English Paper Piecing

We have put together a recap/guide on English Paper Piecing for all our crafters following our workshop last month.

Popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, foundation piecing was a method for patchworking which stabilized the pieces of fabric to be sewn together. A period cushion owned by Antonia degli Agli indicates that foundation piecing may have evolved in the 15th century or earlier. Scraps of fabric were utilised as a foundation for each piece of the patchwork but more recently, paper has be used instead, particularly in England, hence the term English Paper Piercing.

With English Paper Piercing (EPP), paper is used as a pattern in creating quilt blocks. This ensures that each piece is of an identical size and boasts precise dimensions which enables the pieces to be perfectly matched at the intersections. Information can be recorded on the foundations to make assembling the finished piece much easier.

With English Paper piercing, a short stich is used when the pieces are sewn together. The stitch perforates the foundation which can then be easily torn away after a section of the finished item has been completed.

Why try English Paper Piecing?

Enabling you to quilt with impressive accuracy, EPP is a craft which produces beautiful work without the need for great technical skill or expensive equipment. In addition, the pieces of work are highly portable and so can be taken everywhere and worked on wherever you happen to be. Whether you are travelling by train, sitting in a waiting room or relaxing at home, you can keep busy working on your EPP. If you enjoy crafting, you will quickly find yourself hooked on English Paper Piecing.

What supplies will you need?

You can employ several different methods to prepare the templates to be used as foundations. The shapes can be traced, photocopied, printed from your computer or purchased as pre-cut templates. If you decide to make your own templates, thicker paper will give you a firm edge to fold fabric over. Whatever paper you use, it must be cut with great precision. Popular shapes include diamonds, pentagons, dresden plates and hexagons.

The best fabrics to use are quilting cotton, lawns and linens. These may be pre-washed but must be dry and ironed before you cut them. Starching the fabric can help to keep it totally flat and provides structure to make stitching easier. You will also require thread for basting and thread for stitching which should be a neutral shade or a colour which closely matches the fabrics you are using.

Finally, you will need a needle, some pins and scissors for both the fabric and the paper. You could choose to utilise a fabric glue pen instead of basting and you will find that a bag or tin will come in handy for keeping everything together if you enjoy sewing on the go.

Choose your project

Invest in a book of EPP patterns and projects or search for inspiration online. There is no limit to what you can craft and you are sure to come up with a few amazing ideas of your own. You can choose to fashion an entire quilt or accessory but you could also create blocks to use as appliques which will lend unique touches to anything that you would like to embellish.

How to prepare the shapes

Each piece of fabric must be cut 1/4 inch/6-7mm larger than the paper shape on all sides. Position the paper in the centre of the fabric and pin it in place or secure it with a spot of fabric glue. If you have purchased paper templates, you might find that they feature a hole in the centre which can be used to pin through. You can then baste your fabric to the paper by folding it over one edge at a time and securing this before working on the next edge. There are three different methods you could emply to baste your fabric in place:

1. Through the paper

Baste the fabric to the paper by using long stitches, passing through the fabric, paper and seam allowance. Secure with a backstitch. This is the quickest method but does mean that you will have to remove the stitches at the end because they will otherwise be visible on the front of your work.

Take a look at the video below on How to do English Paper Piecing by Kimberbell Designs to find out how to use the t#Through the paper method.

2. Through the seam allowances

Fold over the first edge and then the second. Hold these in place using your thumb. Backstitch through the two seam allowances to hold the corner folds in place. Fold over the next edge and repeat the process. If you choose a thread lighter than the fabric, you won't see these stitches at the end and so they can be left in place.

3. Glue Basting

Place a line of glue along the edge of the paper and then fold the fabric over the edge. Any type of washable glue can be used. You may have to dampen the fabric to enable you to remove the paper.

The video below by WonderFil Threads shows you how the Through the seam allowance and Glue Basting method works.

Basting diamonds and triangles

If you have chosen to work with diamonds or triangles, there will be little tags or dog ears of fabric at the sharp points after basting. Take care when folding the fabric over the paper so that these tags all point in the same direction. It will be much easier to connect the pieces as they will nest nicely, leaving no holes.

How to connect the shapes together

The best way to stitch shapes together is to use whipstitch (oversewing). Begin by holding two shapes together, right sides together and with the two edges that you intend to sew perfectly aligned. Knot your thread and pass the needle through the seam allowances at the tip of the first corner. Place a couple of stitches here and then, working from right to left if you are right handed, sew the pieces together using tiny stitches roughly one needle width apart. Be careful to only pick up a few threads of each fold with every stitch. This will ensure that your stitches are invisible.

Overstitch along the length of the seam and then finish by backstitching and tying off. Repeat the process to add each shape. Where your pieces meet to create a y-shaped seam, bend the shapes in half to correctly align the edges and pivot the inner corners.

How to complete a block

When the shapes are attached on all sides, use a cocktail stick or similar implement to remove the paper templates. To complete the block, place it on a piece of paper which is the size that you wish the finished block to be. Trace around the edges of your block and then cut along the lines. The shapes you cut out will provide the templates for the edge shapes which you will need to complete the block.

Express yourself with English Paper Piecing

It is possible to make or decorate almost anything with EPP. Your creations will be limited only by your imagination and you will learn something with each new project that you complete. It can take time to perfect your skill in matching colours and patterns or visualising designs. But the effects that you can conjure will impress all who see them.

Enjoy paper piecing!