try curved piecing and you have totally inspired me to give it a try. I bought a ruler set for the drunkards path quilt block and been too scared to make it. Thank you so much for your videos and inspiration! Keep them coming! 💕

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you, Cassie! ❤️ That is such a wonderful compliment---and I'm excited for you to start your drunkard's path block! You'll soon see that the curved seams aren't nearly as scary as they look! 🤓🤩

[@TheQuiltingLunchLady]

For the pattern I would use dollar store flexible cutting board to make the pattern pieces. It would be more durable. Great tutorial, tips, and tricks! Can’t wait to see the final project!!!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Super great idea!❤ and one that I will promptly put to use!! Thank you for sharing!!🤓👍🏻

[@jenniferschildt6635]

Yes, I use those for patterns all the time. I cut them on my Brother Scan n Cut.

[@AvivaHadas]

"I'm only using my ruler." 🎶to my ears! (I wasn't going to say that, but I have to be who I am.)

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

You do. And that is ok b/c I’ve come to expect it-which I say with love and respect. 😘 I realized right before I said it that I don’t use the mat but just the ruler for trimming and chuckled inside. You’re not the only viewer here that will be happy and relieved. 😂

[@annerankin1191]

Great video and re-assurance. Mastering curves was on my New Year goal list and I’m comfortable with it now. I too have noticed the second half of the curve trickier for some reason. Awesome video!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you, Anne! ❤ So many of the first pieces gave me pause-now I just sit down and sew. Repetition is great for confidence, don’t you think?

[@thequiltyminset]

This is so good... so many little details that will result in an awesome result! Can't wait to try it out! I also love that you are using repurposed fabric!

[@RebeccaStokes-g6t]

Absolutely EXCELLENT tutorial!!! Your instructions were so very easy to follow. Your enthusiasm is contagious💕. I'm actually anxious to try this😊. Thank you so much!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you so much, Rebecca! ❤️ I'm eager for you to try it---so much easier than you expect, I promise! 🤓👍🏻

[@jeanetteharris373]

I just did the Moonshine Quilt from Missouri Star, and boy, did I practice those curves! 😊

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Oh my goodness, you DID get some practice! 😳😱🤩 But how glorious is that pattern?!? 😍

[@kscheuerman5378]

Fantastic Lesson!! Thank you so much!! ❤❤To you and your editor... so fun as always... steam up the camera moment

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you, K! And it really did steam up the camera! 😂

[@joypolk3093]

Great video, you are a wonderful teacher! 🤩

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Aww! Thank you, Joy!❤️

[@juliasander1680]

Beautiful! I am so looking forward to seeing the finished quilt!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thanks, Julia! ❤ might be awhile, tho-I seem to be moving at a snail’s pace on this one! 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@caitlinmatthews1401]

You know I'm excited about this video!!!!!!! Curves for me just require going much slower on the sewing. They are so fun! Oh just saw your clapper! LOVE

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

I have 2 clappers but the one from you/your hubby is my favorite and I use it the most. ❤ and yes, I thought I’d hate curves but they’re actually fun and the pressing part is SO rewarding. I too, just have to hold back on the gas a little when I’m sewing them! 😂

[@karonwostenholme6533]

Thanks for sharing, great tutorial, 😊 always enjoy watching x

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you, Karon! ❤

[@carleenb9426]

Great tutorial Cathy, thank you

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thanks, Carleen!

[@freddiehansen7324]

I would have done appliqué over curved seams lol, they are intimidating for a somewhat "beginner". But it looks amazing! Maybe one day :) Also, the best way to avoid steam from the iron is to have no water in it :) I have a mist-spray for when I DO want to steam. I learned after having two iron "die" on me and my 3rd iron holds no water and has (thus far) laster twice as long).

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

I had emptied it of water but then it started putting out old rust! 😱 This is my second iron-maybe no-water is the way to preserve my irons and make them last a bit longer!!

