I also posted this on my blog (linked in siggy), but I wanted to post the instructions here as well as many new quilters are afraid to try paper piecing, and I find this method to be so easy. Even people that have been paper piecing for a long time will enjoy this method I think. I may have to split this into a few posts. So bear with me!!

I do not claim to be the originator of this method in any way, shape, or form. I first saw the method demonstrated on the Twiddletails website when I jumped into her Geese in the Forest paper piecing quilt pattern. I have shown my progress on this quilt on my blog before, but I am enamored with this quilt.

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I am not sure if she is the originator of this paper piecing method, but this is how I do all of my paper piecing now. Even my Dear Jane blocks get done in this method. I love it!! My method is slightly different from the tutorial I saw on Twiddletails. I hope you like it enough to give it a try as it's really not that hard, and you will discover so many benefits over the traditional way of paper piecing (which I will point out as we go).

Before you get started, you need freezer paper. You can find this at the grocery store in rolls. That is what I used when I started, but then I discovered this stuff:

http://www.dewberrylane.com/img/p/208-250.jpg

This is freezer paper that is cut into sheets that fit in your printer. In my tutorial I used the rolls because I didn't have any of this on hand when I was taking the pictures (a few months ago actually). But let me tell you, this pre-cut stuff is well worth the slightly added cost. Trying to tame the curled paper to fit in your printer is no treat. I do have the freezer paper sheets in my store (link in siggy), but your LQS may even have it, trust me it is worth it.

Once you have your freezer paper, you will want to print your pattern right on there. Be sure to print on the papery side, not the shiny side. Any printer will work, as the papery side is just like normal paper. If your block is directional, please remember that your block will be a mirror image of what is printed, so if the pattern has not already done it for you, you may need to use an image software to flip your design before printing. Once printed, cut the pattern out on the seam line. Follow your pattern instructions to determine where else to cut, you are not cutting out each individual piece, just the blocks that will be paper pieced together.

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Now I pick out my pieces of fabric for the block, I usually rough cut the shapes of each piece leaving a generous seam allowance.

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You can see that I have cut down the line in the middle of the block. This is specified in the instructions for the block. Some blocks will have no extra cuts, some will have a few, just be sure to follow your pattern.

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In these pics you can see that I have hand written numbers on the pieces. This corresponds to the fabric I will use. You certainly don't have to do this part, but it does make it a lot easier to keep everything in line while you are piecing. The printed numbers are for the actual paper piecing, they will tell us what order to sew in.

Take your fabric piece number one, and lay it right side down under spot number one. The wrong side of the fabric should be touching the freezer paper. Make sure to leave at least a 1/4 inch around all the sides. Iron the freezer paper to the fabric. Try to only iron in the number one spot, it will make doing the rest of the block so much easier.

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Fold along the line between the number one and number two spot. You should be able to see your lines easily through the back of the freezer paper.

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Pick your fabric piece number two up.

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This part is where we come across one of the benefits of this method of paper piecing over traditional paper piecing. With regular paper piecing, you have to place the piece of fabric on the opposite side of where it is going end up, so it is kind of a guess as to the size of the piece of fabric you need, especially with something like triangles. This can be such a waste of fabric in the long run. With this method, the piece you are filling is folded back to the right spot, so you can hold your piece up to the light and line it up perfectly. This allows you to cut pieces that are close to the correct shape and waste less fabric.

[img]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/...efb60b07_o.jpg[/img]

Place piece number two behind piece number one with right sides together. You can see where piece number two is folded in front, and the fabric itself is placed perfectly to fit it. We will be sewing along the folded edge of the freezer paper.

You can start sewing at the beginning of the fabric, and sew right along the edge of the folded edge of the freezer paper (do not sew through the freezer paper, just right next to it).

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This is where we have another benefit of this method over traditional paper piecing. You do not have to stop when you reach a line. Since we are not sewing through the freezer paper and are folding the freezer paper back, there is nothing in the way of our sewing. You start at the beginning of the two pieces and sew all the way to the ends of the fabric, you don't have to stop at the end of the freezer paper, just continue the straight line off the fabric.

Because you are going to the end of the fabric, you can actually chain piece these blocks, you can see here I went to the end of my first piece and then slid my second one under the needle behind it.

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This makes the blocks go much faster and is much easier than the "stopping at a certain line" method of traditional paper piecing.

Once your line is sewn, you want to trim for your quarter inch seam. Just line the quarter inch line of your ruler up on the seam (folded edge of the freezer paper) and trim to a quarter inch.

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Unfold the freezer paper and fold the fabric for piece number two back into place. Iron the piece to the freezer paper, making sure to iron only in spots number one and two.

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Next fold along the line between spot number one and three, and repeat all of the above steps. Continue on in this way for each spot.

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If you have multiple pieces for the block, you will need to join them together now.

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First trim around all the block edges, lining the quarter inch line of your ruler up to the edge of the freezer paper. Trim your quarter inch seam.

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Now lay the two pieces right sides together, if you trimmed properly, you should be able to line the top and bottom of the pieces up and have accurate results. Pin the pieces together in the seam allowance.

[img]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/...2dbb3c55_o.jpg[/img]

Sew right along the edge of the freezer paper. If everything was lined up right, you should also be sewing along the edge of the freezer paper on the bottom.

[img]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/...5334f5b3_o.jpg[/img]

Open up the block and iron the seam. I ironed this one open since there is a lot of bulk.

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Turn your block over and admire your work.

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The freezer paper on the back can now be peeled off. This is another added benefit to this method. With the traditional paper piecing, the stitches are sewn right through the paper, which can make getting the paper off hard and possibly stretch the block. With this method, there is nothing sewn through the paper so the freezer paper will peel right off of the back without distorting your block.

