Guide to Foundation Paper Piecing
The Beauty of a New York Beauty block is that it is quite easy to get beautiful perfect results courtesy Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP). FPP ensures we make perfect points, get perfect sized blocks, make complex patterns, all of it and more. However, here are a few tips to ensure we avoid problems/minimize having to whip out Jack the Ripper !
The curved piecing takes some getting used to - do it once, do it again, and again and soon you’ll be saying “been there, done that, piece of cake ”!
Let’s get to it then …
Check your Print settings
Remember that the templates are mirrored.
The order of fabrics I used was wrong ! So, make sure to arrange your fabrics in the reverse order in which you want them to appear. In this case, the polka dotted brown to beige would be the right sewing order,
Cut your pieces bigger
Make room for creative piecing
I’m not a very accurate piecer. The perfect 1/4” seam (let alone the scant 1/4” seam) constantly eludes me. As a result of which, I much prefer art quilting, improv quilting, modern quilting, etc to traditional quilting. But, I love to do this too ! My workaround, is to build in some ease for me to be able to trim the blocks.
I cut all my pattern pieces slightly larger on the sides - about 1/4” extra on either side as you can see in the first photo. Be sure to mark the edges and the midpoint of each curve before you start piecing else you’ll end up with ruffles ! Once my block is pieced, here’s what I do…
Working from strips of fabric
Typically, FPP leads to a lot of fabric wastage. Let’s see if we can minimise that. .
Curved Piecing
As intimidating as it seems, it really isn’t. It takes a bit of practice, and can be frustrating when we don’t get it right. But the key is to not force the two fabrics together. Gently coax them together. Manipulate the fabric. Don’t get disheartened when you see your fabric isn’t lying flat. A good ironing fixes a lot of problems !
If you have cut your pieces larger at the sides, like I do, remember to mark the exact measurements in the seam allowance and match them in order to avoid ruffles.
A few more things to remember :
Use a small stitch length to help tear the paper easily.
Lock your seams at the beginning and end of every seam in the seam allowance
Maintain a scant 1/4” seam to avoid cutting off points.
Reuse one side printed paper to avoid wasting good paper - that’s what I’m using too !
Any more tips and tricks you can share, please comment below !