Hi,

I was wondering who all likes to make paper piecing. I just learned last month and now I am hooked. I hope to chat with others that likes to paper piece.

"Craftybear"

I love paper piecing! Once you get used to it, you can just cruise right along. It's the only time I can get my pints to match and not get cut off. if only my piecing would go so smoothly. LOL

I just did my first PPing today. I have a question for you. When you are finished and go to cut around the paper to get the real shape of the piece you did, how do you keep the material underneath from shifting??? Mine shifted and then it was about 1/8" short of lining up with the paper after I cut it off. I also had a hard time sewing the 2 halves of the little square together and keeping my points. Any tips??
Thanks and I'd love to chat about pping.
Marilyn

I use my rotary cutter/ruler to trim on the lines (1/4" past the seam line), so I don't normally have a shifting problem. As for putting the together, you must use pins to line up the lines/points. That is why it is helpful to not remove the paper until the top is together.

I used my rotary cutter, ruler and pins too, but I must of done something wrong. The pins were pretty much useless since I had already cut it wrong. Are you saying that I leave the paper on all the pieces until I get the block sewed together? This pattern had 8 pieces to PP. Should I sew all of it together and then remove the paper? Here's a picture of my 1st block. I'm trying to learn off a tutorial off the internet. I don't know anybody who PP's. I haven't even tried to square it up! LOL

That's to complex of a pattern to start with. At least that's what I was told by my quilting group. I've only done two blocks so far. One was 4 diamonds and one was a flight of birds. I left the paper on and pressed after sewing every piece on. All my points matched up beautifully and I didn't cut off any when I trimmed to the edge of my paper.

Do you know what pattern I could start with as a beginner, other than the "Square in a Square" or the "Log Cabin"? I want to do something pretty, but beginners style. I don't have a quilting group to ask so I hope you don't mind helping me. I will try leaving the paper on until I'm finished though. It doesn't say on the online tutorial when you're suppose to take it off. I jumped the gun, not the pattern. I think it would be just awesome to make something PP, and have all my points match up beautifully like yours. Maybe with the right pattern for a beginner. Thanks for the help! I appreciate it.
Marilyn

I just learned paper piecing this year. I am working on the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler quilt and many of the blocks have pp instructions. I did almost all of the paper pieced blocks because I enjoyed it so much! It goes pretty fast and it requires less thinking for some reason!

I went to the quilterscache.com website. she has a gazillion blocks. Choose the size of block you want to make and then look for one that is identified as pp and beginner. Although some of her beginners really aren't. She also provides very good instructions for putting them together.

One thing I had to learn was to pin triangles from the point to the base rather than the other way around so that I didn't loose my seam allowance.

I took a PP class at the Philadelphia Mancuso Quilt show. The instructor was George Sciciliano and he has developed a ruler just for PP. It makes the process so much easier. I used it when I made the Cinco de Mayo wallhanging, which I have posted on this site in the Pictures section.

My avatar is my first paper pieced quilt. I made it for my DD. Once I got the hang of it, I was hooked too! It makes sewing the pieces together so accurate, and I like that.

I love to paper piece. When do we chat?

I have done my 1st PP and I loved it. It was long going because I had no clue what I was doing. I love how the points come out perfect.

I love it too! I also have a little trouble lining up the units to sew them together. I just figured out that a great way to do it is to use the glue pen!!! Yes...glue! I works much better than the pins for me. I'm doing the Jane quilt and those tiny blocks ..you have to be perfect on the triangles..I found the glue to be just the right thing. The one I use is a Sewline fabric glue pen.

Here are some useful points for pp:
1. I use regular copy paper, nothing special.
2. Use a short stitch because they make removing the paper easier and the fabric won't move.
3. Do not remove the paper until the piece is completely done!
4. Remember to trim your seams (once they've been sewed)to 1/4".
5. Press and starch each piece right after you've added it.

Hope this helps. I absolutely love pp. And it is addictive, in a wonderful way!

Thank you Crafty Bear for starting this topic! And thank you everybody who is posting great info so I can learn. I have alot better idea of what to do now and will try it again.

Love PP. Have been working on flower blocks that are PP.
I use the flip & sew method with freezer paper, it really stablizers the fabric, cut it to copier paper size and run through my printer.

Can you describe this process?

I'm making some pp stars (from a quilterscach.com pattern ... Simple Star), and the size they suggest cutting some of the pp pieces are too small. I should have made a practice block first instead of cutting all the fabric up. Be careful! I was a little short of fabric anyway, so this glitch didn't help. I usually don't pre-cut the pieces, I just use a piece larger than I know I need.

great idea.

I paper pieced a wallhanging and put it into a king size quilt for my son - an Eagle Boy Scout - how do I attatch a photo from my computer photo file in the 'quick reply' box? I'd like to share the results with you all

OK - going to give this photo add thing a try - here's the quilt, held up by my son, the Eagle Boy Scout - the center panel is of a camping scene - all paper pieced! My second attempt at PP!!!

Great job! (and your son is a cutie!!)

I love paper piecing and have done quite a few wallhangings. I'm not good at traditional quilt piecing, so PP is my "cheat" on making curves. Thank goodness for the internet and the many patterns I've been able to find to practice with!

PaperPanache.com and freequiltpatterns.com are good ones.

All I can say is WOW that is one great quilt.

never heard of this - will have to checkinto it - at Joann's? or at actual quilt shop? maybe Michael's?

This is a learning process to figure out how to reply on this board - sorry! This is what I was replying to - the glue pen - any ideas as to where to purchase one?

All great hints - I also pre-measure for fabric needed for each piece - length x width - add 1" total all around (so I have 1/2" extra on all sides) - then cut a piece of fabric to those measurements - then I know I have enough and won't be short when I fold the fabric over to press! Really speeded up the process for me doing my son't quilt panel!

go to Carol Doak download tulip pattern i just started too. love it

I learned PPing from amma's tute here on the board. When joining the units together, I stick an appliqué pin - the tiny little ones, upright and right through all the seam junctions, then when the foot is approaching it, I take it out. I have heard about the glue but not tried it yet. I think that amma said she also sometimes just takes a tiny tacking stitch by hand through all the junctions, if it's an especially tricky join.

great job

Ditto.

Thank you - it stressed me a bit - but it was definietly a learning experience for PP!

I haven't done any curves in pp. What's that like? I'm very curious.

I learned PP by taking a class with Carol Doak, and now have several of her books. If you go to her web site www.caroldoak.com you can find many of her free patterns an a lot of helpful hints. I loven pp but haven't done it in a while. Seems too many other things are keeping me busy right now. marge

I love paper piecing! My problem is you are the first person that seems as enthusiastic as I am. I am new to these boards but I am looking for others who love it as well. I am having trouble finding patterns.

You did what I did and used a really tough block to start with. I did a Marinars compass because I did not know enough to kow it was hard. Your block looks great!

Here a tutorial on the method, hope it helps...
[http://www.twiddletails.com/store/in...age=page&id=21] Hope the link works :?

Thanks for that link. She has some great designs!

This is the website that has the patterns that I feel I just have to do when I get my current projects completed. The only problem is choosing just one. And knowing that they are pp makes me feel much more confident about my results.

http://www.thedesignersworkshop.com/index.php

A while back when I was looking at PPing patterns, I found this site with quite a few free patterns. Here's the link:

http://www.lenzula.com/index.php

Enjoy,
Marilyn

Beautiful quilt and great looking son!