Paper-Piecing Adventures

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You might remember that I signed up for Don't Call Me Betsy's Lucky Stars BOM a little while ago. Paper-piecing is a technique I really want to get better at because you can achieve such amazing results with it.

When I packed for the weekend at the cottage this week, I decided to pack the materials I would need to make a couple of paper-pieced stars... The January and February 2014 blocks to be exact.

For the 2014 stars, I decided to use the Little Apples fat quarter bundle I purchased a long time ago. I wasn't sure the bigger prints would work with paper-piecing, but I went ahead anyways.

Here is my January star: The Sparkling Star...

I had a few problems getting the seams to lie flat because there is A LOT of bulk where those seams meet, especially in the middle. So the results aren't as nice as I had hoped. In addition to the bulky seams, all those bias edges really stretched on me so there is a lot of wavy stuff going on here. Lesson learned with this block: buy startch!

And this is the February star: The Shazam Star...

I am a lot happier with this one. However, the seams don't all match. This could be the bias edges again so this might be resolved in the future by using starch when I press the finished units.

For the 2013 stars, I am using a Fig Tree & Co. Fabric collection. This is the January star:

The February Star:

And the March star:

I haven't decided yet if these stars will ever get sewn together into a quilt, but they are amazing practice.

Do you paper-piece? If yes, do you have any tips for me? I would love to read them so leave them in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by!

Izzy

 

Comments

  1. MoneikFebruary 10, 2014 at 1:01 PM

    Do you use add a 1/4" or 1/8" rulers? These really help with the seam allowances and the accuracy. A light box or a light under a clear sewing table work really well for lining up the fabrics. I also use a glue stick to stick the first fabrics, instead of a pin. It seems more accurate.

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  2. n CarterFebruary 10, 2014 at 8:09 PM

    I have done some paper piecing - mostly small stuff, like 4" squares. I have also subscribed to these star blocks, but haven't attempted any yet. I should get going on them. Your star blocks look good! Sorry I have no tips for you, but at least I know when I start mine that I could run into the same problems you did.

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  3. Susan at TheBoredZombie.comFebruary 11, 2014 at 7:31 PM

    Wow! Look at those! I love them! Paper piecing is fun, but it is surprisingly time consuming isn't it? Worth it.

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