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Monday, January 26, 2009

Paper-piecing - NY Beauty Block

A couple starting notes:
A) Some peoplefind it helpful to pre-perforate their pattern on the lines before sewing on the fabric. This can be useful to help you fold more easily, as instructed below, and tear away the paper pattern more easily. An example of the perforated pattern can be found on my pineapple block PP tutorial.
B) Decrease the size of your stitch length a little. My standard length is set at 2.5 and I reduce to 2.0. This helps keep the seam set when you pull the paper away at the end.

Tutorial:
1) Take your first piece of fabric and your second piece of fabric and put them right sides together, along the long edge. With the B2 on the bottom, then the B1, then the pattern paper, print side up, hold all up to a light and be sure the fabric extends past the line between space B1 and space B2 by 1/4”. (picture to be posted soon)
2) Take to the machine and sew with paper on top. Start sewing directly at the line intersections
and finish down the line at the next intersections.
3) Take off machine, flip over and finger press seam open.
4) Turn back over and cut excess fabric off, as instructed below, before sewing on B3 fabric.
a) Fold pattern back on the line between B2 and B3.

b) Place your ruler on the fold measuring ¼” away from the fold,
c) trim off the excess fabric.
d) Unfold the pattern.
5) Take the B3 fabric and with right sides together with piece B2, matching edges, put pattern side up and sew along the line between B2 and B3.
Repeat steps 3
and 4 to remove excess fabric and continue in this manner until all B sections are sewn on.
You should end up with something like this.
6) Now, pin fabric to piece A, wrong side of fabric to back of paper pattern. Be sure fabric extends ¼” beyond the pattern lines.
If you trust yourself with scissors, use those to cut along the curved ¼” seam line (or ¼” away from pattern line if the distance isn’t already marked with a dotted line like in my pattern.) Cut BOTH pattern and fabric together.
If you are good with the rotary cutter, cut the same way. Looks like this.
Now do the same with section C
and trim around Section B.
7) Remove paper from the back of each section, tearing it off gently and using teasers to pull out small stuck pattern pieces.
Lastly, sew A, to B, and then to C to complete the block. Press to set and all done!

1 comment:

  1. This is a beautiful block. Thanks for the tutorial. One of these days I will try paper piecing.

    ReplyDelete