You’ll want to change a few settings on your machine when paper piecing.
Stitch length Shorten the stitch length to somewhere between 1.5 and 1.7. This makes the paper foundations rip off more easily.
Sewing machine extension table or drop-in table (optional) This provides a larger flat surface and makes piecing and quilting easier.
In a kitchen, the range, refrigerator, and sink make up what is considered a work triangle. When paper piecing, you will move frequently between your sewing machine, pressing station, and cutting station—these three places make up your sewing room work triangle.
Because you move between these three areas so frequently, it’s important to have them close together. You might consider making an L shape with two tables and using a swivel chair so that you can stitch, iron, and cut without leaving your seat.
A table-top ironing station—such as the Omnigrid Portable Cutting and Pressing Station—is a great space saver and adds a lot of convenience for all the back and forth of paper piecing.
Rotary Cutter, Mats, and Rulers
Many quilters swear that using scissors helps prevent them from accidentally slicing their fabric up, but with the piecing method I use, those kinds of mistakes don’t tend to happen—so rotary cut away.
Rotary cutter I use an Olfa 45mm cutter.
Cutting mat(s) You need to have an area large enough to cut your project yardage, as well as a cutting area in your work triangle for trimming seam allowances. You can use one mat for both of these, but I like to keep two specific mats:
•18˝ × 24˝ mat: This mat is large enough to cut my yardage at the beginning of the project. I also use it to trim up my blocks after they are pieced.
•Omnigrid 8˝ × 11˝ Portable Cutting and Pressing Station: I use this to combine my cutting and ironing stations. For larger blocks, use the 12˝ × 18˝ size.
Add-A-Quarter ruler The bump on this ruler means you will never slip while rotary cutting and accidentally cut your block. You can also use a regular gridded ruler that has a ¼˝ marking, but the Add-A-Quarter ruler makes life so much easier.
Paper-Piecing Paper
Printing the piecing patterns on paper is the essence of paper piecing. After piecing the pattern, you will need to tear away the paper backing. Below are a few paper options, as well as their pros and cons:
Paper-piecing paper This affordable paper (such as Carol Doak’s Foundation Paper by C&T Publishing) is very thin and lightweight (rather like newsprint), so it tears easily. You won’t need to use such a small stitch length and you can remove the templates quickly. Considering both ease of use and cost concerns, this is the most ideal option. This paper is available in both 8½˝ × 11˝ and 8½˝ × 14˝.
Transparent paper-piecing paper This paper (such as June Tailor’s Perfect Piecing Foundation Sheets or Simple Foundations Translucent Vellum Paper by C&T Publishing) allows you to see the pattern even with the printed side of the paper down. This can prevent poor fabric placement and lots of mistakes. It doesn’t tear quite as easily as Carol Doak’s Foundation Paper, but it does tear more easily than regular copier paper. The downside of this product is the price—transparent paper-piecing papers are the priciest option.
Regular copier paper This is your cheapest option, but it can be difficult to tear. You can accidentally rip out your seams in an effort to remove the paper if you don’t use a very small stitch length.
TIP
If you’re using regular copier paper, pre-perforate your templates by sewing along all the seamlines with a dull, unthreaded needle before actually piecing your block. The pre-perforated paper will tear away just as easily as paper-piecing paper.
Additional Tools
Paper-piecing thread Coats & Clark makes thread specifically for paper piecing. It is stronger than regular piecing thread to help seams withstand the tearing away of foundation papers.
Tapes Use painter’s tape or masking tape to join together foundation papers for larger patterns and to repair any seams you accidentally rip out (Scotch and other clear tapes can melt from your iron). Use clear tape to secure the printed side only of foundation papers that you piece together.
Glue Glue can be used as an alternative to pinning for placing fabric onto patterns. Any white or clear washable glue stick (such as Elmer’s brand) will work.
Tweezers Use tweezers to remove tiny pieces of your paper patterns.
Thin cardboard Use the back of a notebook, cut out part of a cereal box, or use a comic book cardboard insert to fold back your pattern pieces.
Thin pins Thinner pins (such as silk pins) reduce bulk when pinning through paper and fabric. I use Dritz extra-long satin pins. Thicker, stubbier pins can make the foundation paper buckle, causing accuracy problems.
Quilting gloves Paper patterns are slicker than fabric ones—gloves help provide traction while stitching.
Quilting 90/14 needles Use these needles for paper piecing—they are thicker than your standard 80/12 needle, so they’ll punch larger holes in the foundation papers and make it easier to rip them off. Save your old, dull needles to pre-perforate paper patterns if you’re using copier paper.
Seam ripper Use to unsew mistakes or snip threads.
Iron Use to press seams.
Scissors Use paper scissors for cutting patterns and snips for cutting threads.