Judy Niemeyer patterns...How hard are they?
 

I've been mesmerized by the beautiful quilts done with Judy Niemeyer's patterns, using paper piecing techniques. I'd like to try one, but it might be over my head. I would rate myself at about a 4, or 5 out of 10 in skill level. Anyone else ever tried one of Judy's patterns? How difficult was it? Thanks.

~ Cindy

Some are harder than others. I learned paper piecing by taking a class that used a pattern (Indian Summer) that Judy Niemeyer made for teaching. That one is very easy to make. Once you are comfortable with paper piecing, the patterns aren't hard to sew. I was surprised when even the curves went together easily, and I hadn't sewn curves before. The one caveat is that IMHO the instructions in the pattern are not well written, and I have found lots of mistakes in each one I've done. (I think the later patterns may have fewer mistakes than the earlier ones.) If you already know paper piecing, you will not be relying entirely on the instructions but will know what needs to be done, so it will be easier, but if you're trying to learn paper piecing from her more complicated patterns you may have problems.

I have never done any of her patterns. But, there is a class offered over at Craftsy on paper piecing. It's called "Mastering Foundation Paper Piecing" and is taught by Carol Doak. I'm not real good at paper piecing. You need to be able to think backwards and my brain has trouble with that!

http://www.craftsy.com/classes/quilting
Check them out. I have signed up for several of the other classes and have not been disappointed. Maybe someone here has taken this one.

I don't think I have paid full price for a class yet. I wait for their sales. You just missed a good one over Mother's Day weekend. Sign up for their newsletters. You can also watch their intro videos - that will let you know if your computer can handle the videos. Some have better luck watching them through Chrome rather than IE or Mozilla.

They also have a few freebies. Look under the sewing as well as the quilting ones for the freebies.

I just purchased one of her patterns (plus the quilt kit). I too am just an advanced beginner or early intermediate at this point (sewing for about 2 years now). I haven't done any paper piecing but I've seen tutorial videos. The pattern I received was just so, so overwhelming I couldn't believe it. It is all black and white (no color), tiny print and 12 pages long. The diagrams are all drawings and very small and detailed. I'm not saying it is impossible but it will take a great deal of studying and concentration to just read through the directions and understand them. I put it away for now feeling pretty disappointed. I am leaning towards making the quilt without paper piecing (the design can be made very simply using HST it will just give you all the seams is all).

When it comes to paper piecing, I look at all the different free tutorials. I have a book from an estate sale by JoAnne Larsen. Quilt maker's book. It has everything in it. I just try to take a step at a time. I look at the mariner's compass and some of the other patterns and think maybe later. I think a lot is left out of her patterns from what I've seen. I practice paper piecing once in a while. Right now I'm working on Jenny Doan's periwinkle and the spider web.

I have Alex Anderson's newly updated paper piecing book and it is wonderful. My avatar is her paper pieced Sampler from her book. I loved making it. I agree that FREE videos online are perfect for learning.

Hummm... Your experience sounds discouraging. I may be getting over my head with this idea. :( I would like to suggest that you might want to blow up the instructions, so that they are easier to read. I do that often and I really helps. I have a scanner, so I just scan the page and then blow it up on my computer. You could also go to a copy place to do that. It's well worth the effort and expense.

I am taking Carol Doak's PP class at Craftsy right now. I started last night. The class is terrific. Each segment I am learning valuable tips.

I will chime in and say Carol Doak is the only paper piecing I've been able to follow. Her instructions make sense to my brain.

I think before I bought a pattern and fabric, I would consider the Craftsy class to get confident at paper piecing in general.

if you have paper piecing experience, are comfortable with the process, have patience, are good about paying attention you are ready for one of Judy's patterns- don't start with the most complex one- Indian Summer is a good start- after you do one of her patterns so you are comfortable with the way her patterns are written & the process makes sense you can move to more & more complex- if you can find one a class is a great way to start- there are 'Certified Judy Niemeyer pattern quilt shops' where employees or owners have gone to workshops/classes & learned how to teach her patterns.

I have made a few of her patterns. My best piece of advice -- read the entire directions before you begin to make sure you understand all the steps to take. If you just follow the steps, it's not that hard.

