I think the string piecing would be better by machine as you want to set the stitch length really short so it is easy to take the paper off.
If you like to hand piece you might look into English paper piecing. so much fun! I use just a simple template, trace around it on the none shiny side of butcher/freezer paper, iron it onto the back side of fabric, cut those out leaving a 1/4 inch seams all around the butcher paper, then fold and baste that around the edge of the paper, next take those shapes and sew them together. Once the project is partially done or completely you take out the basting stitches and the freezer paper. You can reuse the freezer paper several times if careful. It is really fun to do small projects with set in seams this way.
Here are some pictures but it looks like they did not use the freezer paper so they had to pin it down.
http://sunshinescreations.vintagethr...r-piecing.html