Tag: Blocks

We are working on learning foundation piecing (also called paper piecing) using a pattern called New York Compass. If you are just finding this tutorial, go to part 1 to see the supply list and learn how to prepare your pieces.

I am using an aqua with white dots for my background and a red with white  dots for my foreground. You should have already cut your rectangles for both foreground and background at 2.5″x6″. If not, do it now, as you will need them almost immediately.

The sections of Section C are marked in the order in which you should piece them. Start with C1. Odd numbers are the background and even numbers indicate you should use the foreground fabric.

You will be piecing from one side (C1) towards the middle to the other side (C17).

1. Set up your sewing machine with an applique’ foot or similar. You will not need your quarter inch foot for the foundation piecing part of the process.
2. Shorten the stitch length. If you can’t shorten the stitch length, remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of each line of stitching.
3. If you are a speed demon, and the option is available on your machine, slow down your machine a little bit. You will need to control the speed at the beginning and the end of the stitching lines.
4. Place your Section C pattern face down on a flat surface.

5. 

   Cover piece C1 with one of the background rectangles you cut in Part 1. Place the fabric so there is at least 1/4″ of fabric around each piece. You get extra bonus points if you line one long straight edge with the straight line at the end of the pattern.

6. Now, hold these two pieces in one hand (optionally you can clip them together with a WonderClip) and hold the whole piece up to the light (facing a window or a lamp or on a light box). Take note of where the line is between C1 and C2.

7. 

   Still holding your pieces up to the light, take one of your foreground rectangles and place one of its edges 1/4″ from the line between C1 and C2. This will be the seam allowance and that quarter inch should hang over the line into C2.

8. Put all the pieces carefully back down on your table.
9. Pin the two fabrics to the paper, keeping the pin away from the line between C1 and C2. You want enough space so the pin doesn’t interfere with the foot on your sewing machine. I like to pin on my cutting mat so I don’t damage the furniture.
10. Fold the foreground piece back to make sure that it covers C2. You will fold it on the line between C1 and C2. That will be your sewing line. You can move the pins to the front if you want to make for easier sewing.

11. 

    Flip the whole thing over and take a look.

12. Once pinned, check again to make sure that you have at least 1/4″ all around C1 (background) and C2 (foreground).
13. Take your piece to the sewing machine and sew on the line between C1 and C2. Do not go over. Only sew on that line.

14. 

    Back stitch at the beginning and the end. One backstitch is fine.

15. 

    Remove the piece from under the presser foot and fold your foreground over to check and make sure it covered C2.

    

    You can see the foreground fabric through the background, which is why you need to trim. Depending on the colors you use, this may not be the case, but you don’t want to build up so many layers that you cannot quilt through the piece.

16. Take Section C back to your cutting mat and place it so the paper part of the pattern is on top.

17. 

    Fold the paper back on the seam line so the excess seam allowance is exposed. You are going to cut this off, so it is worthwhile to take a minute and make sure you are not cutting off the wrong part (the part you need to cover your background and spikes).

18. 

    Line up your ruler with the 1/4″ line on the seam line and trim the excess seam allowance.

19. 

    Take your piece to your ironing surface and place it with the paper down. Press towards the foreground, so you get rid of as much of the “bump'” from the seam as you can. Press towards the middle of your pattern. You want the foreground fabric to be as flat as you can get it. Pressing is very important. It is possible that there will be a bump when you put the next piece over the previous one, if you don’t press well.

20. Your foreground piece should cover the line between C2 and C3 and give you a 1/4″ seam allowance.
21. Once you have pressed the foreground flat, you are ready to put on the next background piece.
22. Take one of your background rectangles and place one of its edges 1/4″ from the line between C2 and C3, smoothing (without stretching) the foreground piece you sewed, so it is as flat as possible. Again, this will be the seam allowance and that quarter inch should hang over the line into section C3. You may need to hold it up to the light again to position the piece correctly.
23. Once you have the correct placement, pin in place.
24. Once pinned, check again to make sure that you have at least 1/4″ all around C2 (background) .

25. 

    Take your piece to the sewing machine and sew on the line between C2 and C3. Do not sew beyond the end of that line. Only sew on that line.

26. 

    Repeat this process, alternating between foreground and background until you reach the other end of Section C. As you move down the pattern, your Section C will start to look like something you could put into a block.

27. 

    Use your rotary cutting kit to trim the straight edges of Section C.

28. 

    From the paper pattern side of Section C, I eyeball a 1/4″ and trim the curves with very sharp scissors. There are some serious layers here, so I am not fooling when I say sharp.

