Chris Anders

I am still trying to learn new things and I saw a wall hanging on here and the lady said she Paper Pieced it. So what is paper piecing? Do you leave the paper on it ?

spokanequilter

Paper piecing is where you sew the fabric directly to a paper pattern, and then tear it off when the block is completed. It is used for blocks that have many small pieces and where there are sharp points that are difficult to piece the traditional way. Carol Doak is the queen of paper piecing and she has tons of books on the subject, which will illustrate it far better than I can tell you about it. Check out her website at www.caroldoak.com . For me, paper piecing is counterintuitive since you sew the bits of fabric to the back of the printed pattern and I always get it mixed up somewhere along the line when I first start a quilt. But then muscle memory takes over and I get it...With some patterns, like the Storm at Sea, it makes it so much easier to get the blocks accurately put together.

And then there is English paper piecing, which is a whole different story..... hopefully someone here will have done it and can explain that to you because it just looks too tedious to me!!!

Good luck!!

Peckish

I agree with most of what Chris said above, however there ARE ways of using paper to stabilize your block and improve accuracy without actually sewing through the paper, which is the part of paper piecing that a lot of people dislike. I prefer to use the fold-and-stitch method of paper piecing, with vellum as my paper.

Your best bet, if you're a beginning paper piecer, is to check YouTube for videos, or see if there's a class in your area, or maybe even check around at your local guild for "paper-piecing queens" who would be happy to show you how it's done. It's much easier to grasp the concept and learn the skills by being shown, rather than trying to read written instructions.

ArtsyOne

Definitely have someone show you. I read all the books and just could not figure it out until an experienced friend came over and showed me step by little step. Once it "clicked", I couldn't stop. I think you'll like it too.

Chris Anders

Thank you for your help. I am learning so much from this web. I truly love it.

jcrow

I found on YouTube a video by Carol Doak's on paper piecing. I just learned to paper piece by a DVD by Carol Doak's. She uses a 1/4" ruler and a postcard that she tapes to the 1/4" ruler. Watch the YouTube video. She makes paper piecing so easy. I took a class in paper piecing and faked a headache and went home because the teacher made it so hard to do. I thought it was a horrible way to piece until my mentor sent me Carol Doak's DVD. Then I tried her method and it was so simple and fun. So check out her YouTube video!!!

Skittl1321

Craftsy.com has a class on strip paper piecing available that was fabulous. The instructor is quick to answer questions and her method is very clear. There are many patterns included with the class- so it was a fabulous bargain.

I've found I have to be careful where I cut- I shorted myself a few times, but overall, it is a wonderful way to get accurate blocks.

ckcowl

there are a few (new & improved) techniques for paper piecing---like the not sewing through the paper one---but it is best to learn to basic way first---then after you master it- try out different techniques...trying new techniques before learning the basics sometimes can confuse you & frustrate you more than need be.
i agree with check out Carol Doak's web site- there are tutorials, lots of hints & tips, lots of free beginner patterns to get you started plus help if you find yourself stuck.
i do alot of paper piecing- but prefer foundation piecing (same technique except you use fabric instead of paper & leave it in - i hate having to remove all the paper) doing foundation piecing does increase the heaviness of the project though & some people don't like that- & it can make it a bugger if you plan to hand quilt.

nygal

You can go to You Tube and search for paper pieced quilts and you will be able to see videos on it.