Quilting 101 - FPP FAQ'S (Part One)

Foundation paper piecing can appear daunting, messy and wasteful, but it's also heaps of fun. I receive a lot of questions about FPP, and I thought I'd answer them a two-part Quilting 101 series.

I'm sure it's obvious, but foundation paper piecing is my preferred method of piecing. Not being limited to just squares, rectangles and triangles, opens up a whole new world of quilt design to me.

FPP allows me to create realistic blocks and mold fabric into any shape imaginable. I can add details that are true to life and give a genuine representation of the object I'm designing with crisp clean lines.

Foundation paper piecing is not for everyone, and I totally understand - I hated it the first time I tried and vowed never to do it again - but I find it fun, relaxing and very satisfying. 

I do receive a lot of questions about this technique, and I thought I'd answer the most frequently asked questions in a two-part Quilting 101 series. Let me just say, I'm no expert but I am passionate, and today I'll answer nine questions to the best of my ability.

But first, let's take a brief look at the history of foundation paper piecing.

{photo of ladies quilting from Pinterest}

History of Foundation Paper Piecing:

Foundation paper piecing originated centuries ago but became a popular method of piecing during the 18th and 19th century in England.

Quilters sought an accurate way to create complex or intricate designs and by stabilizing the fabric they developed patterns that were unachievable using traditional piecing methods.

The original patterns were either traced or drawn onto a stabilizer (the foundation) and then the fabric was sewn in place.

With the introduction of printed patterns on paper, the process was streamlined, and it made it easier to share designs with other quilters. The design was already prepared for them, so all they had to do was focus on choosing the fabric and sewing along the lines.

When paper was introduced, quilters began referring to the technique simply as paper piecing because paper was the foundation, and this is why you may see both terms used.

It has definitely expanded the options for quilters when choosing blocks and designs for their projects, and for some it's become they're favorite quilting method. I think it's an essential skill for quilters to know, but I also understand it's one you either love or one you hate.

9 FPP Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Is FPP hard?

Yes, and then no! Learning the basic principle of foundation paper piecing is hard to get your head around at first, but once you do, you can paper piece any design.

Regardless of how difficult or easy the design may look, every pattern is constructed using the same basic principles. Pattern difficulty levels vary depending on the size and complexity of the templates, how they're joined together and your confidence in tackling weird and wonderful angles or shapes.

Easier designs are paper pieced as one unit and are perfect for beginners, while more complex designs are pieced in separate templates and sewn together to create the magic - the paper piecing technique is the same, but there's more to consider, like unusual angles and joining templates.

I suggest watching the technique on YouTube a few times before giving it a try. Once you understand how it is done, your confidence will grow with practice.

I do have a two-part tutorial on the blog with practice sheets, step by step photos and links to resources to help you get started:

Tutorial - Paper Piecing Part One

Tutorial - Paper Piecing Part Two

2. Is FPP messy or wasteful?

Some would consider me to be a messy and wasteful paper piecer, but I'm not as emotionally attached to my fabric stash as I am to the projects I create with them.

I have a system that works for me, and I find when I'm frugal with fabric I run into problems. 

I begin with a strip of fabric and as I paper piece, the tiny unusable pieces go to a pile on my right (rubbish pile) and the rest goes to a pile on my left (scrap pile). I continue using these scraps until I can no longer squeeze them into the design. At the end of piecing, any leftover scraps go into baggies for future projects.

I understand this system does not suit everyone, and I'm sure you'll find your own method, but be prepared for a mess and some fabric waste!

3. Do I need special tools for FPP?

Personally, I don't believe you need special tools for FPP, but you do need separate tools.

I never cut FPP on my good cutting mat because the blade has been cutting paper and it will damage the mat - I have an old mat for FPP. I use a separate rotary cutter with its own set of blades, special paper scissors and I use an old ruler for trimming.

Heat resistant tape and double-sided tape are very useful when paper piecing and I do suggest binding clips for holding templates together when sewing - some might suggest glue, but I've never used it.

I also have a small ironing board set up next to my machine and while this is not essential, it saves me having to get up and down a gazillion times when piecing.

One important thing to remember - once paper piecing is complete, change your sewing machine needle! The needle you used for paper piecing will be blunt and it's not suitable for traditional piecing or quilting.

4. What paper do I need for FPP?

Keep it simple and buy the cheapest and thinnest (75gsm/ 20lbs) printer paper you can find!

You can buy foundation paper piecing papers, but I think they're an expensive and unnecessary purchase.

