English paper piecing.

I'm doing some English Paper piecing, for a pattern similar to this one here:

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My colours are different, but the layout of each section is the same.

So far, I have been sewing together each section (of 6 half-hexes in three different colours). Then last night I decided I had better try to sew together some of the sections.

My "paper" is cereal box cardboard - in order to connect two sections, I had to bend one piece of card for the second seam. And the whole thing seems a bit unwieldy.

Now, I don't mind about very bent cardboard - I don't know that I will ever do this pattern again, although I will keep the unbent templates for a while at least. But is it supposed to feel like a battle of wills between me and cardboard backed fabric?

Other than that I like this for a project, it goes really easily and is portable, so it can come to Summercamp with me :-)

Hanne in London

Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen
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That is one of many reasons I love Inklingo. Have one of those on my "list" and have started printing and cutting half hexes for it. With Inklingo, no papers, no basting, no whipstitching. Wash your fabric, press it to freezer paper and print your cutting/stitching lines on the back with an ink jet printer. Then cut and sew with a running stitch. So much easier/faster/and more accurate. Plus no paper templates to deal with. (NAYY, just a very happy customer. more info available at LindaFranz.com )

good luck with it Hanne. Have fun, Pati, > I'm doing some English Paper piecing, for a pattern similar to this one > here:

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Reply to
Pati Cook

He, he, before posting I looked back at my previous post from when I started the project. And you said that back then too! You must really mean it :-) In any case, I don't have an ink-jet printer.

In any case, I am quite happy with how this is going - I don't do much hand-stuff as it is, and I wanted to try EPP out (sort of from a "don't knock it 'till you've tried it" thing).

I didn't think ahead to this issue, and I wonder how it makes sense to try to reuse those bent pieces. And people do talk about reusing them, so obviously for some people it makes sense?

I have to say that my accuracy with EPP is undistinguishable from that with running stitches.

Hanne in London

Pati Cook wrote:

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Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

I've only done a very little EPP - but it is called "paper" rather than "card" piecing for a reason... I suggest you use old bills ( I certainly get enough of those!) instead of the card. They usually use quite stiff heavy paper for bills. I once was lucky enough to see some of the old quilts in the V&A including an old GMFG where it looked like the oiecer had used old letters as the papers...the quilt was unfinished and still had many of the papers in it.

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Reply to
Karen

Yes, I see. That would solve my immediate problem (except it won't since I already made up the individual pieces... no testing here!).

But still, how could one possibly expect such paper to stand up to being used several times without losing shape???

I think you are right, though, this is what I did wrong. Oh well, I'm not changing that one.

Thanks!

Hanne in London

Karen wrote:

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Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

I am using up some paper I bought for my printer but which, unfortunately, can't be used in the printer. (It is made partially from recycled materials, and my friendly computer geek told me that sort of paper almost always has minute shreds of metal in it that will damage printers! On top of that, most photocopier warranties are instantly void if that sort of paper is used.) Anyhow, the paper works very well, is easy to handle, lasts through many, many uses, and gets softer and easier to needle the more it is used. (Yeah, I'm a bit of a cheapskate . . . )

Reply to
Mary

Interesting, Hanne.

I *know* you didn't ask any questions; but there might be some folk here who have not done EPP, so I thought a few points might be helpful. Hope you don't mind,

Here again, the topic of fabric folding is relevant. If you drew on your template cardboard with a master template, you might already have increased the size twice from the original pattern. I did this once! I had traced the pattern from the master drawing, stuck that tracing to thin card and cut it out. Then I drew round that template onto my working cardboard. Did I remember to cut *inside* the drawing each time? No! So, I had increased slightly to the master template, then again, by drawing *outside* the already increased master template the working templates were increased again. If you strictly cut inside the drawn line (easy enough to do if you just reverse normal practice of cutting out), you will be eliminating the slight increase every time. I now use fine card for the master template; and business envelopes (received in the post) for the working templates. The next snag comes when the various fabrics are folded over the working templates. Your cereal box cardboard is quite thick - measurably so anyway. Your fabric also has a thickness. When you fold over the thick cardboard (which has probably already been increased in size!), you end up with something which is quite a long way from the original drawing (take one of your folded pieces and place it over the original drawing to check). Using thick paper, rather than card, does make the process less cumbersome.

This all leads towards difficulties in getting the component parts together smoothly.

