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Below is a simple tutorial highlighting the tools I use, and steps, to begin your English Paper Piecing journey or refresh a current addiction!
You'll get to see some of the tools I love working with, and see how I use them.
I have put together a special tool bundle to help you get started, as we all know how much better our experience is, and how much more professional the results of our efforts are, if we use the right tools.
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Included in this bundle -
1 x Pink Rotating Cutting Mat
1 x Olfa 28mm rotary cutter
1 x Sewling Glue Pen
1 x pack Size 11 Milliners Needles (10 per pack)
1 x spool Bottomline Thread Colour 617 (Sandy's colour of choice)
All for the great price of just $94 plus the flat-rate shipping of $6.50. This is excellent value as most shops charge in excess of $10 to post this cutting mat alone.
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English Paper Piecing Tutorial
Here's a little visual reference and simple instructions to guide beginners through my glue-stick method of English Paper Piecing.
English Paper Piecing is the method of patchwork where the shape you are using is created over a paper shape. It produces exact results and I find it very relaxing. Without any tricky work, you can create some "Oh Wow" pieces or work.........here's how...........
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Most of the paper shapes I sell have a perspex template available to make cutting the fabric shapes a breeze.The template allows a quarter inch seam allowance. Using the perspex template, and a small 28mm rotary cutter, simply cut out your shapes. You can layer the fabric and cut multiple units at one time. A round rotating cutting mat makes this task much easier, enabling you to cut in all directions, spinning the board around as needed, therefore avoiding the painful repostioning process, yet more importantly, avoiding the temptation to cut towards yourself, risking injury!
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Using a fabric-safe glue stick (Sewline is great), glide a small amount of glue onto one side of the paper piece within a quarter inch of the outer edge, yet avoiding gumming up the very outer edge as this is where you'll be sewing. I find that holding the glue stick like a pen works best for me. Gently use your finger to fold the fabric snuggly over the paper edge onto the glue. Work your way around the paper piece one side at a time.
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You will see that the 'tails' on my kite shapes are flicking out to one side. These will sit under your work when they are sewn together. If you turn them in, you will find your points don't retain their nice crispness. So just ignore them at this time. Place 2 of your shapes right sides together, and begin stitching by sinking your knot into the starting point as shown. I like to use Bottomline Thread and a Milliners Needle for stitches hardly visible! You can read about these on my website. I like the colour Taupe 617, pictured, as it goes with my colour choices and is very forgiving as it looks like a shadow in the seam so you don't really need too many thread colours to match with your fabrics.(I actually use this colour for everything except bright whites, and it works fine!) Why not spoil yourself with one of the wonderful wooden spool holders in the photo, with the magnet to park your needle.
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Now you're ready to stitch away! Notice here how I like to use a Clover Wonder Clip to hold the end I'm heading towards, saving me from the hand stress of holding it tight. It is important that these ends line up so the clips are very helpful. Using a whip-stitch, take a small bite of each fabric being careful to avoid sewing through the papers. This is where the Milliners Needles do their job, as I find that the finer the needle the less likely it is that I'll sew into the papers, and I do want to remove the papers and re-use them later.
Sew to the end of this edge, open out your work, add the next piece, lining it up to match your pattern, and continue stitching.........it's that simple..................but beware I find it very addictive!!
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If you want to add some extra interest to your paper piecing, you could have a go at 'fussy cutting'. Simply use your template to cut out the shapes at exactly the same place in a pattern repeat on the fabric.
Larger prints and stripey fabric can create very interesting outcomes......
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What's New
There have been a few new arrivals in the last few weeks.
Wool bundles
Just check out these yummy wool bundles.......Beautiful woven wool, that I then felted, have turned out so lovely and soft and thick.
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