Hmmm, this hasn't quite turned out how I thought it would

 

I've been playing around some more with these patchwork pieces, and they don't actually look like this any more.  I've been piecing and appliqueing, and unpicking and rearranging.  What I've now got is either going to look alright in the end, or its well on its way to being a right dog's dinner!  I'll take a decent photo of the current layout tomorrow, in natural sunlight 'cause it'll look even worse if I take a picture now, in artificial light.  

Okay, so what've I learnt so far about patchwork using curves?  

1 - it's easier to attach one section of fabric to another if your curve is gently sloping and gradual.  Too curvy a curve and it's hard to piece them together and get both fabrics to lie flat and not pucker.  If you've got a very rounded curve, the best method is to applique that onto a backing fabric.  (Does that make sense?  Hopefully you get what I mean, but tell me if not.)

2 - When sewing together wedges of fabric to make these curved strips, make the wedges longer than you need and once the strip's assembled you can trim down to size.  

3 - Use a small sized stitch on your sewing machine.  Keeps your seams nice and secure.  

4 - I simply cut out wedged lengths of material, machine sewed them together into strips and trimmed those strips into pleasing shapes with the rotary cutter.  But it occurred to me that the resulting strips might be more stable if I'd sewn them onto a backing fabric.  Calico maybe, or some plain white cotton from an upcycled sheet or pillowcase.  Or even interfacing.  

I tried using the interfacing, but that was too stiff, so I reckon calico would be ideal for any future projects.  

5 - Once you've trimmed the strip to size, sew a line of running stitch along the top and bottom edges to stop any seams unraveling between the individual wedges.  

I've put the crafty stuff aside for now, and might have an evening lolling on the sofa, alternating between reading and watching TV.  I'm about three quarters of the way through Emma Stonex's book 'The Lamplighters'.  Set in Cornwall in 1972, and about three lighthousekeepers who mysteriously vanish from The Maiden lighthouse, and about the women they leave behind.  Effectively widowed, but without a clue what's happened to their menfolk.  Am baffled by it, but enjoying the writing.  

Not sure if there's anything decent on telly, but there's always something lurking on the iplayer.  

Right, I'm off to make a cuppa and hunt down some chocolate.