Today I am making what I call Modern Pickles, my take on the traditional pickle dish, minus the sharp pointies that usually surround the inner pod.
Supplies needed:
one set of acrylic drunkard's path templates for rotary cutting. (mine are for an 8 inch block)
9" square of gray fabric (adjust if using different size templates)
scrap of print fabric
rotary cutter and mat
For quick rotary cutting, a set of acrylic drunkard's path templates may be used. If these are not available, simply make your own templates or cut free-form curves.
First, cut background (gray) fabric into a square the size indicated by your acrylic templates, or one inch larger than the desired finished block size. My template is for an eight inch block, so I cut my background fabric into a 9" square.
Place the template with the concave curve so that the corner of the template lines up with the corner of the fabric square. Using a rotary cutter, cut along the curve so that fabric is divided into a quarter-circle piece and a corner piece.
Next, turn the same template so that the corner is now lined up with the corner of the quarter-circle piece of fabric (the ends of the template will hang over the edges, see picture above). Cut the curve with a rotary cutter. You now have a large corner unit, a small corner unit, and an elliptical (pod) shaped piece.
Use the pod-shape piece of background fabric as a template to cut the purple fabric. Place the gray pod on top of the purple fabric (right side up as shown below):
Use the convex curve (quarter circle) that matches the one used for the background fabric to cut the pod. If your template has a quarter inch marking for seam allowance, line that up with the edge of the gray pod. When you cut the curve, your purple pod will have the correct seam allowance so that it will fit inside the background pieces. If your template does not have a quarter inch marking, trace around your fabric pod, adding the quarter inch, then cut it out.
The next step is to piece the purple fabric pod inside the gray background to complete the block.
First, mark the center and quarter points of the curve on the smaller gray background corner unit as shown below with pins (this is done by folding the piece in half and pinch the center, then fold each edge to the center and pinch the quarter spot):
Mark the same points on the purple pod. Turn the gray piece over, so that rights sides are together. Match the marked points and pin. Remember that the pod fabric will "hang over" a quarter inch from the end of the gray, so that once it is sewn, there will be a "dog ear". see below.
Carefully sew the curve with the gray piece on the bottom, being careful to ease fullness, avoid stretching, and keeping the edges of the fabrics matched.
Press toward the pod.
You now have a quarter circle unit that fits inside the other background piece. Mark the middle and quarter points on both pieces as before, match the points and pin. Sew the curve with the gray fabric on the bottom. Press toward the purple. Trim to square if needed.
There are tons of ways these blocks can be set together. Four of them make a circle:
Happy Sewing!
Sharon
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