You need to read your pp books slowly so that I don't see a posted picture of a pieced quilt that you've finished before I finish my one block!
Andii[/quote]

LOL. Don't be offended. He'll be whipping them out in no time I'm sure. Good luck on yours. I love paper-piecing. It's great once you get the hang of it, and so accurate.

Janice,
That was smart putting the corner as your avatar! You said you're technically challenged but you got around it. It's really pretty. What I love is the accuracy and that it looks really complicated. Good job.
Andii :thumbup:

Kathy,
I've never been around chickens but when we get a little more land I want one...with long fluffy leg hair! I love to watch birds take puddle baths and dirt baths but I guess I wouldn't if it was in the middle of my flowers. When you see the hen masquerading as a porcupine you'll know it's been bathing!
Andii

Thanks for this note because I have been making copies of my copies-I'll have to mark a master.
Andii

Andii,
Boy, I can't believe that you are hand sewing a PP block! I'd say you should try using your sewing machine for this instead. When you use a machine, you set the stitch length at 1.5 so they are very short stitches. The seam basically perforates the paper and it's fairly easy to tear off. I can't imagine hand sewing those stitches small enough to do that. I cut strips of fabric as wide as the widest part of the shape plus 5/8". Then you'll be sure your fabric is wide enough plus enough seam allowance all around. Always place your fabric right sides together and you can't go wrong. So your fabric that's sewn thru the paper will be right side next to the right side of the new strip you'll put on next. One or two pins, sew, press seam to one side, then open piece out and press again, fold back paper on the next sewing line, place ruler so you trim off everything but 1/4", place right sides together with next fabric and repeat. I hope this helps you learn how to paper piece. I learned from a book by Valori Wells. Maybe you should try finding other instructions.

thank you for the tips, I want to learn to do this. But first I have to learn how to cut a straight line of fabric. I am having a heck of a time with that, and I just don't have money to replace fabric I wreck. Penny

OK I have been following all the paper piecing long enough. This last thread has me wanting to give it a try. I am NOT good at math so suppose I will have trouble. Can someone tell me the very easiest pattern I should try??? I plan to just use scraps to learn

fireworkslover,
Love your avatar-it kind of looks like fireworks.
Your instructions were very good. I haven't really had much trouble pulling the paper off. More with trying to cut my pieces small to save fabric, I guess. It's getting easier. I will try adding the 5/8''.
Thanks for the tips.
Andii

My avatar is actually a one block wonder and the fabric is parrots, macaws and other tropical birds sitting in foliage.

You can get some really sharp points with PP, so when you have several triangles coming together, getting the paper off that space is picky sometimes. I use a tweezers if my fingernail won't get it off. If you use strips longer than you need, like the width of your fabric, you end up cutting off the excess within one or two seams later. I'd not try to save fabric by cutting each piece before you sew it on. You have to remember that the fabric will flip over in the end and thus be reversed from how you look at it, when sewing on the line. I think this might be the part that gets people confused.

I'm in the middle of my 4th PP fireworks themed quilt, right now. Each circle of color has 216 pieces! Really, I'm not joking. :lol:

This link is a great find! thanks

Ok, fireworkslover, I've got to see this or one of your other quilts...please?

What you said is just the problem I have.
Andii
If you use strips longer than you need, like the width of your fabric, you end up cutting off the excess within one or two seams later. I'd not try to save fabric by cutting each piece before you sew it on. You have to remember that the fabric will flip over in the end and thus be reversed from how you look at it, when sewing on the line. I think this might be the part that gets people confused.

I'm in the middle of my 4th PP fireworks themed quilt, right now. Each circle of color has 216 pieces! Really, I'm not joking. :lol:[/quote]

Paper piecing is the best way to piece--aside from all the time it takes to remove the paper. Having accurate matching of points makes it so worth the time. The best instructions I have seen are from Carol Doak. I have looked at a few other's instructions and found them to be complicated and cumbersome.
I would definitely switch to machine paper piecing!

Get the Carol Doak book -- "50 Fabulous Paper Pieced Blocks" or something like that. You need to follow her instructions that are included on the DVD that comes with the book. You'll be hooked!

Here's one Andii,
My third paper pieced fireworks quilt titled "Stars Among Bees". It measures about 5' X 6'

Andii,
Here's my first paper pieced fireworks quilt titled "Rings and Stars", made in 2006. This was the first paper piecing I'd ever done. 144 blocks!

