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Why do they tell you to do this?



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 1st 04, 10:55 PM
Mosiacquilter
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Default Why do they tell you to do this?

Ladies, I'm a slow, new-to-machinequilting quilter and have been lurking for
some time now. It's given me a lot of respect for your collective wisdom.
Please can you help ?

My problem; I've found a wall-hanging in the Kathleen Guerrier Little Book
of Little Quilts which I'd like to make, ( the Plain Sailing one). It's
foundation pieced with beach huts and sailing boats.

The instructions tell you to trace the outline of the beach huts and sailing
boats onto calico and then " turn the foundation fabric over to the side you
have not drawn on and place the first piece of fabric right side up over the
position of the centre square. Hold the calico up to the light to ensure the
placement is correct."

I'm sure I'm missing something here but why turn the foundation fabric over
? The pattern is symmetrical, I can't see how the pencil lines where you
trace the template will be seen when the block is finished and it seems to
make the whole thing unnecessarily complicated. I've got masses of fairly
thick unbleached cotton that I'd like to use for foundation but I can't
really see through it that well.

My family can't see it either !

Thanks,

Sue from Oxford, England


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  #2  
Old March 1st 04, 10:58 PM
Jalynne
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because if it's a directional pattern...it won't turn out backwards when you sew it.
What you have on the paper (or should have) is a reverse image of what you will have
when you're done.
--
Jalynne - Keeper of the Quilt for ME club list
Queen Gypsy (snail mail available upon request)
see what i've been up to at www.100megsfree4.com/jalynne
See what DH is up to at http://www.teamintraining.org/participant/kinney-162652

"Mosiacquilter" wrote in message
news:0jO0c.2455$zu.1503@newsfe1-win...
Ladies, I'm a slow, new-to-machinequilting quilter and have been lurking for
some time now. It's given me a lot of respect for your collective wisdom.
Please can you help ?

My problem; I've found a wall-hanging in the Kathleen Guerrier Little Book
of Little Quilts which I'd like to make, ( the Plain Sailing one). It's
foundation pieced with beach huts and sailing boats.

The instructions tell you to trace the outline of the beach huts and sailing
boats onto calico and then " turn the foundation fabric over to the side you
have not drawn on and place the first piece of fabric right side up over the
position of the centre square. Hold the calico up to the light to ensure the
placement is correct."

I'm sure I'm missing something here but why turn the foundation fabric over
? The pattern is symmetrical, I can't see how the pencil lines where you
trace the template will be seen when the block is finished and it seems to
make the whole thing unnecessarily complicated. I've got masses of fairly
thick unbleached cotton that I'd like to use for foundation but I can't
really see through it that well.

My family can't see it either !

Thanks,

Sue from Oxford, England




  #3  
Old March 1st 04, 10:58 PM
Jalynne
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I should add....if it's a perfectly symmetrical pattern, it doesn't matter either
way.
--
Jalynne - Keeper of the Quilt for ME club list
Queen Gypsy (snail mail available upon request)
see what i've been up to at www.100megsfree4.com/jalynne
See what DH is up to at http://www.teamintraining.org/participant/kinney-162652

"Mosiacquilter" wrote in message
news:0jO0c.2455$zu.1503@newsfe1-win...
Ladies, I'm a slow, new-to-machinequilting quilter and have been lurking for
some time now. It's given me a lot of respect for your collective wisdom.
Please can you help ?

My problem; I've found a wall-hanging in the Kathleen Guerrier Little Book
of Little Quilts which I'd like to make, ( the Plain Sailing one). It's
foundation pieced with beach huts and sailing boats.

The instructions tell you to trace the outline of the beach huts and sailing
boats onto calico and then " turn the foundation fabric over to the side you
have not drawn on and place the first piece of fabric right side up over the
position of the centre square. Hold the calico up to the light to ensure the
placement is correct."

I'm sure I'm missing something here but why turn the foundation fabric over
? The pattern is symmetrical, I can't see how the pencil lines where you
trace the template will be seen when the block is finished and it seems to
make the whole thing unnecessarily complicated. I've got masses of fairly
thick unbleached cotton that I'd like to use for foundation but I can't
really see through it that well.

My family can't see it either !

Thanks,

Sue from Oxford, England




  #4  
Old March 1st 04, 11:01 PM
Maine-iac Rose
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Posts: n/a
Default

I believe it is that way, so that you can see the lines that you drew so you
can sew on them. Don't know if I explained it too well, but hope so. That
is what happens when I paper piece, never did it onto fabric myself, but
eventually one of these day's will try it on muslin.

