I started the Jinny's Garden paper pieced quilt pattern yesterday and just finished the 6th block. (It is 1:00 pm) I am exausted and I have the worst mess you have ever seen. Paper, Paper and scraps, scraps everywhere. Is there a neat way to do this?

If you find one, please let me know!!
But, don't you get the best points??? :-P

Sounds ominous. Thought about PP but now I don't know!

There is a paper that disolves with water that might be easier to use for paper piecing. Sorry but don't remember the name. :(

But just think, this will be a gorgeous quilt!

You got 6 blocks done today? No wonder you're exhausted!!!
Isn't it a BOM? - you can rest til July now. lol

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Do not give up.

If someone were to tell me their first PP experience went smoothly, I would not believe them. It's an incredibly a$$ backwards kind of technique - which I now happen to love.

My first block, about 10 years ago, was one of Carol Doak's 50 Fabulous stars. It took 2 hours. TWO FREAKING HOURS.

And you haven't yet put together your top ....wait until you see the "mess" when you start removing the paper.

I do feel your pain.;) ;)

I did a wall hanging quilt for my sister's birthday 2 years ago, it was completely paper pieced. I was sick of paper piecing by the time it was finished, but the result was beautiful. She was impressed, and it actually made her curious about quilting herself.

I love paper piecing. I hate the mess.

i had the same experience with a full size quilt i made for my dgd. it is stunning and very precise, but i don't want to do that large a pp project again any time soon.

You can avoid the removing paper step! : http://www.twiddletails.com/store/in...age=page&id=21
So much easier! And templates don't shift, can be reused many times.

I did a Noah's Ark paper piecing the animals and I loved it. I did cheat though - I doubled the size of the animals which made the pieces a bit larger. It fit the quilt better and they were more visible.

Not if the blocks are sitting around with the paper still on from 10 years ago.
;)

I have got to try this. Geeez... one more thing to add to my list of things to try this year. Think I will get to them all?

I just don't get it! I have watched and looked at so many tutorials for this, but it doesn't make any sense to me! Am I the only one?

Thought it would have rotted off by now! LOL :thumbup:

Another question: I am removing the paper as I complete a block, am I not supposed to? I am using a very tight stitch so getting the paper off is no problem.

Also, this was a BOM and in going through the Links and Resources yesterday I saw a post that said Jinny's Garden BOM block still free until March 1st, so of course, I had to see what it was and then started printing. Even though this is my 1st pp I think I am going to love the quilt.

One of my first quilts I did was with Thangles. Next I did the New York Beauty with PP. I like it really. Everything is so precise. What mess-I always have a mess anyway. I just today ordered more paper from Nancy's Notions.

Paper piecing is a great technique that creates beautiful results...but I agree, it is exhausting, and slow. I don't know how many times I have flipped it over and found that I have sewn right through another piece, or I trim off an edge, only to find I have cut off a needed piece ... I find I need to really pay attention, and only do a little at a time. Just my 2 cents...

I realize it's "paper" piecing, but I like to trace the pattern onto a lightweight fabric like muslin (just lay the fabric over the pattern and copy with pencil) and then use it like the paper pattern. No need to tear away and it gives the piece more stability without being too thick. It made for quick work for some TUIT's that I did for a women's meeting at the church. I made 16 of these in just a couple of days.

It's really not the type of technique you can just read about and "get" the concept. You have to have paper and fabric sitting at the sewing machine.

But that's one continuous pattern. You start and keep going around, and there aren't different sections that need to meet up in the center.

Which is why I always say that there are many PP techniques, but not all work for all PP situations. So it's good to learn them as many as possible as each has its pros and cons.

For example, I would never do a complicated Mariner's Compass using muslin foundation.

I shiver just thinking about the extra bulk. But your example, or a string quilt, sure, without hesitation.

Or I've even used the Benartex NYBeauty pre-printed muslin foundations - but that's because there aren't points matching up with other points.

The term paper piecing is almost used generically.I think all these comments cover "foundation" piecing. And then it's your choice of the foundation and method.

No, you're not the only one. My sister, although she loved the birthday quilt I made for her, could not grasp the concept, even when I demonstrated the technique for her in person. Sometimes it just takes doing it several times before it makes sense.

OMG, I thought I was the only one to do that.

I never have a mess pping. Is it from removing the paper? I use the freezer paper method that makes you fold the paper back, and sew against the edge of it. No ripping. I'd find ripping paper a waste of time.

I use vellum paper for large pping which tears off clean. For very intricate pping I use this:

http://www.softexpressions.com/Merch...tegory_Code=2j

You can avoid the removing paper step! : http://www.twiddletails.com/store/in...age=page&id=21
So much easier! And templates don't shift, can be reused many times.[/quote]

This is the way I always do it. You can use the same pattern 6-10 times at least. Just remember to do a really good job of folding the paper in the first steps.

:lol: I know what you mean!

LOL I know the mess of pp, and it always looks like I have a new floor, I bring in the shop vac and it all just gets sucked up. Our housekeeper dislikes my pp projects. I have royal blue carpet in my office where I sew when I think about it, it looks like i just dumped the paper shreder onto the floor.
enjoy it,
Sandra

There was a very clear tutorial posted yesterday. You might want to look for it.

I feel the same way almostfree, It drives me crazy, I see what is being done but am missing a link somewhere. It makes me grrrr

I love to PP. Where did you find this pattern?

I enjoy paper piecing but I've only done small projects.

http://www.jinnybeyer.com/jgfeb11/

This is the link but hurray only a few more days left. I too loved it but no way was I starting it now so with some help from board members I saved it to documents.
How about some block pictures pollyv9?
Gale

I hate removing the paper, started using wash away stabilizer, so much easier.

It now even comes in sheets to go through the printer, no more tracing.

I'm just learning to pp and this is the best method I've found.

You should wait to remove the paper until the project is complete. You are working with many biased edges usually when PP'ing and the paper keeps them sturdy and from stretching. Once you have the edges secure you can remove the paper. I also use Vellum paper that has 25% rag and it tears easily and clean.

I used to do lots of pp and would end up with thousands of paper bits all around me. Got fed up so I decided to eliminate the paper. I started printing my pp patterns onto lightweight stabilizer... the stabilizer becomes the foundation. Then whenever I run into major seam intersections, I will clip out stabilizer to lessen the bulk.

You can find it at Erica's crafts. Just google paper for paper piecing that dissolves in water and you will get a whole list of places.
Erica's carries the Carol Doaks supplies for paper piecing. I found it as the last item on the page of the website.

What kind of stabilizer do you use? Doesn't it make it a bit stiff?