I usually remove the paper when I'm sitting in front of the TV. I can listen to the show but don't feel so guilty watching a show if I can actually be doing something quilting at the same time. Actually I only watch maybe 3 shows a week, so I don't feel real guilty. :lol:

I learned to PP from Valori Wells' book titled " Radiant New York Beauties", 14 paper pieced quilt projects. Yes, it took many readings of the instructions before I tried it, but after making one arc I understood the process. This book is great because she includes patterns as well as finished quilts to try and all the instructions for each. I just use the book for a leap off point and go my own way and make up my own design.

beauitful quilts fireworksover

that is breath taking, so beautiful. Penny

thank you very much Rachel, and may you have a blessed Easter. Penny

Oh my gosh Fireworkslover. Your quilt are breathtakingly beautiful. Both of them have perfects points that would be near impossible to do if not for paper piecing. That is the beauty of paper piecing for me. I would never attempt intricate patterns like your quilts if I couldn't find paper piecing versions. You do beautiful work. I think you are the Queen of PP on this board :)

I think one of the easiest patterns is the Log Cabin. PP is a great way to use up scraps. Give it a try :P

You are so very welcome!! I used this method again this weekend and decided it was much quicker to fold the paper as I went rather than pre-folding, but of course it's harder to see the lines that way. But if you want to save a little time you could try folding as you go. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

Rachel

Thanks Janet and everyone else, for the complements on my quilts. PP is really easy, once you get the hang of it. Like I said before, I'd never attempt to do sharp points, unless I use the pp method. I'm not one to cut up little pieces and sew them together. I've either strip pieced, pp or done one block - wonders. That's about all the methods I've tried, so far. Again, thanks and by the way all these quilts are in my house on walls.

For my "Starts Among Bees" quilt I hand drew and traced some of the patterns directly from a book by Karen K. Stone "Quilts". I used tracing paper which is much easier to tear off than regular paper, you put through your printer. I used many of her pattern arcs but did make up many of my own too. All these blocks are mix and match, so it's easy to make up your own design and not be copying what someone else has done, therefore making an original. That's what I prefer to do. I used a thin Sharpie marker and a short ruler.

these quilts are wonderful. Makes me want to try PP again.
Because I do lots of hand piecing, I may try it by hand. maybe I can control it better.

I know the frustration with learning to paper-piece. It is fun after you have done a few more.
I don't do it very often but is fun once in awhile.
As for the using the pattern over, always have SCOTCH TAPE handy. Just scotch tape where you mess up and it works great!
Marta

There's a whole bunch more on this topic! Look up "Paper Piecing...love it or hate it". Happy Easter.

thank you so very much. Penny

fireworkslover,
Your quilts are gorgeous. My favorite is rings and Stars because I love the blocks of colors. I can't imagine 144 pp blocks for the first project...I am in awe! Thanks for sharing.
Andii

Fireworkslover .... awesome quilts ... it looks so hard but I can't wait for my class to learn paper piecing :)

I've been pping since 2001. Taught myself using Carol Doak's books and watching Alex Anderson. I love it.The precision cannot be equaled. I use Carol Doak's pping paper.I also keep scotch tape or masking tape for ripping, a large needle and small stiches. I agree, removing paper is not as enjoyable as sewing onto it.

I have not noticed mention of using a pp ruler. They cut 1/4 and 1/8 inch seam. I use 1/8.

I just use rulers I had, but did buy one that's 1" wide and 12" long. I found another one that has a 1/8" line for using on smaller blocks.

Again, many thanks!

The pp rulers are invaluable. Using a piece of cardstock such as a postcard or index card placed along the seam line so that the ridge on the pp ruler can grip it ensures that the seam will be 1/4" or 1/8" wide and keeps everything neat and tidy on the back. These rulers come in 6'' and 12''. I use the 6 inch more.

I used beeswax when I embroidered some blocks for a guild Christmas Quilt, and it didn't on that. I have heard it stains fabrics, but never have seen it on work others have done who said it, and not on mind. I think it is a good product.
Have the scotch tape handy for paper-piecing. A friend helped me paper-piece the "Amish Tulips" into a wallhanging, and that was her first piece of advice!
I agree; it is easy to loose your place if you don't stay with it!
Marta

And they are beautiful. I haven't tried pp yet but plan to try the Feb. BOM one of these days.

I have just started reading this site and i want to know, when you iron your freezer paper into the section 1, and it goes a little into section 2, DOES IT MATTER? A friend is bring me back my VERY OWN BOX OF FREEZER PAPER FROM AUSSIE, i am so excited as you pay a FORTUNE for a metre....Cannot wait to get started, but reading up about it before it arrives. Appreciate any help here. I have seen the website tutorial so that is why i am a bit confused with the smaller points!

No because you will be folding the freezer paper back anyway so you can peel the little section of 2 that got stuck back when you fold. No biggie at all, I do it all the time because it's hard to be precise. You don't want to get int he habit of doing too much overage as the paper can wear out and not stick as well, but a little here and there is not a big deal at all. Have you tried this yet??

Rachel