sarahelloyd

Just a quick question - Is there any hint or tip that would help me with placing the light pieces of fabric onto the foundation, when there is a dark piece on already? Sounds silly but my lamp doesn't penetrate very well. Any help would be great please?

cutebuns

I found that is you add about 1/8 inch onto the rotary cutting instructions that they came out about right, if not a tad large, so if you do that for most of them you get to use a good 1/4 inch seam allowance instead of a scant one, it is a little less accurate if you add about a 1/16th, I think that putting them into a 4 1/2 inch block that the math just doesn't add up quiet right for some of them,

if you are also rotary cutting save all your cut strips especially of the background as a lot of the first cuts are the same. just keep them organized some how, I spend some time figuring out which one I should be grabbing. then when i use one of them up the next time I cut another long one,

BlueChicken

I do this too.... add an 1/8th onto the rotary cutting dimensions to use in pp. Unless it's an odd triangle in which case I print the templates and cut around those. There's nothing worse than carefully adding a piece and then finding it doesn't quite reach where it's supposed to!

cutebuns

I think some of it is just the math we don't have a measument small enough for the blocks, I imagine that she really didn't measure like we do, from the looks of some of the block, it was done with what she had on hand, and maybe she had seen a design or what have you and came back and tried to recreate it or what ever, what shows was what she came up with at the time and just made things fit. added bits and pieces when she ran out or was short. I can't imagine that she had a big stash of fabric like most of us tend to do today, one of the reasons that I am just trying to do one out of the scrap bin, I imagine that she may have had to scrounge for some of them at some point or other, I wonder if she ever cut up shirts or other clothing to get what she needed,

I like being able to take a good s 1/4 in seam allowance than a scant one, with the way some of the blocks are done if I have to trim a bit off of the edges I won't loose many points or what have you, though my trangle is a bit big, those may be more accurate, I will have to try the next one to size.

ai731

That's so kind of you to offer! Klue has sent me PDFs for the first week's blocks, so I'm OK for now. I'm sure I will eventually be able to get the software running on my Mac, it just means I have to find the time to sit down and figure out how to work the Emulation software that need to be installed first. And time is something I don't have huge amounts of right now!

I'll also try rotary cutting again using cutebuns' suggestions about the sizes.

Thanks!
Jan

cutebuns

I fixed he problem of using my mac by having tow computers, selfish of me I know, but my embroidery software doesn't like mac either which is sad as I love the mac. it has a better operating system than microsoft, i am resisting buying a windows program, and learning all the stuff to go with running it on the mac, one day maybe, to me it would defeat the purpose of having a mac, I think that we just need to get the companies going on making the programs Mac friendly, plus I have fun using both computers at the same time,

maryb.43

oh, dear, am I missing something? A lamp? A desk lamp....an underneath lite? Don't scare me...does this have anything to do with the translucent foundation paper that Klue recommended? Can you tell that I am still just gathering my equipment....LOL. I have never paper pieced, that practice should happen this week. Dear Lord,have mercy on wee Mary. I did buy my background fabric today, and thanks everyone for all of the tips. Took your advice and ordered an entire bolt of Kona cotton...snow....lovedthefeel of it. Also got thread! I will catch up by Feb 12th. With luck. And some hollering for help as the month progresses.

BlueChicken

I have a bare bulb lamp sitting on my desk when I'm doing paper piecing, I took the lampshade off to use it for a light box and have never put it back on. It comes in very handy, I can hold the paper up (I use normal printing paper) and I can see through to either the lines on the other side or the fabric edge, depending on which way I hold it.

So when I've placed my fabric on the paper I can hold it up with the lines facing me, and check the seam allowance goes where it should be going. :-)

It's not an essential piece of equipment, but it does make life easier. Especially when piecing at the speed of sound because you have to get just one more block done before calling it a night! LOL

maryb.43

thanks, BlueChicken. I can sleep tonite..I do see what you are talking about...but with MY translucent foundation paper, I can probably see thru mine. Thanks, Klue

kluedesigns

you don't need to worry about such things with the translucent paper.

you can see right thru the paper to know whats happening on the other side.

you just line up the fabric edges and sew.