What's the difference between English Paper Piecing and Paper Piecing? Any preferences?

I was wondering the exact same thing. Izy should know.

English paperpiecing is where you take a piece of paper, and wrap it around the fabric to stabilize it as in grandmothers flower garden. Paper piecing is where you take a piece of paper with a pattern printed on it, and then put a piece of fabric aprox 1/4 inch bigger and lay it on the opposite side, and then put another piece of fabric, and then flip it over and sew on the line. This is also called foundation piecing.

Nearly right, quiltingbee, with the English method - I think you transposed the paper and fabric bit. It's the fabric that is being wrapped around a paper template, then usually tacked into place.

I have done the English paper piecing and LOVE it for take along projects :lol: They are small and easy to do, no special tools,just needle thread, scissors, the paper pieces and fabric cut down to small sizes. I have not tried the foundation paper pieceing yet so can't help with that, sorry
Sharon

i prefer "regular" paper piecing only because piecing an entire quilt by hand takes a very long time and i'm already short on time.

so the English PP is only done by hand?

Sorry if I'm sort of hijacking this thread, but does anyone have a link to a free download for DIAMOND English Paper Piecing shapes? I've found a ton of free downloadable Hexagons, but I'm more interested in trying to do a star pattern rather than a grandmother's flower garden style pattern.

Thanks!
Jan

yes only by hand

Click here: InstantPiecing.com: English Paper Piecing Templates , Here is the only site I found, don't you know when you want to find something you never can but if you don't want to its always there. Anyway this has a 6 and 8" diamond, hope this helps

Rita

Try http://printfreegraphpaper.com and where it says which type of graph you want, select Isometric graph paper. All the diamonds you could want!

Re diamonds, I forgot to say that when you are trying to tack around the paper, don't bother to try and tuck in the excess on the points. If you leave the little extra bit sticking out, all of those will lay flatter when you join on other patches.

I've used the machine to English paper piece. You just don't fold the fabric back over the paper. I've done a queensize quilt this way.

Wow, more power to your elbow! It had never occurred to me to do that.

Thanks very much for the link and the tip. It will be my first try at EPP because I'm going away on holiday for a week and want a "by hand" project I can take with me to work on while we're away.

Jan

I made my own diamonds, I forget the measurements, both paper and fabric, it wasn't that hard, if I can do it anyone can.

Hope this helps.

Rita

Well, that shuts out that category for me. No time for EPP apparently - like you, I'm just too booked as it is! How's the apron project going with your niece? Please take pix so we can see her and the work (if her mommy doesn't mind her photo on the internet!)

wouldn't that just be paper piecing. not all paper piecing by machine has to be sewn thru the paper you can use the paper shapes to guide the stitch lines.

I just love English Paper Piecing (EPP). My favorite site is www.paperpieces.com. They sell pre cut papers and kits. Be sure to look at the gallery of finished quilts.

Good luck with the piecing, let us know how you got on when you get back, and have a lovely time.

Here's a great tutorial from Connecting Threads' website:

http://www.connectingthreads.com/pat..._PD991407.html

It's an Adobe file and the first example is the hexagon, but if you scroll down, it shows one with diamond shapes.

It's on my list of things to try.

Thanks all for the links. I think we all go to the sites at the same times becasue I keep getting the message that I can't connect! :( Will try again later when the traffic slows down. :?

I have a seven sisters quilt in the works using the diamonds that make a 6 pointed star. These same pieces also do blocks. When I was on a car trip to AZ last year, I stopped at a store to pickup some hand work and found these. For about $6 I got a package of 100 precut diamonds. I also bought a charm pack and found that I could get 3 diamonds from a 5" square. I coordinated all my squares and had a nice little group of stars done when I got home.

I still keep all of these pieces in a travel bag. If Im going to the doctors or to the quilt shop/ guild meeting, I have something very portable to work on. This bag is always waiting by the door to grab on the way out. This may become a lifelong hand project but I'm enjoying it.

This is not mine... but it is close to what I would like to have in the end:
http://www.shop7sisters.com/030c2fa0.jpg
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I tried English paper piecing for the first time a couple weeks ago. I love it. I can take it with me to the baseball games and when I visit my dad in the evening. I can work on my other projects when I'm at home. It may take me a year to finish the paper piecing project, but it keeps me busy when I'm away from home.

Seven Sisters looks like a good take along project. Thanks for sharing. :lol: