amma

I use copy paper and newsprint for all of mine. Short stitch length like mentioned 1.5 and I fold and crease before I tear it off. Sewing a couple of stitches beyond the seam lines is important too, it anchors the seams and omits raveling stitches :wink:

hokieappmom

It's tricky at first knowing how to cut the material to cover your pattern (or at least it was for me because my pattern didn't tell how much I needed for each piece of the pattern), but once you get the hang of it you will love it. Blocks are so precise!

nativetexan

besides paper, get yourself an add a quarter ruler. that has a lip on it and it helps you tear your paper off. trimming your 1/4 seam past where you just sewed works well with this ruler. then all you have to do is place your next piece of fabric against the trimmed fabric and sew away. flip and sew.
lots of visual help online. youtube,etc.
good luck.

martha jo

The Carol Doak video is on sale at Connecting Threads and is well worth the price. Regular copy paper causes my seams to be too thick. I ordered the vellum and Carol Doaks. The vellum is transparent and you can see through it. The Doak tears off easy but you can't see through it.

Lockeb

Rina,
I just wanted to add that paper piecing is one of the most forgiving kinds of sewing/quilting....just so easy to get perfect points even when it's someting new...I tried it and loved it...it is a lot of fun!
Bill

sheliab12

I agree with using the childrens pad from Walmart. Very cheap and very easy to tear off. I have used copy paper and what a nightmare to remove. Go with the tablet at Wal mart and try it.

FinelyFabricated

You can use standard copy paper, but it's slippery and thick. I prefer to use Carol Doak's paper piecing paper. It's thinner and is much like fine newprint.

If you go to Carol's site you can find very good tutorials and free patterns to try.
http://www.caroldoak.com/free-quilt-patterns.php

My website has three tutorials and simple patternss.
http://sites.google.com/site/finelyf...-and-tutorials

You may also email me with questions.

hawghugger

I used cheap copy paper also, it worked out great. There is another method you can do for paper piecing, only if you plan on machine quilting it.
Copy our pattern block onto muslin squares, either via your printer or by tracing it. This method work great and you don't have to do any removing of paper, you just sew right onto the muslin. It's pretty cheap, you just buy the cheapest muslin you can find.
If you do this method, check on the internet for the best way to print on fabric for your printer.

Chay

I use Carol Doak's paper but I also use end-rolls from our local newspaper. It's newsprint that remains unprinted because it's the end of a roll. It's ridiculously cheap - 25 cents for a roll that has hundreds and hundreds of feet of paper. I ask for it at the reception desk; they always have some laying around and it's great for all kinds of craft and sewing activities. I just used it as an ironing sheet to absorb crayon from a crayon quilt.

newfiegirl

I have used both tracing paper from Walmart and June Taylor from JoAnn (prefer this and I look for it when I have a 40% off coupon). Both work well. As for the size of your material, make sure it is at least 1/2" bigger than the patch you want to cover. Go to www.quilterscache.com - she has great tutorials on quilting including paper piecing as well as hundreds of patterns you can download for free. I put it as an icon on my toolbaar so I can access it quickly. Good luck - it's a great fun way to quilt.