I use a generic printer paper from the supermarket, and I have no problems with shrinkage, curling or the paper turning brittle, and it tears away from the stitching very easily. 

If you are worried your printer paper is too thick, take the thread out of your machine and stitch over the sewing lines prior to paper piecing. This will create a perforation and assist in removing the paper once your design is complete.

5. Why are my templates the wrong size?

My patterns, and I'm sure every other FPP designer's patterns, include important printing instructions that solve 99.999% of printing issues. Regardless of the printer or page size, following these instructions will yield the most accurate results.

Every printer has its own margin setting and if it "anticipates" the printing will go past or too close to this margin, it will automatically resize the image to sit within the margins without your knowledge. Margin tolerance varies from printer to printer, and it may resize one page of the pattern but not another because it deems the printing to be too close to its margins - you will not know until you try to piece things together.

The easiest and most universal way to control this unnecessary resize and ensure your templates print accurately is to select "none" or "actual size" in the page scaling section of your printer. This lets you take control and forces the printer to print past its own margins without changing the size of the templates.

I also recommend printing your templates straight from the computer as photocopying can alter the size of the templates just enough to cause problems.

 6. Can I resize the templates?

Absolutely! You can adjust the size in your printer settings or enlarge them on a photo copier but it's tricky to get the correct size. Fear not, I do offer another option for you!

When I draft a new design, I randomly choose a size that works for me, but I understand that this may not work for you. It's very easy for me to resize patterns in EQ8 and I'm happy to do it for you.

Once purchase of a pattern has been made, send me a message through Etsy (this will provide me with proof of purchase), and I will work with you to resize the templates according to your requirements. 

There is no extra cost to you, and I generally have it done quite quickly (unless life gets in the way). It's accurate and hassle free and you will receive a new PDF file with templates to your specifications that you can happily sew with peace of mind.

7. Why are the templates in reverse?

This can be confusing to some quilters, especially with more complex FPP designs.

Because you are sewing the seams on the lines of the FPP templates (the front) and the design comes alive on the back of the paper, templates need to be reversed or be a mirror image.

For example, if I was to design a quilt block with a boat sailing east and I did not reverse the templates, when the block was sewn it would create a boat sailing west or a mirror image of the original design. Reversing the templates ensures my boat sails in the direction I want it to.

You'll notice in my patterns that I label every template in the diagrams. This makes it easy for you to select your colours or fabrics for each template and to know which template you're working on and where it belongs in the design.

8. How do I sew and press small pieces?

Smaller pieces can be intimidating and fiddly, but they make a design realistic and fun!

When paper piecing smaller pieces, adjust your stitch length to create smaller stitches to help hold the fabric in place. I also sew about 1/4" before and after the sewing line and I remove these extra stitches where necessary.

Pressing smaller pieces can also create problems but I suggest using your finger first to press the seam away and then apply the heat. This ensures you have gently pressed the entire seam, and everything stays in place.

I love small fiddly pieces, but you may notice in some block designs I do not include some sizes - sometimes the small pieces are just too small, and I want you to enjoy sewing my block patterns.

9. How do I paper piece single templates?

In some patterns there may be single templates without paper piecing lines. These will need to be joined to other templates as you move through the pattern, but how do you keep the fabric secure?

This is my method:

• I cut around the template about 1/4" from the dotted line.
• I cut a piece of fabric larger than the template.
• I add two or three (depending on the size of the template) pieces of double-sided tape to the back of the paper template and stick it to the wrong side of the fabric.
• I trim the side of the template I'll be attaching, and any notches. I then sew it to the other template, remove the tape, press and then trim the remaining sides of the template - I leave these until it is sewn in case there is any movement.

The tape will hold the fabric in place until you're ready to sew the template to the design. Once it is sewn in place, remove the tape before pressing, so it does not stain your fabric. 

Note: I do not remove the paper from this seam until the quilt top is complete. If you remove the paper from the seam the rest of the template will also be removed, and you may require it for further piecing.

Foundation paper piecing is an innovative way of creating incredible designs. There's no limit to what you can achieve, and it ensures precise and accurate results every single time.

It's not for every quilter and it is messy and wasteful, but the end results make it all worthwhile. Creating stunning quilts is what we love to do, and this valuable technique opens many new doors.

I hope todays post answers some of your questions or encourages you to try this quilting technique. Your methods may be different to mine and if it's working for you, that's fantastic - let's simply enjoy the process and create beautiful things.

I'll answer some more questions in next month's Quilting 101 post, but don't forget I'm always here to help if you need it - I could talk FPP all day!

PIN FOR LATER:

Happy quilting :)