Blue Onion... errr... Blue Ocean

 

A few weeks ago, I took an online class with Beth Ann Williams on sewing curves.  I'm pretty good at sewing Drunkard's Path blocks, but I wanted to learn more about complex curves.  Her class really helped me feel more confident about machine piecing curves.  In the past I would opt for hand sewing sometimes, but with my 1/4" foot, I feel I can do these more accurately.

I especially wanted to figure out how to cut the Blue Onion pattern which I bought some time ago.  Beth Ann explained it clearly, and she also referred us to some helpful You Tube videos.  Due to some infusions from friends, my blue fabric tub is overflowing, and this seems like just the pattern for me.

The original pattern calls for purchasing a rather expensive template for cutting the oval pieces.  You stack 5 squares and cut the pieces, flipping the stack as you make the cuts, then shuffling the pieces after cutting.  Beth Ann explained and showed how this works, and I finally got it.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find the pattern in my stack of Patterns I'd Like to Make Someday.  Grrrr!  Did I maybe give it away last year out of frustration?

I also didn't want to buy the very expensive template (nearly $50 for something I won't use that much, if at all).  So I decided to go improv and cut the pieces freehand.  My blocks ended up at 9" after trimming, and I ended up making 16 in all for a finished size of approx. 40" x 40".  After cutting, the sewing goes fairly quickly and is actually fun.  I'm going to call the quilt Blue Ocean, because that's what it looks like to me.  I'll try to post a photo later today after I get it sandwiched.  My dilemma now is the usual:  how shall I quilt it?