I was told when I first started EPP to leave basting stitches in so that when you remove papers, the basting holds down the seam allowances for quilting later. Today in Paducah, I took a class from a well-known Australian EPP quilter named Brigette Giblin. She also said the same thing and not to sew thru papers so they can be removed. I was cutting 2.25" strips for 2" diamonds and she told me my seam allowance was too narrow and would cause the paper to pot out before I was ready for it to.