Tool School: Carefree Curves

What is it? – In a recent class we discussed how easy it is to create perfect half-square and quarter-square triangle blocks for quilts using the No Hassles Triangles Gauge. Well, that’s great and it allows us to make a seemingly endless array of quilt designs. But they’re all straight lines. What do we do if we want to make quilt blocks with curves or circles? Old school requires joining apposing curves cut from a template. That is not only labor intensive but requires a great deal of skill to make sure the seams lie flat and that both the edges and the seams line up evenly on joining blocks to form your desired pattern. And what about seam allowances? Don’t even want to think about it. A daunting task to say the least, or at least it used to be. Enter Nancy Zieman’s Carefree Curves Quilting Templates. Now we can form perfect circles and curves without all of the hassle of cutting and stitching apposing curved seams and all the math is done for you. All of those projects that you always wanted to do but thought impossible are now possible, even for the novice quilter. Now endless variations of Circle Blocks, Hearts & Gizzards Blocks and Fan Blocks lie easily at your finger tips. The rest is up to you.

What does it do? – Carefree Curves is a set of three templates that enables you to form the following shapes effortlessly so you can spend most of your time just being creative.

• The Circle Block template allows you to make full, half or quarter square circle blocs in three sizes. 11″ circle on a 14″ finished block, 8 1/2″ circle on a 12″ finished block and a 6″ circle on a 8″ finished block. With your perfect blocks you are now free to organize them into any number of patterns from Mohawk Trail to Fools Puzzle to Drunkard’s Path to Mill Wheel or anything that satisfies your creative craving.
• The Hearts and Gizzards template allows you to make 8″, 10″, 12″, 14″ and 16″ finished blocks in the distinctive half-heart shaped pattern. Combine them in any order or orientation to form Hearts and Gizzards, Blooming Hearts, Ferris Wheel or something of your own. You can even mix and match sizes.
• The Wagon Wheel and Fan template enables you to form Wagon Wheel finished blocks in 16″, 18″, 20″, 22″ and 24″ sizes and Fan finished blocks in 8″, 9″, 10″, 11″ and 12″ sizes. From there it is easy to form Wagon Wheel, Ferris Wheel, Lady’s Fan patterns or any other traditional or contemporary quilt design or maybe even something of your own.

Watch Tool School in our Youtube channel Clover Needlecraft