I need help and decided you would offer the best help I needed. I recently came across a blog where the lady http://lifeunderquilts.blogspot.com/ makes 60 degree diamond stars by hand when she travels. I have been trying to figure out how to quilt when I am out camping in the summer with my family. And I think this would be perfect. I am not a hand sewer by any means (I machine sew my binding--I know don't fuss) but I think this could actually be fun. My problem is I don't know how to get started. This lady uses plastic templates but I have also saw paper ones too. What is the advantages of the plastic? Or the paper. And at what point do you remove the paper or plastic template? Do you all have any good videos or tutorials that can help me get started on the English Paper Piecing?? Thank you!!! :)

http://www.ciaspalette.com/patterns/...hhexagons.html The above site has instructions for English paper piecing hexagons such as are used for Grandmother's flower garden as well as printable templates. There is also a site that gives free printable 60 degree triangles. The method is the same which ever shape you use. There is also a tute on Youtube. I'm sure you will find no difficulty with this sort of patchwork and its so portable. Enjoy! :lol:

http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/ This site gives free printable shapes (diamonds etc) that can be changed to any size needed.

I think the advantage to plastic templates is that it is more durable. A friend of mine in Houston does her stars this way. She poked a hole in the center with a paper (hole) punch. That way, when you need to pull them out, you just hook a pin or seam ripper in the hole and pop it right out! She'd been using the same templates for years!

thats how I do it too - makes it soooo much easier :-)

I've only ever used paper. Your other question about when to remove them - you can do that once all the sides of your patch have another sewn to it, but I try to leave mine in as long as possible, because they are supported that way and little stretching will happen. Only remove the paper/plastic from the edges when you are ready to finish.

I have made a couple of GFG quilts. I cut my hexagons from freezer paper, and my fabric hexagons approx. 1/4" larger on all sides. Lay the freezer paper dull side down on the wrong side of the hexagon fabric and iron the 1/4" seam allowance to the shiny side of the freezer paper. They are so easy to hand sew together. The freezer paper hexagons can be used over and over.

visit Paperpieces.com
they have all of the supplies you need for all kinds of english paper piecing- hex's, diamonds, applecores; many to choose from.
they also have good free content- tutorials, and free design sheets you can print off then color with colored pencils to see exactly how your quilt will look.
and to answer the question- when do you remove the templates? when you will no longer add anything more to it...that is when the papers come out.
i use both plastic and paper pieces- the plastic ones are very expensive- the paper ones work just as well for a fraction of the cost.