The finished Section C is a sight to behold. Even after making several of these sections, I amazed each time it comes out relatively normal.

Tips:

• If you have to rip out stitches, rip them out from the fabric side, not the paper side.
• Pay attention to putting the next piece on the foundation.

Resources:

• Christine Thresh’s Paper Piecing Primer
• Cindi Edgerton’s How to Foundation Piece instructions
• Foundation Piecing video
• Paper Panache’s Foundation Piecing Instructions
• Paper Piecing the Carol Doak way
• Johanna Masko’s Flickr-based Machine paper piecing tutorial

Part 3 is next.

Frances talked about foundation piecing in one of her recent podcasts. I am nothing if not an accommodating 😉 teacher, so I thought we would tackle a foundation piecing pattern next. This is called New York Compass, a variation of the New York Beauty pattern. It is a little more complex than the patterns we have been working on, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and nudge Frances to step up. She has done curves, so I am confident she can do this one.

In part 1, we will prep everything.

Supplies:

• Notebook for notes
• Pen to take notes 😉
• Sewing Machine
• applique’ foot (preferably one with a mark showing where the needle will stitch)
• 1/4″ foot
• thread
• fabric
• fabric scissors
• paper scissors
• foundation piecing paper like Toni’s Disappearing Paper or Carol Doak’s Foundation Paper
• pins
• Rotary cutter
• rulers
• template plastic
• template plastic friendly pen (Bic works)
• glue stick
• iron and ironing surface
• thin pressing cloth
• New York Compass pattern
• Optional: Wonderclips
• Optional: Lightbox

1. 

   Print the pattern sheets (all 4). I only have 8.5″x11″ paper so the pattern comes out on 4 sheets. Use some kind of foundation piecing paper to print the pattern. Nota Bene: I keep a folder for all of my projects, so I like to print at least 2, if not 3 copies of the pattern. One I use to make the templates, one I will tape together and keep whole (you can use regular copy paper for this one) and one I will use for the foundations.

2. 

   Trim off the margins and tape the parts together. Note, the tape will not play nicely with your iron when you press the foundation pieced parts so USE A PRESSING CLOTH. A scrap of fabric or ugly fabric work great. Guess how I found out?

3. 

   Above is how the templates shake out: 3 regular plastic backed templates and two foundation templates.

4. 

   Rough cut the parts of the pattern apart. You will have 5 parts. Two of them will be foundation piecing patterns and 3 of will need to be made into regular templates with template plastic.

5. 

   

   I am going to refer to the skinny spikes piece as Section C. Section C is in the middle.

6. Make your templates. You must add a quarter of inch to your paper templates (not the ones that will be foundation pieced. If you don’t know how to make templates with template plastic, refer to my tutorial on Machine Applique’ Part 1. Make sure you put the plastic on the correct side (wrong side of fabric).

7. 

   Cut rectangles for foundation piecing 2.5″x 6.5″. This is a generous rectangle. You aren’t going to save any fabric with this technique and you should worry more about coming up short, because ripping out stitches is a real pain.

8. There is one tricky part about these templates. You will need to add a 1/4″ to the curve. The way you do that is to: A) glue the paper template to the largest piece of template plastic you have (you may have to piece the template plastic). B) Take your ruler and start at the left end of the paper template. Line the ruler’s 1/4″ mark up with the dark outline on the paper template (you should still have a rough cut paper template before you glue the paper to template plastic). C) Make a mark with a template plastic friendly pen at the 1/4″. D) Move your ruler slightly to the right and make another mark at the 1/4″ point. E) Follow the curved line of the paper part of the template with your ruler until you reach the far right side of the ruler. F) Cut along the dots you have made in as smooth a motion as you can using your paper scissors. You should now have a quarter inch seam allowance along your template. Repeat for all curved templates.

9. Cut your fabrics. Nota Bene: When you cut the fabrics for Section C, cut rectangles for these spikes at 2.5″.

10. 

    Check to make sure you have cut your rectangles large enough. Take your Section C and lay it face up. Cover the first section (labeled C1 on my pattern) to make sure your rectangle covers the entire section C1 plus 1/4″ seam allowance around all sides.

Now go to Part 2 to learn the actual foundation piecing.

Tips:

• If you have to rip out stitches, rip them out from the fabric side, not the paper side.

Resources:

• Christine Thresh’s Paper Piecing Primer
• Cindi Edgerton’s How to Foundation Piece instructions
• Foundation Piecing video
• Paper Panache’s Foundation Piecing Instructions
• Paper Piecing the Carol Doak way
• Johanna Masko’s Flickr-based Machine paper piecing tutorial