How To: English Paper Piecing the right way!

English Paper Piecing is a quick, easy & fun way to create marvelous quilts. This tutorial will teach you the basics!

1. Cutting

To keep things simple and not to waste fabric you cut it in strips, width depending on the size of the paper shapes you use, with a seam allowance of ¼ to 1/2“. Then you place your paper shapes on the back of the fabric, again bearing in mind the neccessary seam allowance, and fix the paper shapes with a pin each.

Next you cut the fabric to separate the individual shapes and finally you cut the fabric around each paper piece.

2. Basting

You baste by starting with one side wrapping the fabric around the edge of the paper and fixing it that way. You continue with one side after the other until all sides are basted.

3. Whip-Stitching

Two basted shapes are laid together facing the right sides of the fabric and whip-stitched along the edges, with approximately 8 – 10 stitches per inch. Before removing the paper shapes you will have to clip the basting thread.

4. Finishing the Top

You continue to sew together all your basted shapes according to your pattern or your quilt layout diagram.