1. ­64 Quiltmaker • March/April ’16
Get Lined Up
with Paper Foundation Piecing
By Diane Harris
S
ewing on a foundation isn’t
a new idea—but sewing on a
paper foundation printed with
pattern lines, and sewing from the
under side, where the fabric is not?
Those are newer developments.
The history of foundation piecing is
complex, but Jane Hall points out in
The Experts’ Guide to Foundation
Piecing that “our grandmothers and
their mothers knew about this…We
did not invent this technique—we
are taking what came before and
expanding on it.” I love knowing
that quilters from years gone by
have used similar methods.
The terms “paper piecing” and
“foundation piecing” are often
used interchangeably to indicate
patchwork that’s created on a paper
foundation with sewing lines. At
Quiltmaker, we call it foundation
piecing.
If you’re somewhat new to this tech-
nique, it can feel like you’re sewing
in the dark, or “driving” blindfolded.
Sewing from the printed side of the
paper, with the fabric hidden, is so
strange when you’re used to seeing
the fabric. Our best advice is to do
it enough that you get comfortable
with the process—and soon that “in
the dark” feeling will subside.
Possibly the most exciting thing
about foundation piecing is that it
makes anything possible! From the
tiniest pieces (for which we’d never
make a template) to the sharpest
angles, now we can sew them with
no problems. Remember: With this
technique, it’s no more difficult to
sew tiny patches or sharp angles
than to sew large patches and wide
angles. It’s all just sewing on the
lines.
We asked readers how they feel about
foundation piecing, and from their
answers, three groups emerged.
“Love it.”
“Hate it.”
“Never tried it” or “Afraid to try.”
Not everyone enjoys foundation piec-
ing, and that’s okay. But in case you
want to try it, or try it again, here are
our best tips to make it go smoothly.
Learn by watching someone in action
and then doing it yourself. A live
class or a video will make learn-
ing easier than following written
instructions.
Remember to shorten your stitch
length. We recommend 1.5 mm
which is 18–20 stitches per inch.
This helps ensure the stitches stay
put when the paper is removed, and
the paper will tear away more easily.
Save time and fabric by precut-
ting strips or individual patches.
Determine the strip width or the
size of square, rectangle or triangle
that will cover the foundation patch
area. Cut the number needed. If the
patches are not symmetrical, the
fabric patches you cut will all need
to be right side up (or all right side
down). This can be tricky so test one
patch before cutting the rest.
We suggest leaving the paper on
until the unit or block is sewn into
the quilt top. Like many methods, it
comes down to personal preference
and it depends on the quilt.
Learn to control the grainline of
foundations with one of the best
tutorials ever written. Never Rip,
Control the Flip also guides you
in how to use directional fabrics.
Find it at quiltmaker.com/articles/_
never_rip_control_the_flip.
Must-Have Tools
Lightweight paper for the founda-
tions. Regular printer paper is
heavier than ideal. Two options
are Papers for Foundation Piecing
from Martingale and Carol Doak’s
Foundation Paper from C&T. Both
come in a 100-sheet package. Visit
QuiltandSewShop.com for these
products. One reader suggests
using kids’ doodle pads; she cuts
sheets 81⁄2" x 11" to feed through the
printer.
A small flat piece of plastic or card-
stock to make it easier to fold the
foundation back on the lines.
One of the most useful tools for
foundation piecing is a nifty little
gadget called the Add-A-Quarter,
designed by Carolyn McCormick
(addaquarter.com). It allows for
just-right placement of each patch.
We recommend it. Available at
QuiltandSewShop.com.
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