Help with paper piecing
 

I'm appealing to the wealth of knowledge that is this online community! I've paper pieced 8 pineapple blocks, and now I'm ready to join them all together to make a wall hanging. I've unpicked twice as they don't seem to be lining up properly. Is there a trick??? Do I leave the paper on, or do I take it off??? This is my first foray into paper piecing. I've managed to work it out thus far, but now I think I'm stuck and need some guidance.

Not aware of any trick, but if you find one, I'd love to hear it! This is only my second project. I've no idea why your pieces don't match. If you've done it according to the guidelines - i.e. sewn on the sewing lines (not the cutting lines) and used 1/4" seams, it should.

I'm now joining my 'Raindrops' ready to add the navy backing and they seem to match OK so far. I took all the papers off, but I know some people only peel back to the 1/4" for joining and remove at the end. I think I'm going to have to flip some seams too. Hope you work it out!

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I think its the bulkiness. I've just tried again, and its moving under the sewing machine foot, even though its pinned. I might try peeling back the paper a 1/4 inch, see if that helps.

If they're really bulky, you could try opening the seams flat. I sometimes do this when all else fails. Good luck!

If it's bulkiness, maybe you could try using a walking foot.

As to whether to take paper off before/after joining blocks....my opinion....depends on if you are ending up with bias edges on your blocks. If not, there is no need to keep the paper on to join your blocks. If you do have bias edges, keeping the paper on will certainly help.

Opening seams flat will also help tremendously with the bulk. Or if that is not possible, as tedious as it is, go ever so slowly when going over your joining seams - like one stitch at a time - to keep things from shifting as much as possible. Perhaps ease the pressure of your presser foot if that is an option also. Might make things wiggle less.

Good luck. And remember, by the time you get it quilted, no one is going to notice those seams not matching perfectly - not even you!

I watched Carol Doak on Craftsy website and she had a fabulous trick of putting the blocks together. It is hard to described but she would pin her blocks every 3 inches and then use a long stitch (3 to 3.5) and use that as basting stitches in place of the pins. She would open the block to check to accuracy and if needed unpick and baste again. If everything lined up she would go back and sew the entire length of the block at 1.5. Also she left the paper on until the entire quilt was assembled.

I highly recommend watching her video it is so worth your time and money. It has made my paper piecing so much easier an accurate.

SuzyM has a great suggestion. Basting or sewing with a long stitch first is so much easier to open if necessary, than constantly unpicking small stitches, and running the risk of distorting the block. CookyIN also has a great suggestion. Use your walking foot so that top and bottom feed at the same rate. I also use a bodkin (or my seam ripper if that is the only thing that is handy) and hold the fabric in place very close to the needle as I sew very very slowly.

It's much easier to use clips instead of pins. Pins tend to distort the paper & fabric when pushed thru all those layers. I use the red clips (others use clips from the office supply store) and find my pieces lay flat as I'm sewing and the layers do not shift; and they are much easier to remove as I approach them to continue sewing. Basting is a great idea and sometimes I do that if the seam is long but usually I'm too impatient.

On my last PP project, I trimmed back the 1/4" seam just before sewing the seams together. I pin a lot to make sure everything is lining up. I also baste my blocks together so if something isn't lining up, that is easy to fix.

I second this. Carol Doak's paper piecing class is exactly like taking a class in person. I have been to one of her classes and her Craftsy class has everything she teaches in class.

I'm going to try to explain my process, but if you need further info you can Private Mess for more.
With right sides together stick a pin through the two pieces at the exact point of intersection. Then lift the top layer and...with the pin still in place...put a tiny spot of basting glue at that point. Then using your little Clover Iron hit that spot with heat to dry it, and move on down to the next point of intersection and do the same. You can use a big iron, too, but those little tiny pointy ones are perfect for this. By doing this you will eliminate your pins which are a big reason why the fabric is shifting. I even run a VERY thin bead of glue down the whole seam keeping it just inside of the line, and use no pins for seam lines. If for some reason it isn't as good as you want it...moisten the area just a little to be able to separate the pieces and go again. Make sure it is basting glue or Elmer's washable or you won't be able to have any "do overs." Hope this helps.

You have gotten some wonderful suggestions here. One thing that I had to do when I doing a Judy Niemeyer quilt, was to make sure my fabric was on both feed dogs. I had to use a center stitch and then move my needle to the 1/4 inch seam to keep the material firmly seated. If only one of the feed dogs is pulling, then the material is gonna slide and slip sideways.