Paper piecing can refer to two similar
styles of quilting techniques: English
paper piecing or foundational paper
piecing. Both techniques involve using
a paper pattern upon which you stitch
your quilt fabrics, often used to make
complex shapes, motifs, or geometric
designs. Because the act of sewing with
a shortened stitch length perforates the
paper, the paper can then be torn away
at the end, leaving a beautifully stitched
design behind. Historically, quilters
have used things like newspapers,
old letters, or other scrap papers for
paper piecing, and some old quilts can
be placed in their historical context
because the dated newspapers were
left inside!
We wanted to create a way to honor
this traditional quilting method while
giving it a modern update, and thus,
our paper piecing technique was born!
Unlike traditional paper piecing, Anita’s
paper piecing method isn’t just for
quilt blocks—we incorporate the paper
pieced fabric sections into appliqué
shapes, and incorporate those paper
pieced shapes into many types of
designs in our embroidery and quilting
collections. This enables you to fill
each section of your appliqué shape
with multiple fabric types, fabric colors,
interesting prints, or anything you’d
like! Then, each paper pieced appliqué
shape is finished off with a beautiful
satin stitch outline.
With our paper piecing method, you
can place, stitch, and trim your fabrics
all in the hoop, creating intricate
designs with crisp lines, no paper
required! A paper piecing appliqué
will start with placing one (or several)
standard appliqués as the “foundation”
for the next folded fabric steps. The
placement stitch will visually tell you
exactly how much fabric you’ll need
to lay down, making this technique
great for using up the scrap fabrics
accumulating in your craft room. The
next step will be a tacking stitch to
secure the appliqué, then the actual
“piecing” can begin! Every subsequent
step within the appliqué shape will
have a placement stitch, a folding stitch,
and a tacking stitch. The folding stitch,
stitched just inside the appliqué’s edge,
marks exactly where to fold your fabric,
so there’s no folding by guesswork.
Our paper piecing technique gives you
the beautiful look of traditional paper
piecing, but does all the hard work for
you. You can use multiple fabrics to add
interest, dimension, and flair to your
paper piecing appliqués. Use fabrics in
the same color family for a tonal look,
or spice it up by using multiple colors
or prints. You’ll see that paper piecing
can be used to create fun stripes, fill in
irregular shapes, and so much more!
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