Plus you can use all those scrap triangles on the corners if they're big enough. Since you sew the blocks together before you take the paper off you can pretty much do what you want for the strips. A lot of mine weren't even straight, they were skinny at one end and fat at the other. I did use the widest strips in the centers of the light blocks since I knew I was going to cut them and sew them on that diagonal.

The main reason I used newspaper over phone books or some other paper was I could get bigger blocks to start with.

Hi, Betty, and welcome!

Jane Quinn of Quilting The Country in Bozeman, MT, did an article on Chronicle Quilts where, years ago, women would use old copies of the local newspaper, The Bozeman Chronicle, to foundation-piece their quilts. If I recall, the pages were left full-size (mostly) and then the blocks were sewn together. These women also left the newspaper backing in their quilts for insulation....As I said, I hope my memory is serving me correctly...it's been awhile since reading this article. I've been wanting to try this method myself with some of the newspapers that age themselves around here!

One tip is to use a dry iron on any paper first if it has ink print on it. It will help set the ink and it won't come off on your fingers....
:roll: rich people's butlers do this to keep their fingers/hands clean while they read it :roll:

One tip is to use a dry iron on any paper first if it has ink print on it. It will help set the ink and it won't come off on your fingers....
:roll: rich people's butlers do this to keep their fingers/hands clean while they read it :roll:
I also buy the ends of newspaper rolls very cheaply...I can cut out any size blocks that I want out of it and I use it for other things as well. You can call your local paper and ask if they sell them and for how much.

I've used newspaper for my hexagonal quilt top. It's the English Paper method (I think that's what it's called) where you cut out the shape, fold the fabric around it & whip-stitch it to the next piece.

jojo47!
That is EXACTLY the program I was referencing!
Thank you for remembering <g> .. I knew it was in Montana somewhere, but was afraid that I hadn't remembered that correctly either!
I ain't so daft as I thought! Cool! LOL

My local newspaper sells the end rolls of paper so there is no ink.....just cut to size. It's great for all kinds of things......drawing paper when the kids were little to packing boxes

This is very interesting.
Think I might have to try this. :wink:
Thanks!

I have attached 2 pictures of the top I have. There is a date of April 1935 on one piece.

Let me try to paper picture again.