Paperless or Paper Piecing

As threatened, I compared the timing and result of paper piecing vs paperless paper piecing. See Cristy Fincher's website for clear, complete directions with lots of photos.

Standard Paper Piecing
I design and print my foundation pattern on Sulky Paper Solvy washable stabilizer.  It took 30 minutes to cut fabric, sew and press 1/8 of a 12" star block (a 45º triangle).  I put the 8 triangles together by glue basting before sewing.  It came out 99% perfect - points meet and the center is good where 8 points come together.  It could be slightly better in the center if I had stopped stitching at the 1/4 inch mark.  Next time.  However, it is so near perfect that I will leave it as is ... or not.  I am reluctant to massacre those bias tips.  As far as I can see, the only downside to this method is pulling out the paper.  That's why I use Sulky Paper Solvy.  You can leave it in.  I usually tear it out anyway because I like the hand of plain fabric.  Any little pieces left dissolve in water so I don't have to be too picky.

Paper pattern on Sulky Paper Solvy

Paperless Paper Piecing
Next, I did the same 45º triangle of the next block using the paperless paper piecing method.  First I cut templates for each little piece from doubled freezer paper (iron two pieces shiny sides together).  It took me one hour to assemble and glue the fabric pieces.  I started to sew them and then realized that for a complex pattern like this (13 pieces) I would end up with a product that I couldn't measure and trim precisely so that points and seams matched exactly to its adjacent triangle. I could have made a plastic template and carefully marked it.  It would be do-able, but I am afraid that it has a high potential of ending up wonky, and I don't want wonky stars.  The paperless paper piecing is fascinating, but I will continue with paper and absolutely with glue basting.  Maybe you are braver than I.  However, it would probably work better with a simpler pattern, and there would not be any paper to pull out.

Gluing & sewing went well.  How do I trim it?????

TIP:  By all means check out Cristy Fincher's website and see how paperless piecing is done.  I confess I am a novice, but have decided not to use it.  I am very proficient with paper piecing, but you don't know until you try.

What is glue basting?  Put your pieces right sides together and run a thin line of Elmer's School Glue (no other kind) in the seam allowance of the lower piece.  Carefully matching seams, edges and/or points finger-press the top piece to the lower one.  Then iron to facilitate drying and to set it.  It will all wash out later with no residue or damage to the fabric.  If you are not satisfied with the result you can easily pull the glued pieces apart and redo. Finally, sew the seam.  You will be amazed at the perfection you have created so simply.

First two blocks are a success.

While I am having fun sewing these, I am also preparing the pattern and purchase plan for my spiral that will be my next major project whether I finish the stars or not.  I can always come back to them.

BTW:  My Bigtop spiral and Phoenix will both be showing at HMQS in Salt Lake City May 5-7 and in the Minnesota Quilter's, Inc. Show in St Cloud, MN, June 9-11.

Sew a happy seam this week.

Spiral Quilt IV: Organization

One of my readers wrote that she is confused by what I mean by "flipping" the pentagon (see Spiral Quilt - Part III).  This means nothing more than creating a mirror image.  If you put a mirror along the the A-B line you will see the pentagon reversed/flipped in the mirror.  It is not rotated although the pentagons give the illusion that they are rotating because of the layering of the internal triangles.  Once the internal triangles are drawn the pentagon is no longer a completely symmetrical design.  Even if the outline is the same, the internal design has definite right and left sides.  In the example below I colored two triangles to clarify.  I tell the computer to make a copy and flip/mirror the copy horizontally across the A-B line.  If you are drawing on paper you will have to draw a copy, and turn it over across the A-B line.  Of course this is difficult if you are using opaque paper so I would suggest using tracing paper.  Does this clarify or confuse?  Let me know.

TIP:  The only bad question is the one not asked.  Please share if you don't understand, and I will do my best to clarify.  These designs look very complex, but are really not hard to draw or sew.  One step at a time.

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Now on to the organizational aspects of creating a paper piecing pattern for this.  I add 1/4 inch seam allowance markings on my major shapes using a ruler for accuracy.  This will be your basic pattern.

TIP:  Using a ruler to add 1/4 inch seam allowance and trimming after you have sewn your pieces will work, but it is very easy to forget that little bit of a 1/4 inch when cutting.  It also helps you to be sure that you use a big enough piece of fabric to include the all-important seam allowance.  Ask me how I know!!  I highly recommend that you add and clearly mark the seam allowance on the pattern so there will be no question about where to trim the finished piece.

Below is my pattern almost ready to print.  Notice that I have reduced the transparency of the colors, but still have enough color to serve as a check on my fabric choice.  You will also see that I have made sure the sewing lines are dark enough to see clearly.  If you are drawing your design on paper you can color a swatch in each little triangle with colored pencil or marker.  This will be the wrong side of your finished shape.  If right or wrong side is important in your design be sure to reverse your pattern at this stage.  If you print it on translucent paper you can sew from either side.  Just don't get mixed up!

