patd

At first it really does confuse your brain. Stick with it. All if a sudden you will realize it has become totally na th ural.

mike'sgirl

I agree. I had trouble, then tried one more time, and finally got it. It's a learning curve.

Shelbie

I don't "get" paper piecing either. I've read the books, watched the videos, had expert instructions and still can't paper piece even a simple pattern. When I complained on Carol Doak's blog about how difficult it was after trying out her beginner's tutorial, I got a phone call from her offering to talk me through it. I loved the phone call but still can't paper piece. My last BOM at my LQS was supposed to be paper pieced so I cut the pattern apart, added seam allowances and pieced it the regular way. I can use Thangles but that's as close to paper piecing as I can get.

Becky Crafts

I use those $1.00 store see through chopping mats to trace around the various pieces then using the add 1/4" ruler to make sure I have that. When cutting them out, if I'm just a little generous, I have no trouble whatever to get them all right with very little waste. Plus I have the templates in case I want to make them again. I never have to baste first. Just do the placement up to a light source and sew. I love paper piecing!! Hope this helps.

pollyjvan9

Thanks everyone, I was up early this morning and read all your helpful suggestions and after thinking about all that you said I came to the conclusion that I really am skimping on the fabric. So, I got up went to the cutting table and cut each piece and added a generous inch all the way around...and guess what? Not one corner cut off! I am so used to using the least amount of fabric because I make so many scrap quilts and I always think that I will need some of whatever I am cutting. Since I am working with scrap fabrics for this project and I going to bite the bullet and cut generously! I have already made four blocks this morning, only need the two basket blocks then on to the sashings. Will post a photo later under topic "My French Hens". Again, thanks for your help and encouragement.

OKLAHOMA PEACH

The very first pieced quilt I made was PP, just followed the directions and that was that. Started a PP the other night years later than the 1st one, one little section is angled, sewed wouldn't go, sewed again still not right, sewed again strill not right, got out the books to read up, burned dinner. Still didn't get it, 2 days later OH OKAY you know light bulb flashing. Will get back to it tonight, I hoping that the bulb is still flashing. lol and good luck

Kitsie

Please try this way: http://www.twiddletails.com/store/in...age=page&id=21 So easy and very accurate! (I sew a few big stitches to help hold the paper for the first piece)

QultingaddictUK

I use copy paper, although I have the proper foundation paper, purely because it's so much cheaper and as I love to PP every penny saved etc. One of the ladies here mentioned a light box but I found a much easier solution, PINS I pin along the line that I have to sew next and position my fabric to those, I also don't worry about larger pieces of fabrics as I do a lot of PP and Crumb quilting, and the tiny scraps makes Fur-baby beds so nothing's wasted. There is no way IMO that any other type of quilting will give you as pretty a cushion design as this one. One of my earlier quilting projects and although there are errors it's still my favourite cushion.

jemma

carol doak with her add 1/4 ruler+post card fixed my problem also do not skimp on pieces save a bit waste a bigger bit

Johanna Fritz

Make sure that you sew directly on the line and trim carefully. My guess is that you are not cutting your pieces big enough. An easy tip is to cut out the shape that you will be piecing with scissors, on the sewing line. Stack your scraps or strips in a pile. Use a piece of double stick tape (or scotch tape rolled in a tube, so it is sticky on both sides). Stick down this shape to the top of your strip/scrap pile. using a rotary ruler and rotary cutter, line up your ruler and cut 1/2" to 1" BIGGER than the cut (finished) size of the shape you taped on the pile. Work your way around the shape. Leave the piece taped on the top one, so you know which piece of the unit that pile is for. In the beginning, you can add 1" - later, 1/2". Remember, if you have "odd shape" - skinny triangles, etc, it is WAY easier to just cut a slightly larger rectangle than having to line up all of those skinny triangles, and make sure that they are flipping the right way.

Last few tips, use the "Add a quarter" or "add a half" rulers...and if you "pre score" your lines with a credit card etc, while sitting in front of the TV, (you can do this for all the lines that make up a block-enough for a quilt), in a very short time. The advantage is that is becomes much easier to line up your next piece, as the scored line is the "sewing line." June Tailor also makes a PP very thin paper that you can leave in the quilt, and one that disappears in water. I love them both.

Her is a larger paper pieced unit and 2 layouts for you to try. Both quilts are made with the same block, just turned a little differently. I posted this last night, but made a mistake in not posting the paper pieced foundation directly with the quilts. Sorry.