Pink Chalk Studio » Tutorial

Tutorial - Wavy Seams

Mar 20th, 2007

I get more mail about my And Baby Makes Three quilt than any other post I’ve written. Everyone wants to know how I created my blocks without using the templates in the Denyse Schmidt Quilts book.

I’m currently working on a new quilt with free-form log cabin style blocks. I’m utilizing one of the techniques I used to piece my blocks for Brie’s baby quilt. This tutorial will step through how I piece my ‘wavy’ seams.

Once you master the wavy seam you can throw those templates away!

Step 1: I utilized the wavy seam technique to piece each part of this log cabin square. This block was pieced in the order of top, bottom, left side, right side. The following steps will show the addition of one more round of fabric to the block.

Step 2: Cut strips of fabric that will give you enough width to cut a wave and allow for a seam allowance. I cut this strip 3 inches wide. I tend to be a fabric miser and often cut my strips too small! Be generous with your cuts and save your sanity. I’ll attempt to use my own advice more often.

Step 3: Overlay your wavy edge from the block over the strip.

Step 4: Cut the strip to match the width of the piece you’re joining too.

Step 5: Cut the strip fabric using the wavy edge of the adjoining fabric as your cutting line.

Step 6: A look at the pieces after they’re cut. I toss the little tiny guy into the trash.

Step 7: A look at the two pieces just before they are joined.

Step 8: Ta da! Unfortunately these two pieces did not join themselves. This step is a bit tricky. I do not pin my pieces together before sewing. You could but I don’t think it would yield better results and, in fact, might make the task more difficult. I align the edges just before they feed under the presser foot. This takes practice but is not hard. It’s actually fun in a ‘no pins, no hassle’ sort of way. The picture is what your seam looks like after the pieces have been joined. A bit wavy itself. Don’t worry, it will iron flat as soon as you flip the fabric over.

Step 8 in more detail. I decided this step needed more pictures. The following is a pictorial of sewing a wavy seam from start to finish:

Step 9: Finished block. This is the block with all 4 sides sewn in place. I have also squared the edges of my block to a final dimension of 15 1/2 inches x 15 1/2 inches.

Happy Wavy Seaming!

10 Responses to “Tutorial - Wavy Seams”

on 20 Mar 2007 at 1:04 pm1Pink Chalk Studio » Blog Archive » Brie’s Baby Quilt

[…] 3/20/07: I’ve added a new tutorial on the wavy seam. […]
on 20 Mar 2007 at 1:15 pm2Pink Chalk Studio » Blog Archive » Wavy Log Cabin

[…] As I was finishing this block I decided it was time for a Wavy Seam Tutorial. I’m thinking that the actual sewing of the seam could use some puffing up. It’s one of those techniques that’s easy for me to do but very difficult to put into words or pictures. Feel free to comment on what you need better explained. […]
on 21 Mar 2007 at 6:25 pm3Wavy Seams at Pink Chalk Studio « my half of the brain

[…] Wavy Seams at Pink Chalk Studio March 21st, 2007 Pink Chalk Studio » Tutorial - Wavy Seams […]
on 27 Mar 2007 at 12:10 pm4Pink Chalk Studio » Blog Archive » Cat on Quilt

[…] GORGEOUS Spring table runner by Kristin using the Wavy Seam Tutorial. […]
on 15 Jun 2007 at 3:30 pm5Stuck on the Spin Cycle « Make it Snappy

[…] It’s my first attempt using Kathy’s Wavy Seam Tutorial. Success! I’m so excited. I’ve already cooked up a project featuring wavy seams, which will be the real test of whether or not I’ve actually got this method down. Stay tuned. […]
on 17 Dec 2007 at 7:39 am6Jessica

I was so excited to find this tutorial. I was looking for ideas on a quilt I am going to make with japanese import fabrics for my baby. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks!
on 20 Feb 2008 at 12:28 am7Tia Curtis

The log cabin and court house steps are my favorite quilt blocks. Thank you so much for this great tutorial on making them even more fun!

Cheers!
Tia
on 22 Feb 2008 at 9:20 am8Pearl

Thanks for the tutorial! It’s cleared up the whole “mystique” of Denyse Schmidt quilts. Can’t wait to get started on one.
on 13 Mar 2008 at 11:08 am9amandajean

I love the wavy seams. thanks for the tutorial!
on 31 Mar 2008 at 3:45 am10Intentional Wonkiness « mama urchin

[…] Kathy asked for the blocks to be log cabin in spirit and offered some Gee’s Bend quilt images and the quilts of Nancy Crow as inspiration. I knew I would have to use some solids and after seeing Anina’s block I knew I wanted to do wonky seams — coincidentally the tutorial for wonky seams is by Kathy. I really liked how the variation on strip sizes looked on this pillow top I made so I wanted to go with that design. My idea was for the seams to get wonkier as I progressed through the log cabin. The block ended up way too big so I had to cut it down. It’s hard to pre-cut for the wonkiness too. You can see more of how Kathy’s quilt is shaping up over in the flickr pool. […]