Here we go! Time to start linking up. If you don't already have the book and materials to get started, I will refer you to a prior post which lists what you will need to get going. Click on the link and you can get together the items you'll need.
Some rules for the link up:
1. You may post once during each link up.
2. You must link back to this post..
3. Advertisers, please be respectful and don't post unless you are quilting along with us. If you do, you will be removed and blocked. Should you wish to advertise on my blog, please contact me directly and we can discuss that separate from this link up.
Each month as we move along, you can join in anytime! I am excited to see what you are putting together. If you have hints and tips that you feel will be helpful, please send them along to me at SisterOfTheDivide@gmail.com
My first tip to you is, in additon to obtaining Willyne Hammersteins's book Millefiori Quilts, if you are just learning English Paper Piecing, I would strongly suggest that you also purchase Diane Gilleland's book All Points Patchwork. It is an excellent resourse to help you with how to manage your fabric around your paper pieces. You can get a digital download pretty inexpensively $9.99 on Amazon.com.
Tip two: if you are not going to purchase the acrylic templates from PaperPieces.com then I suggest that you purchase some inexpensive template plastic, you don't need a large sheet, from your local craft or quilt shop and create some templates for yourself. This will help you to fussy cut your fabric and to keep your pieces neat. It will ensure that you are cutting a piece large enough to actually properly encompass your paper piece.
To do this, I put a little dab of glue on a template, placed it on the plastic and used my ruler to draw around it with a fine point indelible marker, then measure again, 1/4 inch away from your paper piece and draw another set of lines. This will be your selvage and will fold over your paper piece. By using template plastic you can easily mark key points on your fabric to line up your pieces for fussy cutting. Mark your templates with the pattern piece alpha letter so that you are using the proper template.
Tip three: I have never used the glue method before, I am a convert! The pieces for La Passacaglia are so small that it really makes it fast and easy to get your pieces pasted and ready to stitch together. Drawback, removal and reuse of the papers is not really practical. Here is a picture of the backside of my starting rosette. You can see that it makes for a very neat and tidy result.
There is a great group of folks on Facebook and I would encourage you to join that group, lots of inspiration and good camaraderie. You can find them by searching Millefiori/ La Passacaglia English Paper Piecing.
On their site is a great little link for The Flat Back Stitch a tutorial which is posted here: The Flat Back Stitch on the DIY Addict Blog.
Alrighty then! Open for link up!
This is a really beautiful example of fussy cutting! I wish I could find some nice fabrics that are suitable for this. Must go back to hunting through the shops again...
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