WTxRed

Hi everyone - I am looking for ideas/suggestions please.
I have started my first paper piecing quilt. I am using regular printer paper which sews up fine. However, when I sew all my pieces together for my block - it's a lot of thicknesses and getting that paper off is a bear.
I still have about 25 or so big blocks to finish up and am wondering if there's a better option than copy paper. I live in a very rural area so not much in the way of options for shopping (other than online).
I appreciate your comments and thoughts!

Thanks

Jan

QM

I often tear off the edge pieces before putting them together. I can't remember where I heard it, but I crease every
line well before I start to sew, making it easier to fold and remove. Onion skin is better but more expensive. If your printer will take it, "deli paper" works marvelously. I've bought it my the box of 100 at a box store or a restaurant supply. It is quite thin and tears well, but strong enough that you can rip a seam if you have to. Mine is 10.5" square.

OCquilter

I found if you use smaller stitches and fold the paper like QM suggested, copy paper tears easier. I try to get the cheapest thinnest paper available. A wooden skewer (like for a shish kaboob) is a wonderful tool to get to the small places.

jlm5419

I have been using painters' masking paper for paper piecing projects. It is thin, tears off easily, and goes through my printer. I got it at Home Depot. It comes in a 9" wide roll which I cut to fit into my printer with an old rotary blade. It works for me.

feline fanatic

Vellum paper is an absolute dream to PP with but crazy expensive. Even bought online. I use copy paper or newsprint usually. Reduce my stitch length, curse a blue storm if I need to unsew, crease the paper, run my fingernail along the crease and it usually tear pretty easily. I will also remove the seam allowance portion when matching sections to make the block to get rid of the paper area in the joins.

hooked

I go to the Dollar General in my area and buy U Create kids Scribble Pads. Thin paper that works wonderful for paper piecing and only costs $2 for 60 sheets. They have to be cut to 8.5 X 11 but work great and cheap.

eparys

I use regular printing paper for mine always. This is how I remove the paper:

1. Run a Purple Thing gently but with some pressure down the seam line. You can also use the back of a seam ripper or something else that is pointed but blunt. This will gently pull the paper.

2. If the paper is still attached, take a moistened QTip and run that down the seam enough to dampen the paper around the stitches. It will soften the paper between the stitches and should remove effortlessly.

3. Use sharp pointed tweezers (I use the tweezers that came with my surger - they are long, slender and very pointed) to remove small pieces.

Good luck!

lindy-2

Have you ever tried folding the paper on the line and sewing beside the fold? this is the way i do all my paper peicing and it works great, i dont have to remove paper ever and if it is an expensive pattern than it saves the foundations so i can use them again latter for another quilt without violating copyright or spending more money. if it is a large foundation i secure the fabric to the paper in a few places with fabric safe glue but that is way easyer to remove than pulling paper out of the seams. Hope this helps.

TeresaS

Alot of great answers! I appreciate the info as well!

Three Dog Night

Just finished a BOM for paper piecing from Amy Gibson (Stitchery Dickery Dock and Craftsy); she sews the line with a 1.0 stitch with no thread in needle before beginning to sew the fabric on, she then folds line lines up fabric and sews on the line. When the block is finished the paper will easily tear off and not leave pieces behind. This made it so easy to piece together, I have done it other ways and thought I would never do paper piecing again. The Craftsy sight has her 2012 BOM (free) and video demonstrates procedure perfectly.