[@lauracurnan3255]

Thank you. I have thought about these. But backed out. I might now... maybe bigger might be easier. Hugs from Tampa. Have a great weekend.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thanks, Laura! ❤ I really think you should go for it-they’re not HALF as hard as you imagine and are so rewarding when they come together!🤩

[@christineharvey5294]

Just want to let you know I hope soon to be trying a quilt , hopefully like Meadowlark. I have bought my first shirts from their shops! Actually saw a many walking I. Costco today and thought his shirt would be pretty in a quilt!!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Hooray!! I think you’re gonna have fun with it! ❤️ and for the record, I do that ALL THE TIME (see men wearing shirts that I think belong in a quilt!!😂)

[@slektektiv]

You are so inspiring! And I love your energy and great vibe, makes me a happy 🥰 (But most of all, the one thing I thought about when I watched the first part of your video, is that I am so glad I finally can justify the expense of my Brother Scan´n Cut so I can skip to the fun part a little faster 😁)

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you, Hela! And I hope you feel great using your Brother Scan 'n Cut!! (happy for you and also a little envious---I'm sure this process would be so much easier with one!)

[@stefflcus]

"The trick is not to overthink it..." Welp, I'm doomed. *lol* I do love a satisfying orange peel motif!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Lol, Steff!! But honestly, me too. 😂🤓❤

[@gigiontube]

Very useful video Kathy ! Thank you 🤗

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

You're welcome!

[@anneoconnorao]

When I was in college taking mechanical drawing, we used graphite pencils. We used a tool with layers of fine sand paper to roll the lead to maintain the sharp point.😊

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Oh that is so smart! 🤓 I'll have to Google it and see if I can find one for myself!

[@AvivaHadas]

Have you tried using very very fine sand paper under your fabric when tracing? (It helps if you have any drag or if the point of the lead gets stuck in the weave of the fabric.)

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

No, but what a wonderful suggestion!! 🤓👍🏻 Genius!

[@katf009]

I sewed my first ever curved block a few months ago for a SAL that I’m doing. It was not as hard as I was lead to believe it was, it was easy peasy. (🤫I used 5 pins 🤣)

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

However you can make it work for you is how many pins you should use. Just sayin' 😘 (and yes, I agree! Easy peasy!)

[@suesabala7255]

Thank you for this video tutorial, I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

You're welcome, Sue! It's actually really fun to sew curves!

[@klparker76401]

Great video

[@pegpage8618]

Thanks, Cathy. Great tutorial - I would love to give this a try sometime.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

I’m eager for you to try, Peg! I think you’d do great!❤

[@angelamyers1201]

You make it look so easy! My iron's steam function started acting wonky, so I emptied it. I now use a mister bottle when I want "steam"

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

My iron has just been very temperamental lately-maybe too much use at too high a heat? IDK. It may be time to replace the poor girl. 😘

[@angelamyers1201]

@@TheCatBirdQuilts I hear stories about people finding great irons at the thrift store. 😉

[@karenneiman856]

​@@angelamyers1201I am one of those people! I found a Reliable Velocity iron at the thrift store for $25 or $35. The cartridge was missing so I have been misting with water prn. So far, so great! 😊

[@sallycrawford7205]

I’m wondering if you starched your linen ahead of time if the block would not be so wonky before trimming. The blocks looked great after you trimmed them.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Sally, they were highly starched before even being cut (so much so they feel like cardboard!)-so I don’t think that’s it. Although I will say they definitely soften up as I handle and sew them. 😊

[@jwestfalldavis3574]

Some templates have a seam allowance and some do not. Read the instructions carefully. Usually if there is an inside line and an outside line that difference is the seam allowance. Also if you trace a template how you hold the pencil and pencil width matters. Clear patterns of Mylar or even old xrays were what I used. Some even used sandpaper! Always do a test pattern to test the accuracy of your pattern. (Aren't we all spoiled by the newer patterns and rotary cutting!)

[@kessiareis7007]

“Like me in parallel parking” 😆

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Lol! Right?!