TIP:  Whatever way you decide to do it be sure to be consistent or you will end up with a different looking design in your finished product.  Remember that when holding the paper in front of you, the right side of the evolving fabric piece will be facing away from you.  (Note:  I did not reverse this design so either my piece will be the mirrored version, or I will sew with the back side facing me.  (Choices!!)

In order to cover my bases even better I next add text to each and every little triangle as below.

You will start in the middle and sew the first ring so I label that ring "A."  The second ring is "B," etc.  The other notation refers to the color with a lower case letter (r for red, g for green....) and a number, which refers to the shade of the color.  Look at the purple:  p1 is the lightest shade of purple while p5 is the darkest shade of purple.  The stars on some of the triangles refer to the starting place for each ring.  These notations keep me on the straight and narrow so I don't make mistakes.  Ripping is not really that much fun.

If you have not done paper piecing before, I highly recommend that you give it a try.  You can make incredibly intricate designs and achieve perfection so much more easily.

Now this is ready to print.  If you are not using the computer you can make copies.

TIP:  If you are making copies make sure that the copies are exactly the same size as the original, and make 2 or 3 extra to cover possible pilot error.

You can use copy paper or buy foundation piecing paper, which is available any place that carries quilt supplies.  My favorite is Sulky Paper Solvy because I can run it through my printer, and it dissolves in water when the sewing is done.  I usually tear the paper off when I am finished sewing anyhow, but if some gets left in, it will dissolve when the quilt is dipped in water, which I do after the quilting is complete.  Check the manufacturer's directions for information about their product.

TIP:  I print out the shapes for one wedge, do the sewing, photograph and rotate the photo in the computer before printing out the rest.  This avoids waste if there is a glitch in the pattern.  If I like the result I save it and use it as an extra wedge for quilting practice.  Then I go for broke, print more copies, and sew up a storm.

The last thing I do is glue or pin 1 x 2 inch swatches of all my fabrics to a piece of paper.  I label each fabric with the letter and number combination that I placed on my pattern.  I find I refer to this so often that it is well worth the time.  I also put this sheet in a sheet protector and take it shopping with me to use in choosing fabrics I might be missing.  More about shopping in the next post.

Freezer Paper Piecing

This is a short post today with no photos.  I hope it is helpful.

I  have been asked a question about Freezer Paper Piecing and since I am not set up for video photography, I found a U-tube demonstration, which shows it well with lots of detail.  One link is for Part I, but be sure to continue to Part II.  I use this for simple and/or large patterns.  If you are doing a complex pattern with tiny pieces I think you are better off using a foundation paper that you sew through.  With Sulky Paper Solvy, the paper will dissolve when the quilt is washed or soaked.  The problem I had with freezer paper on a complex pattern is that it tends to peel away if you are not careful and that is why I use a pin or two judiciously.  The beauty of using freezer paper is that you don't have to pull paper out when you are done, and you can reuse your freezer paper pattern on the next block if it is the same.

Synergy

I love Jinny Beyer designs and fabrics so it is understandable that I fell prey to the pattern she named "Synergy."  It was published in McCall's Quilting magazine February 2007.  Her patterns have so much movement, depth and color.  I visited her shop in VA once and was entranced by all her beautiful fabrics.  What a treat.

Synergy was my introduction to spiral quilts, although I didn't know it until several years later when I picked up a book by RaNae Merrill called "Simply Amazing Spiral Quilts."  It is comprised of sixteen blocks made in the same fashion as a traditional Log Cabin block, but with triangles instead of rectangles.  It is sometimes called a Twisted Log Cabin.  I used the paper piecing technique, but instead of copying the published master pattern, I drew it out on my computer so I could easily print out the necessary 16 paper patterns.  There are directions on how to sew this block without using paper here.  I must confess that I have not tried the latter method.  I happen to enjoy paper piecing or foundation piecing as it is also called.  I love Sulky Paper Solvy for paper piecing because I can run it through my printer, and it is soluble so you don't have to tear the paper out when the sewing is done.  I tear out the bulk of it anyhow, but any little pieces left will disappear when the quilt is immersed in water.

I love the way this pattern swirls and flows so I tried some quilting that reflected that quality.  It is not very imaginative, but remember, I was just learning and this was another step up for me.  I got hooked on curly-cues early on for the the red border.  Mine are very inexact, although I prefer to call them "organic."   I find curves easier to do than straight anything, but then I landscaped the lawn with curves too (drives my husband crazy!).  Leah Day has many ideas for quilting.

I have published these TIPS on paper piecing before, but it never hurts to review them:

TIP:  When paper piecing be sure that the fabric covers the required area and seam allowance completely …..as you go.

TIP:  Be sure to press the seam every time you stitch and press it all the way back away from the stitched join.  Sulky Paper Solvy  gets scorched and brittle from ironing if there are a lot of seams.  I now use the Hera Marker to do "finger pressing."  I find I do a better job of getting the fabric tightly pressed and I don't scorch the paper or my fingers.  A toothbrush back also works.