..do you "really" enjoy this! I have never used my seam ripper as much in years as I have the last day and a half! I have to apologize to Candlequilter, I did down load her pattern and attempted to make her paper pieced block (attemped being the key word here). I have never paper pieced before and I readily admit....I did not do very well! I sewed, I ripped (I do know that you can only sew a paper pattern twice before it is in shreds! ask me how I know!) I made one, it was wonky, not to be discouraged I made another one...wonky too! I am nothing if not consistant! I have no idea what I am doing wrong..so I sewed the top quarters together, added a sashing, sewed the bottom together and added sashing and made a table runner! It doesn't look half bad if you don't try to match them up LOL Will practice free motion quilting on it...oh yes, I am free motion challenged too! So...just how long does it take to be able to paper piece...? Just wondering. :roll:

i love paper piecing

Keep trying it will come:)

I Love Paper Piecing! I just recently taught my first class for it at my Guild. If you are sewing straight on the lines you shouldn't have any problems. What exactly are you having issues with? I'd be happy to help if I can.

Carol Doak has a great pattern for practicing....Introduction to Paper Piecing....

http://www.caroldoak.com/free-quilt-patterns.php

and also a very good tutorial on the Quilters Cache Site...

http://www.quilterscache.com/StartQu...tingthree.html

If you have any questions I'd be happy to help.....Good Luck, don't give up, yet!

I don't like to pp either.I just can't get the knack of it. Its too stressful for me.

I love the way you made lemonade from a lemon, so to speak. You didn't give up. Good for you. Can you take a photo for us to see?

LOVE it....took my first class from Carol Doak back in like 2000 and have taken 3 more with her since then...even though once you learn it, you learn it..hehehe

don't give up...you will get it...and you will LOVE it!

I'm beginning to get better at it, but I have to pull out the instruction sheet from Quilters Cache if I haven't done it in awhile. I've never done a complete quilt with it! BTW, the instructions there are easy to understand and follow. I still have trouble getting the right size/shaped piece. I have learned to trim after each piece. Once you start "getting it", the blocks are very crisp and you can make intricate designs easily. It just takes practice!

This is actually not a beginner's piece, so don't give up. Find something a little simpler and keep trying. If you find out you really don't like it, that's ok, too. There are so many different ways to do stuff that we can each pick our favorites!

I took me a bit to "get it" . What made a HUGE difference was seeing Carol Doaks insructions I got on a CD when I purchased one of her books. Now I find its very easy .. kinda like the old paint by numbers.... they tell tell you exactly where to paint, but in p/p they tell you exactly where to sew. I feel like I'm cheating sometimes , because the results are just amazing. It does take longer than most regular piecing , but its worth it.

My library has a DVD copy of "Carol Doak Teaches you How to Paper Piece" and it's fabulous. I'm a visual learner, and her instructions are so clear and easy to understand. Maybe your library has this DVD too!

i am left/right challange so my pieces never fitted when flipped over---i compensated by using bigger pieces [some waste]but it solved my problems---carol doake solved the rest-------persist it is worth it

I 'really' do enjoy paper piecing. but I didn't when I first tried it several years ago. but after watching some youtube videos and retrying it recently, I 'got it' and now love the technique. I agree with other posters - don't think you're attempting a beginner's block. try a simpler block - the sqaure in a square or the pieced heart. they shouldn't be as frustrating. but do keep trying - paper piecing is fun. and those points!

I like paperpiecing.

I think you either love it or hate it..I did my first one last year..once I got into a rhythm I was fine..however, a member of my quilt group does it all the time and swears by it..I still think it's not my perferred way..unless I was making something with real sharp points or small..I found having to take out all the paper a pain and time consuming..hang in there..sure you can get it..good luck!!

I am not a paper piecer either!!! My brain just doesn't equate with sewing things back to front!!!!! Have done a few but spend more time ripping out!!! Love the effect and sharp points etc but aaaarrrrgghh!! the frustration!!!!!!! I admire you girls that have perfected the technique.... but not for me!!!!

I love the accuracy you can get with pp'ing but the process does make me a bit crazy. I took a class at my LQS and that helped tremendously. Since then I've only done a tablerunner pp'ing. I didn't know that was the pattern when I selected it to do 3 days before Thanksgiving to take to a friend's house. Yikes was that a challenge!

