paper piecing questions

Hi, the new Liz again!
I have been cruising websites (what a lot of quilt stuff there is out
there!) and keep coming across 'paper piecing'. I understand how this
works, but have some questions.
#1 Wouldn't sewing through paper dull the needle really fast?
#2 How do you keep the pieces of fabric from shifting around on the
paper as you turn it over to sew?
#3 Does the fabric crawl away from under the paper when you sew it? (I
suppose that's #2 again).

My next quilted thing (of whatever size) will be a log cabin thing. No
paper required, just lots of strips!

Must go shopping. Must go shopping. Need more fabric.
aaaaaarrrrrrgh!

liz young in (still a little) sunny california

With paper piecing, you would use a larger needle (#14) and a smaller
stitch. The needle doesn't dull any faster than normal. I use an old
rotary blade to use for cutting through the paper. And to answer the
"shifting" question: pin,pin,pin! There are some really good technique
books out there - Carol Doak comes to mind - plus lots of free patterns!
It is a great technique for alot of things especially teeny, tiny pieces.

I would encourage you to take some classes if that option is available
to you. The best way to learn hands on!

Oh, and welcome to the group!

--
Laurie G. also in sunny california
"If you're not going to snort, why even laugh?"

Elizabeth Young wrote:
Hi, the new Liz again!
I have been cruising websites (what a lot of quilt stuff there is out
there!) and keep coming across 'paper piecing'. I understand how this
works, but have some questions.
#1 Wouldn't sewing through paper dull the needle really fast?
#2 How do you keep the pieces of fabric from shifting around on the
paper as you turn it over to sew?
#3 Does the fabric crawl away from under the paper when you sew it? (I
suppose that's #2 again).

My next quilted thing (of whatever size) will be a log cabin thing. No
paper required, just lots of strips!

Must go shopping. Must go shopping. Need more fabric.
aaaaaarrrrrrgh!

liz young in (still a little) sunny california

Somewhere recently I read that using pages of an old phone book was great
for paper piecing. I tried that today. Findings: (1)works okay if you're
just making strip blocks, I'm not a bit sure you could draw or print on it
and (2) the stuff sure is fragile. That might be okay in some applications.
And I agree about Carol Doak. She's a very fine teacher for paper piecing.
Welcome. Polly

Laurie G. wrote in message
...
With paper piecing, you would use a larger needle (#14) and a smaller
stitch. The needle doesn't dull any faster than normal. I use an old
rotary blade to use for cutting through the paper. And to answer the
"shifting" question: pin,pin,pin! There are some really good technique
books out there - Carol Doak comes to mind - plus lots of free patterns!
It is a great technique for alot of things especially teeny, tiny pieces.

I would encourage you to take some classes if that option is available
to you. The best way to learn hands on!

Oh, and welcome to the group!

--
Laurie G. also in sunny california
"If you're not going to snort, why even laugh?"

Elizabeth Young wrote:
Hi, the new Liz again!
I have been cruising websites (what a lot of quilt stuff there is out
there!) and keep coming across 'paper piecing'. I understand how this
works, but have some questions.
#1 Wouldn't sewing through paper dull the needle really fast?
#2 How do you keep the pieces of fabric from shifting around on the
paper as you turn it over to sew?
#3 Does the fabric crawl away from under the paper when you sew it? (I
suppose that's #2 again).

My next quilted thing (of whatever size) will be a log cabin thing. No
paper required, just lots of strips!

Must go shopping. Must go shopping. Need more fabric.
aaaaaarrrrrrgh!

liz young in (still a little) sunny california

If you are worried about dulling your needles, we have found that you
can purchase Schmetz needles in bulk on eBay for around $25.00 per 100
(sometimes less). Needles are relatively cheap.... change them
often.... it's well worth it in the results you will see!!!

And WELCOME! Glad you found us! :-)

Leslie and Furbabies in MO.

The HairyFacedOnes 'N Me- My dogs aren't my whole life... they make my
life whole.

RCTQ- Houston 2004..... A good friend will come and bail you out of
jail.... but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...
that was fun!"

The local sewing store does offer quilting classes, along with many
other classes. They are quilt fiends! I got a new machine in April and
have taken their 'machine mastery classes' this summer. Very good -
taught me a lot about my new machine. I've been sewing for 30some years
and still learned new things. I expect their quilt classes are also good.
Anyway! I know they offer classes all year, but I can only take them in
the summer. Which is just about over! So I am looking for recommended
books to keep me going until next summer (I searched the archives using
Google and didn't find much).
I am most interested in construction tips once I have the top done.
Binding, ways of managing large expanses of fabric w/out loosing my
mind, etc etc. I am planning on doing all my work on the machine (It
quilts nicely, no worries) and am also interested in speedy methods of
piecing. Not necessarially paper piecing.

I pin basted my little quilt with straight pins before quilting. It
seemed to work OK but what do I know? I heard someone mention safety
pins? What's the scoop there?

liz young in california

Laurie G. wrote:
I would encourage you to take some classes if that option is available
to you. The best way to learn hands on!

I love to paper piece, I get straighter lines that way , I do love Carol
Doaks books, she is a great teacher for paper piecing , and in taking a clue
from one of her books, the only time that I use a pin is with the first
piece of fabric, the rest will cling that is if the fabric your using is
cotton, it clings to itself. I do use the 14 size needle and only change
them for each new project. it works for me.

