How to Do Paper Piecing
- 1). Cut the finished size of the quilt pieces making up one block of the quilt out of plain white paper. Cut multiple paper pieces of each quilt piece shape.
- 2). Cut a square piece of fabric out. Make it large enough so when the paper shape is laid against it, there is at least 1/4-inch all the way around it.
- 3). Stick pin the paper shape to the center of the square of fabric. Pin it to the wrong side of the fabric. The backside of the fabric is the side where the color of the fabric or print is drabber. The top side or finish side of the fabric is the side always displayed facing out in the fabric store
- 4). Take a scissors and cut the fabric out following the shape of the paper. Make sure to leave a one-quarter inch of fabric all the way around the paper.
- 5). Thread a sewing needle and knot the thread at the end. The sewing thread should be single not double. Fold over the fabric along one straight edge of the paper shape. Hold it in place between the thumb and index finger of the non-dominant hand. Insert the needle from the front of the fabric and pull it through to the back. Make sure the needle goes through the paper and the one-quarter inch folded over fabric. Now proceed to baste.
- 6). Weave the sewing needle in and out of the paper and fabric taking long stiches. A basting stitch is used to temporarily hold something in place. Continue folding the fabric neatly over the edge of the paper shape and stiching all the way around.
- 7). Repeat Steps 2 through 6 for each additional quilt shape making up the design for an individual quilt block.
- 8). Start assembling the individual pieces. Match up folded edges to be joined making sure all the paper is facing the back side of the quilt block. Using a whip stitch, poke the needle and thread through the top folded edges of both quilt pieces. Make sure that this time the needle does not penetrate the paper. To do a whip stitch, push the needle through from front to back. Bring the needle back over the top of the folded edges and again push the needle through from front to back. Repeat until the two quilt pieces are sewn together along their adjoining edges. Make sure stitches are close together and precise.
- 9). Place the stitched together quilt block face side up on an ironing board. Mist it with a little spray sizing and then iron the block so it's flat. Flip the quilt block over and press flat.
- 10
Take a scissors and start cutting the basting thread from Steps 5 and 6. Pull out all the thread. From the back, gently remove the paper pieces. Be careful not to tear them as they can be reused. - 11
Place the quilt block on the ironing board again and press both sides with a hot iron. Lay the finished block on the background fabric of the quilt and stitch it by hand or sewing machine to the background fabric.