Curves and shawl designs

[chirapachegurl]

I have tried and tried so now I'm gonna ask: how in the world do you make the french curves on shawls, and the tribal kind of looking designs? i'm able to make small designs but to make them huge to fit a shawl is very time consuming and i just can't get it so that it comes out looking perpendicular on all sides. are there patterns???

[wyo_rose]

It's actually easier for me to make the larger designs. What I like to do, like for a shawl border, is to take a piece of paper as big as I want the border to be, add seam allowance, then fold the paper where I want the repeats to be.

As for drawing the actual curves, practice, practice, practice... Or what I usually end up doing is drawing a curve, redrawing it, redrawing it...I get several lines, then when I cut it out I just pick the line that looks best.

You can actually buy a French Curve ruler. My mom had one for dress making.

[chirapachegurl]

That's what i've found myself doing, is having to draw, re-draw, and re-draw. I've practiced on a regular sized paper and it comes out fine. But then I upgrade to a larger paper and it doesn't look even and what i've drawn on one side i can't seem to draw again to get that "mirror effect". Thanks Wyo. I'm gonna keep tryin and look into the french curve ruler. I didn't know they were sold.

[wyo_rose]

I forgot to elaborate about the MIRROR effect.

Cut your pattern out while the paper is folded. That way you'll match EXACTLY!

So fold your paper accordian style, draw on your bestest curves on the top folded section. And cut - you know kinda how you would cut a snowflake pattern so it all comes out "mirrored".

You can even put the paper up on the window and copy the design on each section to make sure it's how you want it.

[chirapachegurl]

I forgot to elaborate about the MIRROR effect.

Cut your pattern out while the paper is folded. That way you'll match EXACTLY!

So fold your paper accordian style, draw on your bestest curves on the top folded section. And cut - you know kinda how you would cut a snowflake pattern so it all comes out "mirrored".

You can even put the paper up on the window and copy the design on each section to make sure it's how you want it.

Goodness, that makes so much sense thank you so much Wyo. now i can sleep at night, lol.