This is, obviously, personal choice, but it can also depend greatly on which quilt block you are sewing together and how big it is.
Larger blocks, like those made with the 16″ Clammy, are relatively simple to piece because the curve is gentle and easy to manipulate as you sew. As you practice, you can manipulate curves on smaller blocks (like those using those for a 6″ block). Latifah Saafir does a wonderful job showing how to piece without any basting in this tutorial from her YouTube channel:
When you are just starting or you want to sew smaller or sharper curves (like Jen’s Curvelets or Bloc Loc Rectangular Drunkard’s Path), it’s very helpful to baste. Whether you glue baste or pin baste, you’ll follow the same order of operations:
- Mark centers–wrong side of the concave curve, right side of the convex curve
- Optional: clip into seam allowance of concave curve to allow it to open a bit (I do this for anything smaller than 5″).
- Baste in position, starting at center, then each end, then in between, stretching the fabric as needed to keep the edges even.
When glue-basting, I use a glue stick along the convex curve and press firmly to get it to start sticking. In my experience, the Quilter’s Select Fabric Glue Stick and the Bohin Temporary Glue Stick both work very well. The tip is smaller and the glue is easy to see (to make sure you covered the whole edge). Jen from BettyCrockerAss.com has a great tutorial on how she does it:
When pin-basting, I use applique pins and keep the heads away from the fabric, so only the seam allowance is being held down by the pins. Make sure to remove them before you sew over them.
The other tool you’ll want is a stiletto and my favorite is the ByAnnie Precision Stiletto and Pressing Tool. It works perfectly for keeping those edges together and the ends straight while you’re sewing.
Whether you do pinless piecing or glue everything in position, it’s just important that you give it a try. I’ve created a pattern for you to download so you can have your own templates to practice sewing with curves. I can’t wait to see what you make!
Happy sewing!
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