gynconnie wrote:
Actually, Connie, I tried pinning from both sides and found that it is probably easier to manage the fullness the way Pat/Sue showed it. Yes, I sometimes sew with the pins on the bottom, and yes...I do sew over my pins, but I am stitching VERY SLOWLY over the pins which gives the machine needle time to roll off the side of the pin if it should happen to hit right on the pin location. It does sometimes cause a broken needle or bent pin, but I find that leaving the pins in place give me more control over the seam line.

The important thing is not what side the pins are on, but that you stitch with the quarter round shape on the bottom so you can see how the machine is stitching over the fullness of the arc shape.

This is opposite of what we do when we use the feed-dogs to ease in fullness. We are NOT easing anything. The seam line does NOT require any easing, only very careful matching so that the seam lines on the two units are lined up correctly.

And ANOTHER Margo question: Did you starch the background fabrics (the quarter-round and concave pieces)?

A question for Margo: I just finished paper piecing my 36 (!) arcs, and will be starting to sew on the quarter-round center piece. While reviewing the written month 3 directions and Margo's video I noticed that Pat/Sue pinned from the arc side and Margo pinned from the quarter-round side. Margo, did you sew with the pins on the bottom (toward the feed dogs)? Are there advantages of doing it that way?

Reetzbobeetz wrote:
Thanks for letting us know how that's working!

yes I would be inclined to do the applique first too. We will just have to wait and see.

BTW I have been working away on the arcs and have found that it works better for me to leave the papers on until I have pinned the 3-D (1/4 circles) to the arcs. I then remove the bit of the paper where I need to sew. That way when I come to attach 3-C to 3-F or 3-E I still have those arc points on the paper to match up with the registration dots on 3-F or 3-E. It's working for me.

That would be my approach too, Andree, but I haven't seen any instructions beyond Month 3, so we will have to wait and see!

Margo wrote: Margo,
I would guess that we will assemble the arcs AFTER we do the appliqué, since appliquéing (!!!) will probably pull on the fabric (and make things smaller?) Anyway, it is a brilliant idea to leave the extra fabric...

Andrée

For what it's worth, I pieced the 16 arc units today for Month 3 that are to be set aside for later. I assume that they will be set into the corners of background pieces before we applique them, but I'm not sure what technique will be recommended. Just as a precaution, I left the extra seam allowances on the quarter circles until I see how those blocks will be handled. I would rather have extra to trim off later than come up short because I assemble something incorrectly.

Denise, adding the extra large seam allowance will work for this month, but probably not so much for adding the assembled arcs to all four sides of the background fabric on the units where we will do the applique.

And you are right about lots of ways to do things. I'm thinking that the Piec-lique method may work better when we get to those units. I'll be interested to see what method Sue Nickels and Pat Holly recommend!

Thanks Margo for another great video. I started a quilt with this type of piecing and had such a hard time matching up the units your idea of extra fabric on the sides encourages me to try that method. I actually ended up appliquing the arc sections. I guess there are many ways to do things.

I am busy until the middle of the month-vacation so I will not be home to give it a try.

Happy Quilting everyone. I will watch this thread to learn while I'm away.

Denise

yes, i do have this book. great

Becky, I would not try glue sticks for this. Because the only place the two pieces line up is along the actual seam line, gluing would not be precise enough unless you use Sharon Schamber's technique of Piec-lique.

For that method, you would not cut the curve on the quarter round patch, but would just work with a square of fabric. Use a template and starch to turn under the seam allowance of the smaller curve of the assembled arc unit, then glue the seam allowance to the square using a very fine line of LIQUID glue (not a glue stick), fold back the arc and stitch in the fold of the seam allowance.

That explanation sounds convoluted, but if you are interested, check out Sharon's new book:
http://www.amazon.com/Piec-lique-Curves-New-Sharon-Schamber/dp/1574328808 (check the prices for used copies!)
or from her daughter's web site: http://www.purpledaisiesllc.com/Piec_lique_Curves_the_New_Way_p/128.htm

(This technique is not one of the videos that Sharon will be sharing with us here on TQS.)

what about instead of pins glue stick?
tnx margo for the great video!!

Thank you once again Margo for your succinct video, you are a GEM, also the PDF, very handy indeed. I am sitting with pen and notebook at the ready to take notes whilst watching the video again just so I don't miss anything.
Very interesting to read everyone's input, so helpful.
Gail