Thanks everyone! I think that I will take the advice of starting with a simpler Judy Niemeyer pattern. One I get the gist, I can move on to a more complicated piece...or be totally confused and check out something else. That's what I love about quilting...you can keep growing and learn more and more, or just be happy and creative where you stay put.

~ Cindy

I would have to be sure I *like* paper piecing before attempting one of Judy's patterns. The few times I did paper piecing, I really did not enjoy the process.

I am making the Sea Urchins quilt at the moment. I am not too good with reading instructions, but I have persisted with these ones.
I love how all the fabric is precut for each section as it has really minimised the waste. I am only in the piecing stage so I am not sure how I will go putting it all together but I am hopeful :)

I have done Judy's and once you get PP, you get it! Try it!!!!

I have done several and although her directions are intimidating (I had to read them twice on my first one). My favorite part of her directions is that she gives you templates to cut the fabric for the paper piecing. There isn't much waste with this method. Her patterns take some time, but I didn't actually find them all that difficult. It does take a bit to get a rhythm down with the paper piecing. On her older patterns you need to be careful with your points. On most of the newer patterns, she designed them so the points "float" which makes it easier.

I understand the attraction to Judy Niemeyer's pattern I love them too. My first two Judy quilts that I did, I took classes. Her patterns look difficult, but they are very detailed. The instuctor explained and I learned that her method is very organized and keeps parts and pieces together and makes the process easier . Classes are the way to go. Worth the money, because the results are tremendous....Paper pieceing is not my favorite method, but the results are worth it. If you have never paper pieced before, I suggest Carol Doak also. Her process is simple to understand and you can see if you like it. Don't get discouraged.

I forgot to mention that Judy's website http://www.quiltworx.com/ has a placed for pattern corrections. Check there before you start making your quilt.

I bought the Carol Doak class from craftsy. Even tho I have already learned to paper piece on my own, I learned a lot from her class. AND best of all, I get to watch it as many times as I want!!

If you can paper piece you'll be fine. If you go to her web site she even says that they are broken down and simple enough for a confident beginner paper piecer to quilt. People are so often put off by what looks complicated - you can do it! ;)

I consider myself to be "medium" level for paper piecing....and am working on a Judy Niemeyer quilt right now (Briar Patch) with very little difficulty. Patience and paying attention are good traits to have, but I am not finding it very frustrating at all, and now that I have sort of gotten into a groove, I've been enjoying it. I don't know if you can search my posts, but one thing I did to help was to sort of make sample pieces of each step of the piecing, so I can look at what each piece's placement needs to be. It was a handy reference.

Here is that post I referred to: http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...n-t219976.html

I just finished Judy's Waterfalls pattern. It was a real pleasure to make. You use only three (3) fabrics. I believe it is simplier than many of her other paper-piecing. IF you have never done paper-piecing you might want to try one of the Waterfalls variaties. I did find a better way of cutting the fabric (to save fabric) than what Judy suggest but loved the end result of the entire process. Go for it ! ! !

I actually took a class at a LQS forone of her patterns and was very glad I did.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...h-t208951.html

It was nice to have support because each single snowflake had 144 pieces in it. The instructor was able to break it down into manageable sections, and was very helpful with ideas of how to label and store each part. I never would have been able to complete it without the class. However, now that I have the experience, I could do the next one on my own.

I took a class from a national teacher of the NY Beauty with paper piecing and just loved it! (first time) I think some people really like it or don't. If you like details and have patience- you will tend to like it better and have an easier time. Attitude has a lot to do with it!

Dunster, so right!

I did one class with a Judy-trained official certified instructor and the first thing out of her mouth was 'For those of you doing the table-runner, the printed drawings are wrong and the corrections you downloaded from the internet site aren't complete, and a couple of the pieces are numbered wrong for the order of attachment.'

It was very complicated process, a huge list of supplies, some not needed at all, some stuff had to be pre-cut as pre-class homework, using complicated incomplete instructions from the Judy site...

Judy's method is supposed to make it foolproof, with all the numbering and instructions and little binder-clipped and plastic-bagged labeled pieces, but .... Good luck!!!

