Paper piecing question - fabric waster?
05-29-2013, 04:19 AM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: western Pa
Posts: 4,569
The more you paperpiece the easier it becomes to judge the size to cut. Except for those elongated diamonds--I always cut them too short. I also have a large apothecary jar I throw all the odd shaped scraps in and use them as needed for smaller pieces. I love the precision of pp-ing. I will also NEVER use all the fabric in my collection (it's too small to be called a stash) unless I live to 114 years old. No guilt about some waste.
05-29-2013, 04:31 AM
#13
Power Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 17,827
The more you paperpiece the easier it becomes to judge the size to cut. Except for those elongated diamonds--I always cut them too short. I also have a large apothecary jar I throw all the odd shaped scraps in and use them as needed for smaller pieces. I love the precision of pp-ing. I will also NEVER use all the fabric in my collection (it's too small to be called a stash) unless I live to 114 years old. No guilt about some waste.
05-29-2013, 07:27 AM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,559
Once you're a bit more experienced, you will teach yourself tips and tricks to reduce waste. For instance, I make an extra copy or two of the block pattern, and cut out each section with an extra 1/4" all around. I mark the sections so I know which way goes up, and use them as templates for cutting fabric. I make one test block first, to make sure everything is covered.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
05-29-2013, 07:51 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 427
I LOVE to paper piece. Once you get going with a project it is pretty much easy going!! Alex Anderson's book gives you specific size directions. Once you do a few you can pretty much tell how big you need to make each piece. I love collecting scraps that nobody else wants for miniature paper piecing blocks. I never feel like I'm wasting that much fabric at all
05-29-2013, 10:11 AM
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 6,063
Once you're a bit more experienced, you will teach yourself tips and tricks to reduce waste. For instance, I make an extra copy or two of the block pattern, and cut out each section with an extra 1/4" all around. I mark the sections so I know which way goes up, and use them as templates for cutting fabric. I make one test block first, to make sure everything is covered.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
05-29-2013, 12:46 PM
#19
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,127
Since I mostly use smaller pieces of fabric from my scraps boxes I don't worry much about the waste. At least I'm using up those smaller pieces and they aren't going to waste. Well, they won't go to WASTE, but some of them sit for years before they get used up. I have boxes for most colors and anything smaller than a FQ goes in them. Really small scraps go into bags that I plan to use for a crumb quilt when I get a few more UFOs finished.
I love PP for the great points, etc. like others have said but I like them because they work for so many things, .......sailboats for a little boy's quilt, elephants on a baby quilt, etc. They are fun to do.
I love PP for the great points, etc. like others have said but I like them because they work for so many things, .......sailboats for a little boy's quilt, elephants on a baby quilt, etc. They are fun to do.
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