It's a very pretty pattern. I bet it will look lovely. . In message , Hanne Gottliebsen writes

Reply to
Patti

I use all those annoying cards that come ienclosed in magazines. They are good for several uses and can bend easily. There are also divider strips in boxes of Tetley Tea that are good.

Anna Belle in scary Palm Bay (arson fires all over)

Reply to
"Anna Belle" fladavis

I'm trying to follow this discussion but not doing very well. My understanding is that in EPP, each little piece's seam allowance is folded under the paper and then basted *through* the paper. How on earth could you baste through cereal box cardboard? Somebody come find me. I'm lost. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

Here you are Polly: it is possible (and an alternative method) to simply sew across the corners on the folded back side of the template, without actually piercing through the template itself. I haven't tried it, though I am assured it works. . In message , Polly Esther writes

Reply to
Patti

Yes, I wondered about that too - your hands must really hurt after tring to baste through cardboard. I have several 'master' templates I have inherited. Some are a very solid card and some metal. I draw round them in fine pencil, cut out exactly along the lines so that all the paper hexagons are exactly the same size. Rather than the old envelopes/bills/letters I used to use, I have started to use freezer paper as my 'papers'. They are nice and strong so don't scrumple up or tear so can be used quite a few times, and when you iron them onto the back of the fabric they don't move around as you baste through them.

I take them out as I go along, always making sure that the outside edges still have papers in for joining the next round or section.

When the EPP section is finished I leave the papers round the edges in to make appliqueing it onto the background easier.

I like EPP and find it really relaxing. I think the main cause of your battle is sewing two cardboard covered shapes together, as there is no give. With paper there is. Also I wouldn't like to cut lots of cardboard shapes out - it would kill my hands! And you must be eating cereals for every meal!

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

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I'm trying to follow this discussion but not doing very well. My

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Reply to
Sally Swindells

I cut templates from very thick interfacing Timtex ?and iron the pieces well round them then pop them out after oversewing, the templates can then be reused, sometimes I put one pin in the middle but I often don't need to if I am vicious enough with the Iron. Before I found this method I used cut up weekend newspaper magazines

Marion in newtongrange

Reply to
Marion Bowles

Marion,

What do you mean by oversewing? The whipstitching pieces together, or what?

After some more practice at holding pieces, it doesn't seem as awkward as it did at first (thankfully!).

Hanne in London

Thanks, Hanne

Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

I don't baste through the paper, I read this trick somewhere to just baste the seam allowance to itself, it works very well. I could even leave the basting thread in and still easily get the paper (card) out, if I wanted to be that economical with my time :-)

Hanne > I'm trying to follow this discussion but not doing very well. My

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Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

I did cut out the shapes over quite some time, and no, I don't eat cereal all the time. However, the quilt is a wallhanging (assuming I like it when done), so not too big. It is afterall my first EPP project, and I wanted to just try the technique with something I thought I could actually finish :-)

But I probably would not use card in another project now.

Hanne in London

Sally Sw> Yes, I wondered about that too - your hands must really hurt after tring

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Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

yes whipstitching, is what I was taught to call oversewing. I have also made some children's balls using either hexagons or 5 sided ones (cant remember the name) either colours or different fruits and vegetable prints, we use these with the autistic spectrum disorder children as one of the ways to encourage them to eat more fruit and vegetables, we also have squieky and rattling fruit and vegetables which are very popular.

Marion in Newtongrange

Reply to
Marion Bowles

Re: English Paper Piecing. Oh, my goodness. I thought you could get packages of multiple paper precut templates for this english paper piecing to sew your fabric around? Is that what you all are talking about? Or are you talking about cutting out the fabric itself using a template? I'm confused. Is this something that just isn't commercially available anymore?

Reply to
87654321

I am always confusing EPP with foundation piecing. i would think EPP is more difficult. i like FP, the reward comes when you can crumple up the paper and remove it!! leaving sharp points and matching corners.

JMO =)

amy in CNY

Reply to
amy in CNY

Yes, you can buy those. But not where I am!

But yes, this is what we are talking about :-)

Hanne in London

Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

IMO cereal box card is a bit thick. I used old greeting cards and the subscription cards out of magazines for mine, back in the day. And I've seen unfinished PP tops from the mid-19th century where they used old letters or newspapers, i.e. ordinary paper. Roberta in D

"Hanne Gottliebsen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:g0f091$9jo$1@qmul...

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Reply to
Roberta Zollner

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