Maine-iac Rose
@---
remove the thorns and add a hyphen between the 2 words to email me.

"Mosiacquilter" wrote in message
The instructions tell you to trace the outline of the beach huts and

sailing
boats onto calico and then " turn the foundation fabric over to the side

you
have not drawn on and place the first piece of fabric right side up over

the
position of the centre square. Hold the calico up to the light to ensure

the
placement is correct."

I'm sure I'm missing something here but why turn the foundation fabric

over
? The pattern is symmetrical, I can't see how the pencil lines where you
trace the template will be seen when the block is finished and it seems to
make the whole thing unnecessarily complicated. I've got masses of fairly
thick unbleached cotton that I'd like to use for foundation but I can't
really see through it that well.

My family can't see it either !

Thanks,

Sue from Oxford, England




  #5  
Old March 2nd 04, 12:01 AM
Marcella Tracy Peek
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Because you sew on the lines you drew. If you put the fabric on the
side with the lines and then turned it over to sew you couldn't see the
line then.

You can do the paper foundation thing instead. Trace or copy the
drawing onto tissue weight or translucent vellum paper. You will then
be able to see through the paper enough to place your fabric accurately
and then sew on the line. After you have finished sewing the block you
remove the paper.

marcella

In article 0jO0c.2455$zu.1503@newsfe1-win,
"Mosiacquilter" wrote:

Ladies, I'm a slow, new-to-machinequilting quilter and have been lurking for
some time now. It's given me a lot of respect for your collective wisdom.
Please can you help ?

My problem; I've found a wall-hanging in the Kathleen Guerrier Little Book
of Little Quilts which I'd like to make, ( the Plain Sailing one). It's
foundation pieced with beach huts and sailing boats.

The instructions tell you to trace the outline of the beach huts and sailing
boats onto calico and then " turn the foundation fabric over to the side you
have not drawn on and place the first piece of fabric right side up over the
position of the centre square. Hold the calico up to the light to ensure the
placement is correct."

I'm sure I'm missing something here but why turn the foundation fabric over
? The pattern is symmetrical, I can't see how the pencil lines where you
trace the template will be seen when the block is finished and it seems to
make the whole thing unnecessarily complicated. I've got masses of fairly
thick unbleached cotton that I'd like to use for foundation but I can't
really see through it that well.

My family can't see it either !

Thanks,

Sue from Oxford, England


  #6  
Old March 2nd 04, 12:30 AM
Julia Altshuler
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I love this question. Once you get the hang of foundation piecing, the
answer will be so obvious you'll dopeslap your own forehead. Until you
get it, the whole process will be confounding. In my experience, women
have a lot of trouble with the concept, especially women who have
trouble with spacial relationships. Are you able to follow directions
to find an address easily? I'm horrible at it, really learning disabled
in that area. Foundation piecing was impossible for me. I kept trying
to follow the directions and getting hopelessly confused. I finally
took a class in the subject and still have to go step-by-step looking at
my notes when I do it.


With foundation piecing, you flip and sew. The pattern is on one side
where the lines are so you can see them and sew on them. The fabric is
on the other side. My boyfriend understood this concept immediately as
have the great number of men I've told it to without even having a
pattern or fabric at hand to make my point.


--Lia


Mosiacquilter wrote:

The instructions tell you to trace the outline of the beach huts and sailing
boats onto calico and then " turn the foundation fabric over to the side you
have not drawn on and place the first piece of fabric right side up over the
position of the centre square. Hold the calico up to the light to ensure the
placement is correct."

I'm sure I'm missing something here but why turn the foundation fabric over
?


  #7  
Old March 2nd 04, 02:08 AM
KJ
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Posts: n/a
Default

http://www.paperpanache.com/howto/buttrfly.htm

The above link has been the lifesaving trick for me to learn to paper piece
efficiently and without any "hold it up to the light" problems. I have
taught it at our guild meeting for a techniques day and teach it to friends
every chance I get. You will figure out how to cover odd shaped pattern
pieces as well as knowing which way a stripe (or grain) will lie after the
piece is flipped. I'd love to know if anyone else has learned this
technique from the website. I admit that I follow directions pretty well,
but I think the directions are so well written, almost anyone can learn the
trick. Happy paper foundation piecing!

