Tag: English paper piecing

Bag Lady

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Hello, again! I realized that I have more things to share that have been completed in the past few months. I am always busy making things.

Back in an earlier blog post, I shared some WIPs that I was working on finishing. I have finished the Coffee Quaker piece by Heartstring Samplery. I love this piece so much. I framed it myself giving it the padded treatment with batting beneath the stitched piece and it hangs in my kitchen where I can admire it daily. It certainly does speak the truth. I MUST have a cup of coffee before I do a thing. This has always been the case with me and will likely always be!

finished and framed cross stitch entitled Coffee Quaker

But what does this Coffee Quaker have to do with bags, you ask? Well, I always keep my projects in various bags, that is true. But these projects I’m about to share below are simply bags. In fact, I purchased the sewing pattern, Simply Chic Bag, from Geta Grama at www.getasquiltingstudio.com. Her instructions are very clear and there are several photos to go along with the instructions so you can make a wonderful bag (or 3) for yourself.

The first bag I made was to incorporate some English paper piecing I worked on featuring some fun fabrics I purchased at my local Tuesday Morning, which is sadly closing. I really had fun making the bag because I could feature the panel that was paper pieced. I purchased the black and white honeycomb fabric from Joann Fabrics. The interior plaid fabric may have been given to me. I really cannot recall!

What I love the most about this bag are the sturdy interior pockets. The magnetic snap is also a nice touch. I used to think that making a lined bag was so complicated! But it really isn’t. I don’t consider myself a really good seamstress but these bags turned out so nice, it has boosted my confidence a great deal. Give this bag a try for yourself. It’s a great way to showcase favorite fabrics.

Here is the next bag I made, using a heavy canvas that I adorned with yarn using my sewing machine and a technique called couching. I am currently using this bag to carry the baby blanket I am knitting for my great niece, who is expecting her first baby this summer. Once that project is finished, I’ll post about it here.

This next bag featured below is made with some fabric I pieced together using the quilt-as-you-go hexagon method. These hexies are made on the machine, so no hand piecing here. The hexagon fabrics also came from Tuesday morning. This bag is for my father-in-law’s wife, who loves animal prints. She will receive it for Mother’s Day. Each hexagon is made on the machine then I used invisible thread to piece them together using a zig zag stitch. You can likely see this in the photos.

So, go sew yourself a bag or two. There are many many patterns out there available for purchase, or you may find a freebie out there, too. Thanks for stopping by to read about my projects!

English Paper Piecing, I love you!

There are no affiliate links in this blog post. I simply add links so you can go to the sites where I got information or tutorials.

Do you know what English paper piecing is? I have heard of it for a very long time, but admittedly avoided it, thinking it is something slow and clunky and out-of-date and I would never be interested in it. But then, I stumbled across something, I can’t even remember what, and then I was making hexagons. Firstly, I purchased two books for my Kindle reader. One is All Points Patchwork, and the other is Quilting on the Go. These books really helped me get started with EPP.

Here is my brief explanation of what English paper piecing (EPP) is: It is a method of joining shaped pieces of fabric together using shaped paper as a stabilizer into a piece of patchwork that is used as a quilt or other smaller project. So I found a free printable template of hexagons in various sizes, and I printed a page on regular printer paper, carefully cut out the hexies, then cut some fabric larger than the hexie, then using a needle and thread, I shaped the fabric around the hexie and secured it with some stitches. The paper remains in the fabric only until that shape has been joined with other shapes. Then you remove the paper. If you’re careful, you can reuse the paper.

Here is the first thing I made with EPP hexies. It’s a pin cushion! I absolutely love it. These fabrics came from the very first jelly roll I ever purchased. I didn’t know what I’d ever make with it, but I loved the fabrics. The fabric strips in this jelly roll were 2 1/2″ wide, so it definitely limits you as to what size hexagons you can make. But for these, it worked out great.

A hexie pin cushion!
Look at those adorable fabrics!
Cute as a bug

I also made smaller hexies and made this bag. The bag pattern is a free, wonderful tutorial by The Sewing Chick, found here. I have made a few of her zipper pouches in the past, but this is the first time I’ve ever incorporated EPP into one.

I am in love
It’s even lined! The Sewing Chick made a wonderful tutorial. I highly recommend you check it out!

Did I mention I was terrified of zippers? The tutorial helped me realize there really isn’t anything to fear.

Then I started making 60 degree diamonds to make these stars. Oh my stars. I am using a charm pack of fabric called 30’s Playtime by Moda Fabrics that I purchased from a private seller on eBay. Love them! Here is the first star I made.

Do you see the papers in the top of this photo? They have a hole in them to facilitate easier removal with a crochet hook.

I am making one star per day. Love them! I hope to incorporate these stars into a large stylish tote bag. I will likely use 60 degree diamonds in a white fabric to offset the stars.

Do you notice how crisp these shapes are? That’s because of the paper. In these stars, I used card stock instead of regular printer paper. I felt that the nature of the diamond needed a bit more substantial paper. Here is the back of a star.

In this photo, you can see my tack stitches. The stitches simply tack the folded fabric down without going through the paper templates. With larger shapes, your basting stitches will go through the fabric and the paper. This means when it’s time to remove the paper, you need to cut and remove your basting stitches. This step can be eliminated with glue basting, which I have yet to try. I have ordered a special glue pen for basting and should receive it soon.

There is something very therapeutic about English paper piecing. I suppose if I told myself I needed to make a queen sized quilt out of 1 1/2″ hexagons, I would be very turned off and not want to continue on. It sounds like it could be very monotonous and boring. I would likely give up, shove everything in a bag, and start something else. But what I love about this craft is the amount of control I have. Sometimes, I attempt to sew fabrics together on my machine, and I mess up. Or I make a quilt block and then look closely at it and all my mistakes I didn’t notice until things don’t line up. I find that very frustrating and discouraging. With EPP, I feel like because I am working by hand, I have so much control over how all these different pieces of fabric some together. Here are some other EPP things I have going on. I may not yet know what I’ll make with these, but I know I will make something because I really love the fabrics.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you learned something new today and perhaps this post piqued your interest in English paper piecing. I look forward to stitching more pieces and exploring more complex designs.