Hi all..............can someone make some suggestions on what type of paper i can use for the foundation piecing, please? I want to make a 12 inch block. Any help is appreciated. Cheryl

typing paper - the kind you use in your printer works....it's a little harder to get out of the stitches...but will work!

I just buy foundation paper when it's on sale but regular paper works too.

you can also use pages from an old phone book...lighter weight than printer paper....and no matter what kind of paper you use, shorten your stitch length a little so that it will be easier to tear out the paper later.

I use Carol Doak's foundation paper.

http://www.caroldoak.com/store.php

Thanks everone for the suggestions but if i use typing paper, its not 12 inches. I'm confused. thanks

Ditto.

I think most pp blocks of that size will be 4 smaller blocks sewn together.

I bought some cheap (really thin) printer paper at the dollor store, works much better. Your 12 inch block will mostly be made up of 4 parts. So you will use four smaller parts to make your 12 inch block.

I use a roll of newspaper print, it is around 44" tall :D
You can get them from your local paper, they usually sell these roll ends for a fairly reasonable price :D:D:D

I use examination table paper from a medical supply store. It's about 20" wide on a roll. Can't remember price--thinking $4.00 per roll??

I just use the cheapest copy paper I can find, also don't forget to shorten your stitches when you're paper piecing.

You can buy tablets of newsprint at stores like Wal-Mart with the crayons and coloring books. It's really thin and easy to pull away from the stitches.

I have the end of one of the rolls of paper doctors put on their tables for you to sit on. I have to trace the patterns on, but it was free and tears away nicely.

Thanks everyone for all the good ideas. Happy Holidays. Cheryl from La.

Great idea! Thanks.

and don't forget to clean you machine as you sew & clean & oil after a project also. lots of lint from paper !

Plain wrapping tissue actually tears away from the seams nicely -- and it is large enough for any size block. It's a little more difficult to trace the pattern, but worth the effort for the neat results.

I'm just beginning the foundation paper piecing, and love it! I used printer paper, and it is way too thick, I had to go to a size 14 needle, and make the stitches a little longer....I read you are suppose to use tracing paper. That makes sense to me now.

you could cut squares of muslin and use those...then you have any size you want...are you drawing your designs? usually paper pieced patterns are printed (which is why copy paper is used) patterns are usually in 4th's pieced and joined to make a whole block. if you use muslin you do not have to remove the foundation, it is another layer of the quilt

someone i know goes to the local newspaper place/factory, and gets the end of the bolt paper..from them.

Here is what I do -

For a 12 inch block, I would use unprinted newspaper For anything smaller - I use cheap copy paper - It is harder to get out than the foundation paper but here is what I do to counteract that

Use a smaller stitch length when sewing. When ready to remove, fold the paper on the seam line and crease with fingernails and then tear backing off (if the paper still does not want to tear off cleanly - Dip a Qtip in water and damping the seam - let sit for a minute and it will come off cleanly).

I used to use airmail letter paper, as it is thinner than other papers. I now print it onto wash away fabric so that I don't have to worry about pulling out the paper or changing the stitch length etc.

what is wash away fabric? the water soluble stabilizers?

I've done several paper pieced quilts and I just use computer paper. It tears easy and you can copy your patterns and go right to work. I started with lighter weight papers and I like this better.

NewsPrint you can get it online at BLICK works wonderful and it's light enough to see through

How does paper piecing work?

I found some really cheap printer paper that is thin at a dollar store. Just check it out to make sure. But also I found out from a real paper piecer( I am new to it) to use regular school three ring binder paper. There are two sizes, get the larger one that is the same size as printer paper. It works great. Good luck. I love paper piecing, just am a beginner and so I don't do complicated patterns yet.

Rita

I've used cheap copy paper and newspaper with good results, but the ink does rub off of the newspaper. Recently I made a string quilt using the sandwich wrap paper. I went to Sam's Club and bought a box of 1000 sheets for about $7.00. It's tissue-like paper that some places wrap hamburgers in. The sheets are 12 inches square. My quilt was a string quilt, so didn't have any lines to draw. It worked very well. I just started across the middle diagonally, then added strips to both sides till the sheet was covered. Then I trimmed my blocks at 10.5 inches. Since it's tissue type paper, it tears off very well.

I also went to my local newspaper office and got some end-rolls of newsprint paper for my next project. They actually gave me the rolls free. I think each roll probably has at least 15-20 yards of paper and they're about 24 inches wide. I plan to use a paper cutter to get 8.5 x 11" pieces so I can run them through my printer. I hope that works.

I use inexpensive copy paper, copy the pattern in sections and then glue stick or tape them together **not on the sewing lines** only in the tear-away spaces. I use a stitch length of 2 to easily tear away the paper.

Are you printing your pattern on your printer or hand drawing them? I used tracing paper for 12" blocks that I used from a book that were full size. It worked great and tore off easier than regular paper I put thru my printer. Others have said to buy kids drawing tablets at the Dollar Store. I personally have not used those. And as others have said, remember to shorten your stitch length to 1.5. That will perforate your paper and make it much easier to remove the paper, but makes for more icky ripping if you make a mistake.

I have used that brown packing paper that you move with. Hobby Lobby packs their breakables in it. U-Haul stores sell it in boxes of like 300 sheets. Its about 25 x 30. I use it as a stabilizer too. It's a little thinner than typing paper but not as thin as a phone book page. Hope that helps

tissue paper is easy to tear, sometimes too easy, for a smaller block I could suggest those wax papers you see in the bakery dept .... the ones you grab a donut with....I beleive you can buy those at Sams of Costco.

Oh, I forgot, ... if you're using it as 'foundation' you should use muslin. that makes a wonderful foundation

Just learned recently from another member here that I am what could be called a frugal quilter. I make a lot of things over 12" paper pieced and use saved up junk mail, newsprint ends, repurposed printer paper, old phone book pages, etc. Keep your stitch length to at least 1.5, use a larger needle and tape together as much paper as you need for your design. It is actually easily to work with the smaller pieces than it is with one big sheet. So I divide mine up and work with a section at a time being very careful to match up the design. Good luck!

I myself am wondering just what is foundation piecing! It is something I have never done , although there are a lot of things I have never done? :lol:
Pickle

thseabreze-the reason for shortening not lengthening your stitch is that it perforates the paper more, so that it's easier to tear off when you're done.

or rolls of tracing paper from Clotilde.com perhaps. i used to buy it to trace dress making patterns. it is much like the examinating table paper at your Doctor's office. good luck

I use regular copy paper, small stitches and a larger needle.

Me too.