Thread: foundations for string piecing

I read online (maybe right here) that a Pellon pattern paper was good for string piecing foundations. I tried it and found that it was quite stiff. I finished the quilt and then washed it which helped to make it a bit more cuddly, but I think I will go back to using thin fabric as a foundation. It was very hard to work with the quilt sandwich to machine quilt it. I love using up strips of fabric for string piecing but am not willing to remove paper--even newspaper print is too much for me to work with since my hands are compromised due to arthritis. Any of you have any input on this subject? Thanks.

When you use paper, you need to set your stitch length very short (of course it means if you make a mistake it is very hard to take out those teensy stitches). That will help the paper tear out later easier.

That said, I got to the point on my string X quilt that I didn't use any backing at all. I did starch as I pressed though. And then trimmed and it all seemed to work out well

Originally Posted by joeyoz

I have a friend doing a string quilt. Instead of a square she is doing a rectangle and is using pages out of an old phone book.

Just wondering--how would it work to leave the paper from phone books in the quilt? Would it dissolve satisfactorily or be a problem with laundering? Some have discovered paper in very old quilts. Newspaper is a good insulator and is sometimes found in walls when buildings are being torn down. So am just wondering......

Originally Posted by illinois

Just wondering--how would it work to leave the paper from phone books in the quilt? Would it dissolve satisfactorily or be a problem with laundering? Some have discovered paper in very old quilts. Newspaper is a good insulator and is sometimes found in walls when buildings are being torn down. So am just wondering......

Do NOT leave the paper in the quilt. Even if it sort of dissolves it will leave hard little "pills" between the layers. It is not that big a deal to rip the paper off, just fold it back against the stitches and rip off while watching TV or visiting with a friend. You can use aged newspapers (aged so the ink has set in the paper), phone book pages, tracing paper, gift tissue, or no-iron cheap interfacing (which you can leave in). I am skeptical of using the cheap muslin as it may shrink at a different rate than your good fabrics. People did use newspapers in quilts but they were likely never washed, and probably because they were not washable with the paper lining and many of them were made of wool which was apt to shrink and be ruined. If you want larger blocks try tracing paper from the dollar store. It is harder to get off than the newsprint or phone book paper however.

You can purchase cheap tissue paper for gift bags. The sizes are 20x30". You can cut them to the size you want depending on size block you're going to make. I have phone books also and also use unscented dryer sheets previously used. I use the Seventh Generation that come in narrow strips (2 1/2"). They are already perforated but can still use them. One strip will do 2 large loads sometimes 3. They are worth the money. If first using on a small load tear the strip in half.