Circle quilts I have tried circles by various methods . . . freezer paper applique by hand, circles sewn with an interfacing back then top stitched to the block, joined drunkards path blocks, etc.
And then I discovered pieced circles. Although there are many steps, the freezer paper method for piecing circles the result is perfect circles that take less time than the other ways to do them. I developed a case of circle mania.
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| Favorite!!! quilting tool . . . leather roller foot. This was a happy birthday to me present several years ago. It is the perfect foot for piecing circles and generally sewing curves as it has no inclination to sew a straight line. It is also good for free motion work. The Bernina link is below, they have a little video. http://www.berninausa.com/product_detail-n25-i152-sUS.html |
Claudia has done a great tutorial of the freezer paper pieced method on her blog Machen & Tun. Thank you Claudia! http://machenundtun.blogspot.com/2011/04/tutorial-how-to-sew-circle.html
There are some tools that make the process much easier . . . the Olfa Rotary Circle Cutter. And the Bernina 55 Leather Roller Foot. I don't know if other manufacturers make a roller foot, but bless Bernina for providing this specialty foot.
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| A quick how to > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkiLVdwInQM |
Use it too for cutting the circle out of the freezer paper template.
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| So you know where to set the pin of the circle cutter, mark the center of the circle using the freezer paper cutaway and a small hole at the center. |
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| The easiest . . . pressing the seam outward gives a reverse applique look |
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| Takes some extra effort . . . pressing the seam inward gives an applique look |
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| Making sense of all the scraps. I'm an extreme scrapper . . . next to nothing goes in the waste basket. One of these days I'll post all my end-of-quilt scrapworks. They're going into a quilt that is all the leftover bits from my other quilts. |
