Different Way to Copy Paper Piece Patterns
 

Heard an interesting way to copy a paper-piece template to individual papers. Stack blank sheets underneath a printed one and sew on all the lines, perforating and marking all the pages. I havenot tried this but do have some questions for those that have tried this method. 1) How do you hold the stack of pages together to keep from slipping? 2) Do you make longer stitches than what you sew the fabric on when piecing so will adhere? Thank you.

I've seen this done and it seems like a lot of time and work that a simple copy machine would do much faster.

This is the way I've been doing it for years. The first thing you do is to staple the stack together all over the area, but take care to not staple where you will be "stitching." I use newsprint & can do 16 layers with my Janome 6600. I prefer to use the newsprint that is rough to the touch. I buy the Scribble Pads at the Dollar Tree. I also have a big pad of it - about 18" x 24". Don't forget to take the thread & bobbin out of the machine! I also use my 1/4" foot to add the seam allowance on all the outside edges. This is such a wonderfully quick way to get lots of units made. Have fun!

Oops, forgot - I set my stitch length to about 1.8 & use a size 14 needle, I save my dull ones for this...new ones are so pricey.

i have not tried this yet. however, i have heard that the perforations make the removal of the paper easier.

Sounds like a plan! I'd use short stitches. You want them to tear away, easily.

I'd pin the pieces.

One reason this would be more beneficial is that copies are not always 100% of what is copied.

Yep, I've been doing it this way for years. I saw Judy Niemeyer demonstrate this technique on Simply Quilts. Except she and I use freezer paper for paper piecing so only the top sheet that has the pattern lines is copy paper. Like Kathy said above, I staple the layers together to make the number of "copies" I want.

Because I want to preserve the paint on the antique treadle machine that I use for this process, I put a quilted sandwich under the paper stack so that the staples have no chance of marring my beautiful machine's surface. Since there is no thread it simply causes lots of holes in that quilt sandwich after hundreds of uses! A side benefit of using the quilt sandwich on the bottom is that I have more control and stay on the lines better than without it. I think the cloth is grabbed/moved by the feed dogs better than the freezer paper.

Finally, I use my rotary cutter and a ruler to cut on the borders of my pattern. I love this method since I don't want to put freezer paper through my copier.

Thank you for the detailed instructions! My copier only does 8.5" and also does not feed thin paper through well. This made so much sense to me -- and first time through I would have probably forgot to take the threads out, so thanks for the reminder!

Ooh, did not think of this; another benefit. :)

Instead of staples, you can iron freezer paper sheets together around the outer edges. This is what I do when I want to make multiple freezer paper templates for applique. A few dots of glue stick would adhere the copy paper to the freezer paper stack.

Thanks for the tidbit about freezer paper being ironed together; can use that in other applications. Just one of those little bits of info that is handy to have in the back of one's mind.

The problem I had with this method is that I sometimes found it difficult to see the perforations when stitiching.

This will be great. Thank you for sharing your method.

All of the above reasons are what makes this board such a learning tool!

I really need to keep track of good stuff I read here so can we still save posts/threads that we want to come back to later? I haven't tried this since the QB changed and can't seem to find a way to do it ):

I used this technique when resizing quilting stencils. I used tracing paper and I do use stapes to prevent slipping but you have to be so careful with placement. Usually copy machines shrink an item 1% so you have to do a few trial adjustment to make sure you have an accurate duplicate copies.

My exchange block group for the next exchange is paperpieced so this posting came timely for me. I have done paperpiecing but the copying is what I needed to research. The one thing that upsets me is the price of ink for copying. Granted I only have to do 12 copies but think I will do the stitch method on the the thinner paper. Might take longer but would be more accurate and less expensive. I suspect the chain piecing can still be accomplished for this method although I have not done that with previous paper pieecing. Someone tell me please that this can happen as I don't want to do all 12 blocks individually.

Franie, Do you mean chain piecing the block? or the perforations? I would think 12 copies could be done by stacking and only stitching one time through all of them. And if chain piecing the actual blocks, could you direct me to how to do that with paper piecing? I learn so many great things on this board.

There is a Craftsy class on how to chain piece paper-pieced patterns. It's called Quick-Strip Paper Piecing by Peggy Martin. She also has a book out on the technique.

Yes I meant chain piecing the blocks as I assemble. Say I would put piece #3 on all the blocks, and #4 on all the blocks and so forth. Not sure it will work but you can bet I will try. And yes, I would stack the paper and sew through all the layers. At least I found the needed fabric in my stash all but one to do these blocks. I need to go buy batik dark purple--my fav. color. LOL really it is. I thought I had enough of one piece I am presently working with but I don't. Oh whoa is me, I have to go to the fabric store!

See there it is! The answer I was looking for. Thank you.

Never heard of it. Not sure how that would be quicker....

Sounds great; however when I do PP I am so intimidated by the whole process I don't know if I could do this. My PP turn out so nicely I think I'll stick to the slow way. Thank you for the info. If Judy Niemeyer does it then it must be good. If the wizard of PP does it then it must be good. She is so good it is scary.

I also heard to use 12 old phone book pages and zigzag around the edges (with thread) to make a packet before the actual unthreaded stitching. I haven't ever done paper piecing-do want to do it one of these days...

It is such a burden to bear......having to trudge to the fabric store.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7URogSp-o0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k50P0njoIFk

Yippee! this is a bonus answer to the original desire to see others' sampler quilts!

I do this all the time. I use velum paper as it is easy to tear and has a good body to it when you are folding to do your stitching.