I use a light table. I pin the fabric on the sewing line. Turn the piece over to make sure the piece is large enough and then sew. In the past I cut out two baby quilts for regular piecing and found out that I was not getting the results I wanted. I used the pieces and paper pieced the quilts and the results were perfect. Just required a lot more time.

I really like that Tessagin, thanks for sharing. I'm new to quilting so I haven't ventured into PP territory yet, but I figured PP must dull the heck out of your needle. This would avoid that issue. And no tearing!

Needles are one of the least expensive tools for sewing so if one gets dull, a no fret loss.
One extra thing. If you have the auto thread cutter you will save a lot of thread and a boat load of time when paper piecing.

It is the angled pieces that always throw me for a loop. I, too, have a problem with mirror images. I usually end up ripping out a piece 2 or 3 times before I get the area covered.

I, too, struggled with PPing when I was first introduced to it. One member of my quilting group gave me and another member a lesson, but I still didn't get it right. I could do the first two pieces, but that third one really threw me! The owner of my LQS, who had done a lot of PPing years ago, offered to help me and even she had trouble with the same piece. I eventually found Carol Doak's Craftsy class, paid for it, and was finally able to get it right. I rewound that third lesson over and over and over, but it worked! Sorry pic is sideways - forgot to rotate it.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]539741[/ATTACH]

I convert most pieced blocks pattern to paper pieced patterns using EQ7. Especially if there is bias involved on any of the block pieces.

I do tons of paper piecing - almost entirely with scraps. PM me for a set of files that might be of help to you.

You have to cut the fabric about a half inch larger all around. Then, when you place it, instead of trying to fold the fabric back a quarter of an inch on the stitching line to test the size, fold the PAPER back overtop the fabric! It's so much easier because you've already folded the paper on the stitching line. If the paper piece covers the fabric entirely, you're good to sew. Otherwise, reposition the fabric and fold over the paper again to test.

Thanks for all the great ideas. Hope this takes some of the dumb out of my brain