You may want to use Google to find a simple, free pattern for paper piecing. Any block that can be done with traditional paper piecing can be done with this method. I find this method to be so much easier than the traditional method and I think, once you try it, you will too.

Happy Quilting!
Rachel

This is amazing, thank you for posting. Will definitely try it - soon!
Penelope

Thanks for this. Your tutorial is really easy to follow.

will try this for sure. What a great idea

Great tutorial

ordered the paper on Amazon. Thanks for the tip

Can't wait to hear what you think of this method!! Be sure to show us pics. :) :)

Cheers!
Rachel

Great tut and idea, been strugling with the pp Im doing trying to keep the fabric in place especially the tiny ones hurray. DEB

Thanks Rachel! Can't wait to try this method. :P

Rachel thank you thank you I do a lot of paper piecing but have never seen or heard of this method I will book mark it for my next project and will also look for the paper if I can't find it I will PM you

I haven't seen this paper before either. Looks like a great way to be successful with flying geese.

This looks so much easier than paper piecing and the freezer paper is so much cheaper than the type of paper used for paper piecing too. This is fabulous - can't wait to give it a try.

Thanks, great tute!! :-P :-P :-P

Rachel, at first I looked at your tute and thot that it would be great for those learning, but I didn't need it, and as I read it and realized what you were doing, I was sooo glad I read it! How cool! I am definately going to give this a try as I paper piece ALL the time and want to know for myself, which method works best for me!

Thank you for putting this together! I appreciate the work involved!

Even I could do this. Thank you soooo much.

This has always been my very FAVORITE way of paper piecing. I am cheap and buy the huge roll of freezer paper at the grocery store, than trace my pattern, staple a few sheets the same size to it, and run it through my unthreaded sewing machine so the pattern is transferred to the other sheets exactly. You'll find that typically you could get several uses out of just one pattern since it's not torn away. :) LOVE it!!!

BTW, GREAT job on the tute!!!

Thank you for the tutorial! :-D

I love PP but have never tried it with freezer paper. Seems so much easier than to have to remove the paper using the traditional method. I will definitely give this a try.

Thank you for this tute! I love paper piecing and do it quite a lot, and will try your method on my next pp quilt.
I have always understood that the sewing on the paper while pp helps keep the fabric from stretching and distorting, and I know that the added bulk helps the piece to go between the machine foot and the feed dogs. But after saying that, there is an awful lot of ripping paper and usually quite a mess all around to clean up after you're through!
Off I go now to Amazon to buy the freezer paper!
Thanks again- I printed your tute. Used up 16 pieces of paper, which will now go into my special notebook where I have all sorts of tips, insights and tutes found here on the board :-D

I am very interested to see how someone who has done a lot of traditional pp likes this. I only did a few projects with traditional pp before finding this method, but I already loved the difference. :) If you try it I' love to hear your thoughts!

Rachel

I've been pp for a while now and thought I found the method I like best (using the add a quarter ruler) but I'm willing to try this as it seems a simpler way to deal with the pattern. Also found this paper on a website that might be yours- I don't get the "(link in siggy)" reference, and was surprised to see low cost for the paper- seems better than Amazon and you get more. Reading the reviews on Amazon they say the C. Jenkins paper is heavier and would most likely go into the printer better.
(edited to say our posts must have crossed, now I see you ARE the Dewberry people)

What a cool new way to paper piece without the "picking"! I was just going to try to adapt my Happy Birthday Aunt Grace wall hanging kit to Cynthia England's freezer paper method (https://englanddesign.com/content/welcome-england-design]https://englanddesign.com/content/we...england-design[/url]) which is a step better than traditional pp, but all those small pieces cut apart were scaring me! Thanks for the tute!
BTW I love your website, best of luck with it.

Thanks for the tute, I have to try this one.

You say it can be used with any printer. Is it safe for laser printers? I'm concerned because of the heat lasers generate.

Bless you! I was fearful of designing a paper piecing project, but this makes it look easier! Thanks!

That is a good point, honestly I have never used this method with a laser printer. I did some research online and found this suggestion from Sew Wonderful:

Here is what to do. Cut a sheet of freezer paper 17 inches by 11 inches (the equivalent of two regular sheets of printer paper side by side, aka ledger paper). Fold the freezer paper in half with the shiny sides facing and insert a sheet of regular paper between the waxed surfaces. If you want to prevent any shifting of the layers, use a warm iron to baste the layers together. Now feed the paper through the manual slot of your laser printer. You can print on both sides before you separate the layers for use.


Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks!
Rachel

Yes I am the owner of Dewberry Lane!! :) Sorry link in siggy means "link in signature" LOL That's what I get for trying to be clever. We do have the freezer paper sheets I showed for $6.74 right now, but I know you can find it other places too. :) Not sure of the prices elsewhere though.

Cheers!
Rachel

Thanks for the wonderful tut.. I think I will try this now.

Thank you. I'm certainly going to try this method next time I decide to paper piece a project. I think I'm going to like better than the traditional method with regular paper.

Thank you for making and sharing this tute with us :D:D:D

Hi, I read this board faithfully every day. I don't believe I have ever posted anything though.
I wanted to say that I saw a tut of this on u tube and they use the stitch in the ditch foot to rub up against the paper without going over it. Gives you a more steady line to follow.

Thanks for the great tut. I love this method.

Danielle

Excellent!! I will definitely try this.

:thumbup: Thanks you so much.

Thanks, good tut. Always nice to learn something new.Can't wait to try it.

Thanks for your time in putting together this tut. Have bookmarked and will print off to have on hand. Thanks again.

Great information and tute. You explained it very well. Thanks!

Thanks!