Why is paper piecing so hard for me?
 

I have read all the tutes, watch videos on utube, and made at least two pp'd projects, and it is still hard for me! I am working on a very simple pp'd chicken, only 6 pieces, and I still have to baste each piece to make sure it is going to be correct. Does anyone else have these problems?

Have you googled Carol Doak - I think she has the best paper piecing info out there. she also has a video that you can purchase. I had paper pieced quite a bit before I got that and it still really helped me. I believe that there are also some free tutes from her

I don't pp a lot but it's not that problematic AS LONG AS the fabric pieces are cut big enough to cover the paper spot. I usually hold the pattern up to the light to gauge if I have enough. That way I can sew it down, press the heck out of it and then trim the rest. It does get a little wasteful at times but then again, you do get those perfect points.

I am currently working on a paper pieced quilt that Alex Anderson has on the back cover of her updated Paper Piecing Book. It is the Sampler. So far so good. Watching a few videos on how to do it helped.

I vote with Quiltstringz. Carol Doak is the only one I've been able to follow.

This is a link to a u-tube ad for Peggy Martin's pp class. It says there is a link to get it 50% off. I just finished the class, and she made it amazingly easy. I feel like I could conquer anything now.

You are not alone. PP "messes" with your brain :shock: It takes a lot of training to learn to do everything backwards. Please do not give up I was in your boat for about 2 years then I devoted one whole weekend to the technique and I just love doing p/p now.

Ive been quilting since i was 7 or so, now 53, i think my prob is that im dyslexic( seriously,i,am), i can't pp to save my life

I have found that I need to be very generous with my fabric to trim after I sew. Some patterns are easier than others for sure.

I like vellum paper too so you can see through it. Helps a lot!

She is the Queen of PP and I agree on her freebie section she has some super lessons: http://www.caroldoak.com/free-quilt-patterns.php

my biggest problem with PP is getting past the "wasting fabric" issues... once I got over that, I had much better success. One thing I have noticed with some of my guild friends, is they do one block first, and make a "pattern" to cut the pieces, then they mass cut those shapes to expedite the process...

I started out with a very simple and NON-DIRECTIONAL pattern, completely by accident. I think this is where a lot of people get messed up when they first start pp-ing. It really helps if you choose a pattern where the patches are not irregularly shaped. I made 2 Hunter's Star quilts before moving on to more difficult patterns. And I agree with using vellum; since it's somewhat translucent, you can hold the fabric patches up behind it to see how well it covers the seam lines.

Carol Doak's books have the pieces listed in sizes to cut if you like pre cutting first. I always just cut a hunk, sew and trim. Once you get Carol's method learned then it's easy to learn the other methods. Her DVD is a must have if you want to paper piece.

I feel your pain, I am dyslexic with angles! Must be why I just had to learn to quilt!!

Yep I do but the results are so worth it.

The first paper piecing I did was my Craftsy class with Peggy Martin. Her quick strip paper piecing is easy tO follow with her great teaching. Because of that and watching Carol Doak on the Quilt show I got her DVD and one of her books and am making a wall hanging this wkend. I've watched the DVD twice and thanks to Peggy Martin Carol Doaks methods are very clear and easy to follow. This has worked for me,I love the results of paper piecing!!

Don't be stingy with the size of your fabric pieces. remember that PP does use up extra fabric. It all gets cut away so don't worry about that issue. I also sue PP paper, not copy paper. Everyone has their own opinions about the paper you use so try different paper and use the one you like best.

Do you use a light to see through the paper and help you align the fabric?

I had trouble with angled pieces untill i started using larger pieces of fabric.

Hope this helps some. Keep trying a few more times and if you find it to fustrating, don't torcher yourself with it and try something else. Go back to it after some time away from it.

peace

what do you mean baste

This is a great idea!

peace

Every time I start a new pp project, I have to talk myself through it and watch the videos. It's so counter-intuitive and confusing sometimes. Once I get back in the groove, I really enjoy it - especially because those squares are so perfect! I have Carol Doak's introductory book and I think Alex Anderson's also. Deciding how big to cut the pieces is the worst part for me - and if I use a directional fabric, well it's not always so pretty....

At first it really does confuse your brain. Stick with it. All if a sudden you will realize it has become totally na th ural.

I agree. I had trouble, then tried one more time, and finally got it. It's a learning curve. :)

I don't "get" paper piecing either. I've read the books, watched the videos, had expert instructions and still can't paper piece even a simple pattern. When I complained on Carol Doak's blog about how difficult it was after trying out her beginner's tutorial, I got a phone call from her offering to talk me through it. I loved the phone call but still can't paper piece. My last BOM at my LQS was supposed to be paper pieced so I cut the pattern apart, added seam allowances and pieced it the regular way. I can use Thangles but that's as close to paper piecing as I can get.

I use those $1.00 store see through chopping mats to trace around the various pieces then using the add 1/4" ruler to make sure I have that. When cutting them out, if I'm just a little generous, I have no trouble whatever to get them all right with very little waste. Plus I have the templates in case I want to make them again. I never have to baste first. Just do the placement up to a light source and sew. I love paper piecing!! Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone, I was up early this morning and read all your helpful suggestions and after thinking about all that you said I came to the conclusion that I really am skimping on the fabric. So, I got up went to the cutting table and cut each piece and added a generous inch all the way around...and guess what? Not one corner cut off! I am so used to using the least amount of fabric because I make so many scrap quilts and I always think that I will need some of whatever I am cutting. Since I am working with scrap fabrics for this project and I going to bite the bullet and cut generously! I have already made four blocks this morning, only need the two basket blocks then on to the sashings. Will post a photo later under topic "My French Hens". Again, thanks for your help and encouragement.

