Drunkard's Path Turtles

I've been wanting to try a turtle block since I saw an antique turtle quilt on someone's blog a few months ago. I couldn't find that quilt again, but I did find a similar quilt at Monkeybox and one on Quiltville's Quips and Snips. (If you don't want to see the turtles, go read what she had to say about "quilt shop quality" fabrics.)  

The turtles are just so cute! They're also a variation on the Drunkard's Path block, which I love. They've got curved piecing...and I've got dies to cut them with!  Not to mention all of the green fabrics I pulled together while I was working on Quinn's green quilt. 

I hauled my dies and fabric down from the sewing room weeks ago, but I didn't get around to experimenting until Friday afternoon. They're not any harder to piece than regular Drunkard's Path blocks.

 Each turtle takes two curved Dresden Plate blades and two convex and concave Drunkard's Path pieces out each of print and background fabric. (I used the AccuQuilt 7" Drunkard's Path die and Dresden Plate die, but you could substitute whatever similarly sized templates or pattern you already have.) 

Place the two Dresden Plate blades right size together and sew all the way around the outside edge. Don't leave an opening to turn it, you'll create that when you cut the shape in half. Trim excess seam allowance from the pointed end and notch the curved end, then turn your head and tail right sides out and press.

Lay the head and tail pieces on the right sides of the convex background pieces and baste them in place before assembling the four Drunkard's Path units.

Press and assemble into a cute little turtle!

I plan on sewing this guy fifteen friends, which will  make a 56" square throw.