Tips and Tutorials on the 22nd – #37 – Drunkard’s Path Block

Welcome to this month’s edition of Tips and Tutorials on the 22nd where you can learn how to glue baste a drunkard’s path block. It is the easiest way to do it and helps me be accurate. I tried all the pins, and didn’t love it. I do love that I prep the blocks and then they are all ready to sew.

Last Month’s Link Ups

Here’s a list from last month’s link ups! I am so grateful to those who share their tips and tutorials each month.

• Laura from LC’s Cottage linked up a tutorial on how to use tracing paper for marking and quilting.
• Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl had a tutorial for a Double 4-Patch Baby Quilt.
• And Andree from Quilting and Learning Combo showed us a way to transfer a design for improv piecing and some free motion quilting.

Tutorial: Glue Basting a Drunkard’s Path Block

This tutorial is near and dear to my heart. I am making and will be making a lot of Drunkard’s Path blocks in the next few months. The postage stamp setting for the Diatom blocks requires 20 of the blocks; 20 x 12 = 240 blocks. Yup, thats a lot, so I am sharing my basting technique with you.

Glue basting has become more and more popular with quilters – wash away Elmer’s glue or Roxanne’s glue….it all works. But in this case, I like a stick glue. I happen to have a purple one, not my favorite, but it washes out entirely.

First up is a. glimps of marking my two blocks. The templates I am using are Jen Carelton Bailey’s templates. My preference for tools is SewLine – the  glue stick* and the pencils*. I can’t seem to locate them in my studio, so I am using a few others.

I put glue on the convex (larger piece) from the center to one edge. Connect the center first then the edge.

Pull between the two and the edges begin to align. Then gently press the edges. This is nearly impossible to photograph so I did a little video for you!

I do a lot at time, then I can sit down and sew and trim when I am ready. Since I am making a lot, this is the technique that works for me. For me, breaking the difficult blocks into sections to do [cutting, glue basting, sewing, pressing, trimming, sewing together] makes it less difficult and it can be done it short bursts of energy. I’ll sew them together later today, and press, maybe trim another day and then sew together after my next block is done.

Join the Linky Party

Now it’s your turn to post, and the rules are simple – write up a tip or group of tips or a tutorial that is quilting or sewing-related and link that post below. The linky party is open from 12:01 am on the 22nd, through midnight on January 30th The post does not have to be new but should be one that hasn’t been linked to Tips and Tutorials in the past. If you don’t have a blog, please send it to me (kathleen@kathleenmcmusing.com) and I will post your tip or tutorial for you!

Past Tips and Tutorials

In case you didn’t know, if you have missed some past #TTot22, you can check them out in the tab at the top of my page or on my Pinterest board.

Coming Up on My Blog

I hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial. I’ll be back on Thursday with my Placematties hosting TGIFF. Honestly, I will be wishing I was at opening day at QuiltCon….next year.

Coming Up On My Blog
Retreat Placemats & TGIFF 2/23/23
SAHRR Round #5
Winter Twist
SAHRR Round #6
Dust Off a Book Blog Hop 3/8/23
Diatom Row 2 (4/13)

Disclaimer: *Links with asterisk indicate an affiliate link and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your price is not any different, but a small percentage of the sale will go to supporting my blog.