The very first pieced quilt I made was PP, just followed the directions and that was that. Started a PP the other night years later than the 1st one, one little section is angled, sewed wouldn't go, sewed again still not right, sewed again strill not right, got out the books to read up, burned dinner. Still didn't get it, 2 days later OH OKAY you know light bulb flashing. Will get back to it tonight, I hoping that the bulb is still flashing. lol and good luck

Please try this way: http://www.twiddletails.com/store/in...age=page&id=21 So easy and very accurate! (I sew a few big stitches to help hold the paper for the first piece)

I use copy paper, although I have the proper foundation paper, purely because it's so much cheaper and as I love to PP every penny saved etc. One of the ladies here mentioned a light box but I found a much easier solution, PINS I pin along the line that I have to sew next and position my fabric to those, I also don't worry about larger pieces of fabrics as I do a lot of PP and Crumb quilting, and the tiny scraps makes Fur-baby beds so nothing's wasted. There is no way IMO that any other type of quilting will give you as pretty a cushion design as this one. One of my earlier quilting projects and although there are errors it's still my favourite cushion.

carol doak with her add 1/4 ruler+post card fixed my problem also do not skimp on pieces save a bit waste a bigger bit

Answer:Paper Piecing Frustration - Tips, PP Block & 2 Layouts
 

Make sure that you sew directly on the line and trim carefully. My guess is that you are not cutting your pieces big enough. An easy tip is to cut out the shape that you will be piecing with scissors, on the sewing line. Stack your scraps or strips in a pile. Use a piece of double stick tape (or scotch tape rolled in a tube, so it is sticky on both sides). Stick down this shape to the top of your strip/scrap pile. using a rotary ruler and rotary cutter, line up your ruler and cut 1/2" to 1" BIGGER than the cut (finished) size of the shape you taped on the pile. Work your way around the shape. Leave the piece taped on the top one, so you know which piece of the unit that pile is for. In the beginning, you can add 1" - later, 1/2". Remember, if you have "odd shape" - skinny triangles, etc, it is WAY easier to just cut a slightly larger rectangle than having to line up all of those skinny triangles, and make sure that they are flipping the right way.

Last few tips, use the "Add a quarter" or "add a half" rulers...and if you "pre score" your lines with a credit card etc, while sitting in front of the TV, (you can do this for all the lines that make up a block-enough for a quilt), in a very short time. The advantage is that is becomes much easier to line up your next piece, as the scored line is the "sewing line." June Tailor also makes a PP very thin paper that you can leave in the quilt, and one that disappears in water. I love them both.

Her is a larger paper pieced unit and 2 layouts for you to try. Both quilts are made with the same block, just turned a little differently. I posted this last night, but made a mistake in not posting the paper pieced foundation directly with the quilts. Sorry.

because we have to think "up-side down"

Personally, I think that to be successful PPing, you need to be able to "see" and "think" backwards from the way we usually see and think when we piece a quilt. Rather like cutting and sewing by only looking in a mirror!!

Kitsie, the link you provided is the best one that I have ever seen and I think that I've seen them all! Thanks for sharing this and thank-you to everyone else who has tried to make the mastery of paper piecing a little less intimidating. Maybe one of these days I will "get it".

This is basically the way I do paper piecing too. I learned the technique from Judy Mathieson on Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson years ago. I never had freezer paper in my house until I started PPing.

The thing Judy M. did different though is she used the sewing machine to perforate the paper which eliminates that "crease the paper on the lines" step. To do that I just print my pattern using my printer. Then I use that printer paper as my pattern and machine "sew" along the pattern lines with a non threaded needle to pierce the paper. (I staple together 8 correctly sized freezer paper sheets under the paper pattern so that don't get any shifting.) If the waxy side of the paper is against the machine bed and is causing problems you can just add a blank piece of printer paper on the bottom to help it glide easier. Set a fairly short stitch but not so close that your paper falls apart at the perforated lines! Once it is all "sewn" release the printer paper sheet on the top from the staples by pulling it off carefully to be used again. I can use it 3 to 4 times before it needs re-printed. Next, on the stack of freezer paper, I cut out on the outside line of the block shape still leaving the staples in to prevent shifting. Finally, remove the staples and you have 8 blocks done with no need to pre-crease the paper. The perforated lines make it easy to fold as you go along. Hint: if your foot is sticking to the waxy side of the FP while doing the construction of the block, just slip a narrow strip of paper between the FP and your foot so that the foot will glide smoothly.

A few days ago I posted a quilt that I paper pieced using the Night and Day block. That has 4 PP sheets per block. So, each time I stapled and sewed I was completing two full blocks for that quilt. If you would like to see it, it is in the Pictures section.

I've tried paper piecing several times and don't like it at all. Hate the fabric and the time that I'm wasting trying to do it.
I like the idea of cutting each section individually and adding 1/4" I never thought of doing that, might try it the next time our Quilt Guild offers a paper piecing project.

No, I love paper piecing. Pre-folding the papers really helps me. There are lots of tricks of the trade.

Never tried it! Maybe someday!

My problem when I was beginning, was that I wanted to cut the scraps like they were pattern pieces----NOT! After I figured out that, even if it wasted fabric, I'd just have to bite the bullet and waste it. Now I justify the waste with the beautiful points I make! You can do it. Just keep trying.

PP doesn't come naturally for me either. I have to work at it because my brain just doesn't think that way.

It must be the way our minds are wired because I aways get mixed up as well so you're not alone.