Welcome to The Round Robin Edition 19 – English Paper Piecing.

happy monday….

in the sewing room…

This past week I’ve been working on the Cricut Maker.  It’s been fun to explore new options, and one that I am kind of testing out is cutting my own templates for hexagons!

So fun.  In a local modern quilt group I attend we learned all about English paper piecing and tried a few new tips.  I was able to cut out all the templates out for everyone….in less than 1/2 an hour! So quick. And much better than scissor work (though, that works great as well).

I don’t have anything made up using those hexagons…but maybe a new project will be coming!

Hope you have a wonderful week,

Becky

today’s topic…  English Paper Piecing

tips…

• Hole punch all your shapes so I can simply take out the thread and *pop* out the papers. This keeps the fabric shape nice and makes it easy to reuse the papers!
• Try out thread basting and glue basting…and go for what you like best.  I’ve tried both and I like the glue– it’s a bit quicker, but you might not be able to reuse the shape afterwards.
• Dig into your fabric scraps first! Epp is the perfect project for using up the smallest of fabric scraps!
• Directional fabric is fussy.  Make sure you are lining your template up just how you want before cutting.
• When you’re stitching your shapes together, use close & careful stitches and pull the thread tight.  You can use a whipstitch along the side, or along the bottom– neat little trick!
• If you want to save $$ with your epp, grab printable templates. Then you can simply print at home & cut your own shapes.
• Use a quilters knot or backstitch in the same place a couple of times to secure the thread.

sew it…

In the evening, there are some times when I just need a little project to work on.  Maybe something that I don’t really need to think about.  It comes together fairly quick and there aren’t a lot of extra pieces laying around like a hoop and a bunch of thread.

Hexagons are just that for me.  To me it is kind of mindless work that doesn’t require a whole lot of concentration or effort.

The hexagon flower is right now what I am obsessed about.  There are a few other flowers hanging about – besides this little cutie.  I am sure the pile will become large enough to do something with.

something fun…

How to English Paper Piece Video…   click here to read more.

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Make a Flower Hexagon Pin Cushion…  click here to read more

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Hexagon projects & Video Tutorials…. click here to read more

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Make your own templates… click here to read more

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Ultimate English Paper piecing blog post…. click here to read more

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quilty chit chat…

There have been a few fun projects posted in the Quilting 101 fb group.

Join the group for free here.

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For all the Round Robin editions- visit here.

Do you have a favorite resource online or in person that you love? Share it in the comments!