Don't give up - the most important thing I do when following one of her patterns is to get zip-loc bags and label each one as she directs. Keep pieces in their proper bag and just go slowly and carefully until everything becomes clear -

I haven 't taken one of her classes but a friend of mine has...several of them. She said the most important part...besides knowing how to paper piece is organization of your fabric. I heard the rest was very easy. I do have one of her patterns but haven't tried it yet. Maybe I will as soon as I get some UFOs finished. LOL

Good morning, I am taking a class here in Montana and making the Mariners Compass. I never knew anything about paper piecing before. It was a quite difficult at first for me to understand what I was doing but the more I read it, and make some mistakes, the more I am getting my mind around it . Enjoying it very much. Our class is just once a month so it gives me time to work on it. I have ordered another pattern for a Table runner and will make that will help from our instructor who is down here once a month. Hope you enjoy it

Thanks for posting the information for pattern corrections. I have Amazon Star that is ready to start when I finish the two quilts I am currently working on. I fell in love with this pattern the first time I saw it, but know I need to be able to concentrate on it when I start. I have the fabric washed labeled and ready.

Right now I am working on a star quilt for my mother and Easy Streets by Bonnie Hunter.

I was able to take a two day class by Judy and would totally be unable to understand her patterns without it. She does make things like curves and tiny paper piecing doable. I was at about your stage in skill when I took her class and at first was very overwhelmed but I learned so much.

I haven't taken this class but do have a video with her and IMHO she is the best teacher for PPing

I do a lot of PPing, and I won't do any method but Carol Doaks. Having said that, I've gotten ONE JN pattern, put it on the shelf and wept....way too difficult. Now, I didn't get a kit and that might have helped, but I think there are easier patterns and I couldn't see stressing as much as I was going to over her pattern. I would suggest that you do a few "more complicated" patterns and if you get a chance to take a JN class, that you do that. As I understand, the teachers of her patterns take a pretty extensive class themselves before being certified to teach her patterns. That tells me something.....:)

I don't think paper piecing is in my career path. I have done one of Judy's patterns (with much personal help) and finally got it finished. It only took 2 years and a million miles of un-sewing. The quilts are beautiful, but my frustration is greater. I think you have to have a good mindset to start one of her patterns

My BF and I are doing one of her patterns at Quilt Camp later this month. I was very intimidated when I first received the pattern, but then as I studied it carefully, I realized it is written in steps and sections. The instructions are very easy to follow and I think it will be a treasured quilt in my collection

She has some patterns that are technique a month patterns. I have the Glacier star one from last year. I haven't started it yet but I plan on it soon. I was told that the best thing is to take a class from a certified instructor, but I'm in Canada and we don't have a certified instructor near here. there is one that gets certified in August but its still 2 hours away so I'm not taking the class.

I am doing the Bali Wedding Star. If it is typical of her patterns, the trick is to stay organized. My problem with it is that it is so repetitive which gets tedious. Beautiful results though.

well I just bought a 60x60 inch circle one. turns out it's a tree skirt. flying geese. I went to her site and printed out the corrections, grrrrr. why do they sell patterns that have errors? I'm done with her. after I make this thing one day.

You can go to YouTube and watch a Carol Doak's video that will teach you everything you need to know about paper piecing. She explains it all. Also, if you go to Carol Doak's blog, you can buy her class on Craftsy for 50% off. You can buy any class on Craftsy for 50% off by going to that person's blog. They all offer their classes for 50% off on their blogs. That's where I buy them.

I use to not like paper piecing until I watched Carol Doak's. Now it's my favorite type of piecing. She makes it so easy. Be sure to check it out.

I recently did my first Judy Niemeyer quilt, Prairie Star, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It is very detailed and the instructions are long but, if you just take it one step at a time and really follow the directions, you can do it. I am no expert at paper piecing but there's only so many ways to do it. I watched several videos on YouTube by searching on "Judy Niemeyer" and the technique of putting everything into baggies was great. Using a clear plastic template sheet and a quarter ruler made a big difference for me. Watch the videos and you'll see what I mean if you're not familiar with that.

I'd start with a simple pattern, maybe even just different individual blocks, to get a feel for it if you're not confident in PP.