[@bethliebman8169]

Great guidance for accuracy. Questton#1 Is there reason for using scissors rather than rotary cutter to cut curves? Question #2 Is there a reason you don't sew over your pins? Naive questions, I'm sure. Coffee splurt moment: Your comparison of your tracing to parallel parking--I can so relate!

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Beth, I don’t use a rotary cutter with templates because I know I’ll slip and miscut both the fabric AND the template. I guess if you had a super steady hand and a good eye, you could use a rotary cutter. If you sew over the pins, it can damage, dull or break your sewing needle and/or break a pin (which can dislodge out toward you or go into your machine.) I’ve broken pins and damaged needles but thankfully not had an injuries to me or my sewing machine, but I’ve heard a lot of horror stories from quilters on this channel! 😱

[@jwestfalldavis3574]

Instead of cardstock I use clear Mylar that has a grid on it. It is also okay to use cereal box cardboard with the pattern glued on it. DO label your templates.

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Such a great reminder about labeling! 👍🏻 And also, aren't you clever to use Mylar with a grid! 🤓❤️

[@HeikeWoolard]

Those are beautiful blocks and colors, as is your shirt. Did you match that on purpose?

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Maybe a little. 🤓😘 I try to wear clothes that won’t clash with the background nor compete with what I’m holding up or working on. Sometimes it’s hard to find that sweet spot but when I realized it “matched” the blocks, I thought, “this is the one!” 😊

[@HeikeWoolard]

@@TheCatBirdQuilts 🤩 and now you gave all your secrets away 😉. Seriously, though, I love 😍 your shirt. I'm also super intimidated by curves, mainly the sewing kind 😉. P.S. I found THE BEST shirt at the thrift store. I'll share it on Insta and tag you.

[@kimpoper3711]

Great video - what pattern are you using?

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

No pattern! I used the templates from the Copihue quilt by Cotton + Joy (because I already bought that pattern) and now I’m just making the orange peels and assembling them at will! 😂🤓😊

[@pammeinzer6757]

Excellent job BUT, I don't understand why iron seam open. I have been told to iron to dark side and clip curve. Am I being to picky?thanks for the explanation

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you! If you watch the Tiny Orchard quilts video, she goes into wonderful detail about why it’s better-but the short version is it reduces bulk where the seams will match when piecing the blocks (which I have found to be true.) AND if you press them open you don’t lose as much fabric in the fold. As for clipping the curves, maybe it helps in small curve piecing, but I haven’t found that it’s needed. 🤓👍🏻

[@TheQuiltingLunchLady]

Also, because this is a bias curve, it stretches, so clipping isn’t necessary.

[@jennjennedington279]

I did a curve quilt with both big and small curves (“Windswept” by On Williams Street) and found clipping completely unnecessary. (Which surprised me greatly, to be honest, as a garment maker.) and I agree that the Tiny Orchard Quilts video on curves techniques is great.

[@pammeinzer6757]

@@TheQuiltingLunchLady thank you

[@pammeinzer6757]

@@TheCatBirdQuilts thanks

[@donnarichey144]

You should have that with a dark background its hard to see. Thank you. I worry with open seams because they can come apart later. What if you just leave it going to the orange color. What does it do to a quilt if you do? Thanks

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Donna, it won't hurt anything if you leave it pressed to one side. However, where your seams join it will be very bulky and the seams won't lay flat.👍🏻

[@zogzorg6126]

thankyou, the detail was really helpful- mihi aroha - Karen

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

You're welcome! Thank you, Karen! ❤️

[@RobinHarris61]

You make beautiful curved seams! But, somehow they don't "apeel" to me. 🤣 I'll just stick to straight seems for now. ❤ PS, Spiderman made my brother a millionaire. (How's that for a cryptic message?) 😁❤

[@TheCatBirdQuilts]

Thank you, Robin! And I get that (straight seams,) but we'll see. I bet one of these days you'll see a pattern you just love the look of and will think, "well if Cathy can do it, I can too!" 😘 Maybe not. 😂 That IS a cryptic message! I guess you'll have to share the details of that on another platform!