Making a Quilt block with perfect corners all the time might not be easy for beginners, but there are two quilting methods that will help you to get every block well done!
English Paper Piecing VS Foundation Paper Piecing, these are two methods used by quilters around the world to make their quilts, while the first one is sewn by hand, the second can be sewn on your sewing machine, both are good and will help you to make many different blocks for your quilts.
As a beginner, or if you have been making your own quilts for some time, you might want to know more about these two quilting methods, and their Pros and their Cons.
What Is English Paper Piecing?
The English Paper Piecing is a method used to make quilt blocks or a whole quilt, by using paper templates, as each piece of fabric should be stabilized with a paper template, then you will stitch on those stabilized pieces of fabric together to make a block or a whole quilt by hand. When all the pieces of fabric are sewn into larger quilt blocks, the paper templates should be removed, and these templates can be reused for another quilting project.
The most known English Paper Piecing patterns are: Hexies, Apple Core, and Shells.
Pros Of Using English Paper Piecing To Make Your Quilts
- Low-Tech, as it’s sewn by hand, and you don’t need any Patchwork tools to make it, you can cut the paper templates with a pair of scissors as well all the pieces of fabric,
- You can keep working to make your quilt blocks on vacations or on any waiting room.
- You can sew on some pieces first to make some blocks, and then sew on these blocks to make a whole quilt.
- The paper templates used on this method can be reused many times.
Cons Of using English Paper Piecing To Make Your Quilts
- As it’s sewn by hand, it can take a few days, weeks, months and even years to finish a quilt.
Related Post: English Paper Piecing – Heart FREE Pattern
What Is Foundation Paper Piecing?
The Foundation Paper Piecing is often made on your sewing machine, the pattern used is usually to make a whole block, that has a numbered sequence to follow, and the pattern is drafted on a foundation paper or on a piece of muslin fabric. The Quilt block is made by sewing each piece of fabric to the foundation paper, using the stitch and flip method, when the block is completed, the foundation paper will be removed from the block by carefully tear away the paper from the block.
Pros Of Using Foundation Paper Piecing
- It’s sewn on your sewing machine.
- Each pattern has a numbered sequence to follow, this will help you to work on each block better.
- When working with this method, you can get accurate points and corners on your quilt blocks.
- Today there are plenty of blocks to make with this method.
Cons Of Using Foundation Paper Piecing
- It can be a challenge for beginners, as it takes time to work with the stitch and flip method.
- There is a bigger waste of fabric.
>> Click here to download the Foundation Paper Piecing – Heart FREE Pattern <<
Closing
When you love to make your own quilts, sooner or later you will be working with the English Paper Piecing or with the Foundation Paper Piecing, and you might be wondering which is better.
As a quilter I can pick one or the other as a better way to make a quilt block, as both have some pros and cons.
One is easier to make, but it needs to be sewn by hand, the other can be sewn on a sewing machine, but it can be a real challenge for some quilters.
If you ask me for a tip, I would say work on both methods to make your quilts, and start with easy to make Foundations Paper Piecing patterns to understand how it works, it will get better and easier as you get some experience working with this method.
I hope you give the Foundation Paper Piecing a chance, and if you’re looking for a quilt to make with this method, I will be making a quilt this year with many patterns made with this method, hope you join the fun.
Thanks for reading my blog today and sharing it on your Social Media.
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