How to Work

When dealing with silky fabrics or fabrics that move when you are sewing, buy double sided tape. Don't tape where you will sew, tape inside your sewing line. This keeps fabrics from shifting, puckering and the dreaded ripping it out. It might take a few extra minutes but in the end you have a perfect seam.

Instead of spending big bucks on the special paper for paper piecing I use inexpensive lined notebook paper. It isn't as heavy as paper for your printer but still goes thru evenly. This makes it much easier to remove the foundation when you are finished with your quilt.

When you are ready to remove the paper from your foundation patterns lightly spritz the paper with water. Allow the papers to dry to your touch. You can easily remove the papers without pulling out your stitches.

I like to use the clear plastic storage boxes for my quilt projects.

I precut fabric and  copy patterns and store everyting in it's box.

I put the persons name on it also.

this is good for the times you want to sew but don't have big blocks of time for the prep time.

I like to spend a weekend doing prep all at one time to get it out of the way.

thanks

catherine

After cutting the proper size strips for a paper-pieced project, I stick a small post-it note on each stack with the name of the block, the letters and numbers of the section of the block, the position number, and, finally, the dimentions of the strip.  Then, I put this stack of strips in the little half-size baggies.  It is so easy to find exactly which fabric is sewn next.

When I am foundation piecing I sit in a swivel chair and have my ironing board set up to one side at the same height as my sewing machine so that I can easily turn in the chair to press each seam. This also works well for regular piecing.

When using a foundation piecing method to create the blocks in your quilt, try using plastic coated paperclips to hold block pieces together. These items work better than pins for securing fabric pieces, since pins can distort the image because they bunch the fabric in order to secure it. Make sure the paper clips are plastic coasted because this buffering will protect the fabric. Metal paperclips with sharp edges may tear or damage the fabric when removed and the metal may stain light-colored fabric.

In order to secure the block does not slide around while you are piecing, create the foundation block larger than your desired block. The excess can easily be trimmed after you are done with all your piecing work. Also, cut the foundation square even with the grain of the fabric to ensure the block will lay absolutely flat while you are working. This will ensure the piecing process is successful without encountering any bumps or lumps.

If you elect you use a sewing machine while foundation piecing, make sure you use a large needle that is at least a size 14 and use small stitches. The backing material should be a piece of paper (freezer paper works well). After all the piecing is secure, remove the paper from the fabric. You may need to use a small set of tweezers to remove all pieces of paper from the block you have created.