Dawn
--
When life gets you down , Get up and Mambo
John Candy
Remove the NOSpam to reply
"Elizabeth Young" wrote in message
news:eqy3b.290263$uu5.64224@sccrnsc04...
Hi, the new Liz again!
I have been cruising websites (what a lot of quilt stuff there is out
there!) and keep coming across 'paper piecing'. I understand how this
works, but have some questions.
#1 Wouldn't sewing through paper dull the needle really fast?
#2 How do you keep the pieces of fabric from shifting around on the
paper as you turn it over to sew?
#3 Does the fabric crawl away from under the paper when you sew it? (I
suppose that's #2 again).

My next quilted thing (of whatever size) will be a log cabin thing. No
paper required, just lots of strips!

Must go shopping. Must go shopping. Need more fabric.
aaaaaarrrrrrgh!

liz young in (still a little) sunny california

Hi Liz! For sandwiching, basting and quilting your finished tops, there's no
better book than Harriet Hargraves "Heirloom Machine Quilting". I also like
"Quilter's Complete Guide" by Fons & Porter for basic instructions.
Roberta in D

"Elizabeth Young" wrote in message
news:wyz3b.288826$Ho3.40964@sccrnsc03...
The local sewing store does offer quilting classes, along with many
other classes. They are quilt fiends! I got a new machine in April and
have taken their 'machine mastery classes' this summer. Very good -
taught me a lot about my new machine. I've been sewing for 30some years
and still learned new things. I expect their quilt classes are also good.
Anyway! I know they offer classes all year, but I can only take them in
the summer. Which is just about over! So I am looking for recommended
books to keep me going until next summer (I searched the archives using
Google and didn't find much).
I am most interested in construction tips once I have the top done.
Binding, ways of managing large expanses of fabric w/out loosing my
mind, etc etc. I am planning on doing all my work on the machine (It
quilts nicely, no worries) and am also interested in speedy methods of
piecing. Not necessarially paper piecing.

I pin basted my little quilt with straight pins before quilting. It
seemed to work OK but what do I know? I heard someone mention safety
pins? What's the scoop there?

liz young in california

Laurie G. wrote:
I would encourage you to take some classes if that option is available
to you. The best way to learn hands on!

I have been eyeing the bulk Schmetz needles for a while now. I change
needles for every project or when the machine gets noisy. Now that I
have a machine that embroiders, I go through even more needles. I also
tend to sew stuff with lots of layers - sharp needles are gooooooood.

liz in sunny california

The HairyFacedOnes 'N Me wrote:

If you are worried about dulling your needles, we have found that you
can purchase Schmetz needles in bulk on eBay for around $25.00 per 100
(sometimes less). Needles are relatively cheap.... change them
often.... it's well worth it in the results you will see!!!

And WELCOME! Glad you found us! :-)

Leslie and Furbabies in MO.

The HairyFacedOnes 'N Me- My dogs aren't my whole life... they make my
life whole.

In article eqy3b.290263$uu5.64224@sccrnsc04,
Elizabeth Young wrote:

Hi, the new Liz again!
I have been cruising websites (what a lot of quilt stuff there is out
there!) and keep coming across 'paper piecing'. I understand how this
works, but have some questions.
#1 Wouldn't sewing through paper dull the needle really fast?
#2 How do you keep the pieces of fabric from shifting around on the
paper as you turn it over to sew?
#3 Does the fabric crawl away from under the paper when you sew it? (I
suppose that's #2 again).

My next quilted thing (of whatever size) will be a log cabin thing. No
paper required, just lots of strips!

Must go shopping. Must go shopping. Need more fabric.
aaaaaarrrrrrgh!

liz young in (still a little) sunny california


Now that you've heard from the paper-piecing guru (Carol Doak), there's
really nothing more to add, except that getting one (or more) of her
books and following her excellent technique suggestions makes it all
*so* easy!
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas

http://home.earthlink.net/~s_foster

I for one learned more from you Carol, than anyone else when it comes to
paper piecing. Your technique for trimming the seams is priceless.
juliasb

Carol Doak wrote:
Hi Liz:
Since your subject was right up my alley, I thought I would respond to your
questions:
No, paper does not dull your needle faster. If you sew a vellum, your needle
will dull faster. I like to use a product called, Papers for Foundation
Piecing, which can be purchased at your local quilt shop. This is a light
weight paper that will hold up during the paper piecing process and removes
easily. I do replace my 90/14 needle after 6 hours of sewing.
To keep the fabrics from shifting, you can pin (I like to use the flat flower
pins so the head of the pin does not get in the way when I fold the paper back
to trim), but cotton fabrics will cling to each other. When I add a really long
piece, I do pin because they it is more likely to shift.
Pressing the just added pieces with an iron set on a cotton setting and no
steam (steam will shrink the paper), not only creates a crisp seam, but it also
helps to keep the fabric pieces on the foundation in place.
Paper piecing is a wonderful way to produce very accurate patchwork, but just
like all methods, there are tricks and tips that make it easy and efficient.
Welcome and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.
All the best,
Carol Doak
http://quilt.com/CDoak


--
come and journey with me...
from darkness into New Life
http:\\www.nwlife.com