--
Kathyl yup, that's an L

http://community.webshots.com/user/kathylquiltz


  #8  
Old March 2nd 04, 09:05 AM
Patti
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Default

Hullo Sue
What the others have said! You absolutely do need to see the pencil
lines clearly to sew on them. And, you do need to be able to see
through the foundation, whether paper or fabric, in order to get your
pieces added in the right way.
I will add that I have never liked foundation piecing onto fabric -
though I love FPP itself and have done a great deal of it. I wonder if
it would be easier for you to accept the processes if you tried one on
paper, just as an experiment. I realise that does involve you in the
'getting rid of the paper stage'. To help you with that: if you score
all the seams with a ruler and the back of your stitch ripper, they come
off beautifully cleanly. It takes a minute, but so does scratching away
at the paper to get the last tiny pieces off!!
If you have a lot of the thick cotton, perhaps you might like to try a
flip and sew method of making a quilt? That way you piece and quilt at
the same time.
..
In article 0jO0c.2455$zu.1503@newsfe1-win, Mosiacquilter
writes
Ladies, I'm a slow, new-to-machinequilting quilter and have been lurking for
some time now. It's given me a lot of respect for your collective wisdom.
Please can you help ?

My problem; I've found a wall-hanging in the Kathleen Guerrier Little Book
of Little Quilts which I'd like to make, ( the Plain Sailing one). It's
foundation pieced with beach huts and sailing boats.

The instructions tell you to trace the outline of the beach huts and sailing
boats onto calico and then " turn the foundation fabric over to the side you
have not drawn on and place the first piece of fabric right side up over the
position of the centre square. Hold the calico up to the light to ensure the
placement is correct."

I'm sure I'm missing something here but why turn the foundation fabric over
? The pattern is symmetrical, I can't see how the pencil lines where you
trace the template will be seen when the block is finished and it seems to
make the whole thing unnecessarily complicated. I've got masses of fairly
thick unbleached cotton that I'd like to use for foundation but I can't
really see through it that well.

My family can't see it either !

Thanks,

Sue from Oxford, England



--
Best Regards
pat on the hill
  #9  
Old March 2nd 04, 09:39 AM
Mosiacquilter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Many thanks to all you wise ladies ! Julia, you are absolutely right about
spatial relations thing. You're reading a lady who once sewed two dress
sleeves in inside out !

I've got all my fabric sorted out and I'm going to spend the morning looking
at the online tutorials recommended and then go for it. Don't hold your
breath though -I'm VERY slow .I will however follow the instructions to the
letter, something I'm not normally good at doing ( too ready to try
shortcuts)

I'm so inspired by all your quilt shows though and how quickly you all make
things. I love looking at them.

Sue, in sunny but cold Oxford ( -6deg C but all the spring flowers out and
some warmth in the sun)


  #10  
Old March 2nd 04, 02:05 PM
Julia Altshuler
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Posts: n/a
Default



I tried to get it by following directions step by step. The part that
tripped me up was always the part about how big to cut the fabric. The
instructions would say something along the lines of cutting the piece
large enough to cover the next area plus seam allowance. It makes sense
to me now, but at the time, it was incomprehensible. If you get there
and have trouble, just cut an oversize piece. Foundation piecing does
waste fabric in a way that traditional piecing does not. It saves on
not having to make templates, do math or fumble with accuracy. I now do
both depending on what's easiest for the particular block I'm making.


I'm always interested in how different minds work, the way one person
will understand a sewing method that depends on working in 3 dimensions
or having something come out in reverse or turning something over so you
sew on one side and have it come out on the other. Those are all the
things that drive me nuts though I have little trouble with the math.
Working with fractions and adding seam allowances is a proverbial piece
of cake for me. I believe that's why I took to quilting the first time
I tried it. Quilting is basically working in small flat surfaces unlike
finding addresses which is large flat surfaces or fitting dresses which
has the element of 3 dimensions. I'd never been interested in any sort
of sewing before. Well, I'd been interested enough to try but not
enough to finish one project and go on to the next.


The teaching method that seems to work when someone isn't stupid but is
having trouble with concepts in one area is rote memorization. That's
what you and I are doing with paper piecing. Not able to wrap our minds
around this business of having the pattern on one side with the fabric
on the other, we memorize what to do without understanding why we're
doing it. After we've done it enough times, the understanding comes
later. I've seen that happen with students and math. They don't really
get what's going on with those fractions and what's happening that
multiplying by 1/3 is the same as dividing by 3. That's a hard concept,
but if you use it enough, it starts to become apparent why it works, why
it is the same thing.


--Lia

 




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