Friday, July 12, 2013

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)


1 comment:

  1. brilliant!! too bad you didnt think of that sooner!! and turn off that light!! lol! good for lily!!and good for the boys! cuz a lecture from the children is never fun! xoxo

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