paper piecing tip

Foundation paper piecing isn't hard, but it is a little tricky,

because you kind of have to work backwards.

(It's also rather tedious, but I'm hoping the perfection of it makes up for that...)

I was having a little bit of trouble getting my corner pieces in just the right spot,

and since I'd cut my fabric so that I'd have as little waste as possible,

well,

I sorta had to get my fabric in just the right spot.

Every time.

(if my triangle piece of fabric is off even a smidge, I may not end up with enough of a seam allowance for sewing blocks together)

So I enlisted some help.

I got one corner piece on exactly perfectly

(never mind how many tries it took me)

and then

using my sewing glasses and Lily's Crayola light box*

I took one of my fabric pieces and traced the seam line.

Now, all I have to do

is place my foundation paper on the light box and line up the seam lines

then add the fabric that I'm going to sew next - to complete the square.

Then

I take my template fabric away

and I can sew on my line,

 sure that
(provided I didn't move the triangle while picking up the whole shebang and turning it over)
 I'll end up with a perfectly placed corner,

and proper seam allowances

every

single

time.

Clever.

*I'm not sure where she gets it from ;-) but Lily is a little battery miser.

I can't step away from my machine for even a second

(which admittedly usually turns into minutes and even hours...)

without her fussing at me if I left her lightbox turned on.

The boys have saved me from a lecture on more than one occasion. (Whew)