Another vote for the QuiltersCache site. I've been teaching myself the last couple of months, and started there with their basic lessons and simple patterns.

Then took on an Easter Wall Hanging ... and discovered I hated PPing. Truth be known, it was because the pieces were too teeny-tiny for this newbie.

Since then I've done some of my FQS blocks via PPing and have now discovered it's not so bad! So first project was the problem!!! :)

Though now ........ you have me scared to fulfill my end of the deal, and make CandleQuilter's CandleQuilter block in "payment" for her pattern!! YIKES!!! what have I committed to?

I love it. Took me a while to figure it out, but I really adore it now.

I love paper piecing. Start with a more simple pattern.

Paper piecing is my favorite technique :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

I tried paper piecing for the first time for one of the swaps I'm in and it was a disaster! I think the block was too small and there were too many parts, the seams were practically on top of each other. There was no way anyone could quilt that! So I quickly dumped that idea. I'll try again later on a bigger block for me when I have more time. It is certainly something I want to accomplish because there are some really beautiful quilts I want to make that are paper pieced. I think it is something that I'm going to need a lot of practice on!

You said wonky. Does that mean as in kite? I have done many pping blocks and this one had me pulling out hairs. I got kites myself. No way to trim them into square blocks. DO NOT feel bad. I got so frustrated after two attempts that I put it in a box and marked it FAIL. Now it will sit there and haunt me.

I'm still learning but getting to like it better as my skills improve. One of the ladies in my bee said about me "Give her two threads and four inches of fabric and she'll make something". So I have a reputation to uphold now! For me, the small patterns are easier.

Oh see, there it is...the left/right challenge...I told my husband...how can this piece NOT fit. I hold it up, sure enough it's big enough, then I would sew it and try flip it...was not big enough...rip..rip..rip. I checked at the library and they have Carol's book so I am going to check it out . I will be paper piecing my little heart out!
I must say...I do like my table runner and will attempt to post a pic as son as I get a new battery for my camera!
Thanks everyone for all the encouragement!

I have found that in every task that people try, they give up to easily and stop trying. I here it all the time. I can't cook, I can't garden, I can't do math, etc. Unless we stop this mindset we will always be unaccomplished and never enjoy creating anything. You have to keep at it. It takes more than one try and more than 100 for some of us, like me. But I did it and got it, eventually, and now I love it!
Keep on practicing and then show us your accomplishments!
peace :D

love paper-piecing, hate removing the paper!

OK will try upload/download my candlequilter star...talbe runner...it's just the pieced top at the moment. Sorry, it's laying over the back of a chair.

I just realized I should have rotated the picture..sorry~

Wow that topper is beautiful... I love pp and it took me years to finaly get it. I spent over 3 days trying to get that candlequilters star done, but I kept at it and got a nice one made and I sent it to her so she should be getting it maybe tomororw or the next day. HAve a great day, HUggies, Fay

Beautiful table topper, love the patroitic fabrics! I'm learning to paper piece. I've been working on a wall hanging that has some pieces that are 1" and the only way I can see to sew them properly is to PP. First I tried using printer/copy paper and found its so hard to remove all the paper. So eventually I found a store that sold blank newsprint sheets and I love using it. It removes so much easier its amazing the difference.
Now my problem is, I have one sewing machine that doesn't like the newsprint paper. The top thread seems to make large loops of thread on the underside layers of fabric. I tried using my other machine and it works fine with the paper.
Has anyone had this problem and did you find a solution? The machine will sew without any problems until I put that layer of paper on top of the fabric to sew the pp block.
Would appreciate hearing any comments. Chris

I have tried paper piecing. Thought it was more time consuming than just piecing.
However, if you want perfect points, Paper Piecing will get you that!!

Chris

Your topper is great and will be even better after quilting.
peace :D

I had problems too but i didn't give up and got it done, didn't quite meet the size requirements but sent it anyhow. Maybe some other ones won't be the right size and she can square them up and use them anyhow. Don't give up, I did more reverse sewing than i did sewing. lol

I love paper piecing, but if you're a beginner I don't recommend it. I also think it's one of those things that you either love or hate.