Honchey

I think if you become a member of her Yahoo group it's in the files.. Quilting on the square also has free tutes for pping and they have a free monthly collection of pping blocks...sign up!

The hardest thing I found with pping when I first started was getting the fabric to lay the correct way after it was flipped..trimming the seam can be tricky if you don't have the paper & fabric underneath out of the way..I have cut off many a corner and had to do that whole section over ...I was too anxious to get it done!!!

Get the book out and sew a couple of the easy blocks just using scraps & see how you do..then you'll see what steps in the process you need to improve..That's the best advice I can give...I'm no expert, I make boo boo's like everyone else and we all help in figuring out what to do to improve... I can remember when the tail end of a seam was always thinner than the rest..it finally dawned on me that my finger was too close to the presser foot and kept the fabric from going against the guide..till today I still have to remember to keep my finger away.. and I still cannot sew a straight line

katybob

Terri Lynn, there are tons of free tutorials on u-tube. I just looked at one from Connecting Threads that seemed pretty easy to follow. Here's the link (I hope):

Well, the link didn't work. Go to utube and search on paper piecing tutorials and you'll see a lot of them.

sunrise450

Hi all, I've been following along and enjoy reading everything. I won't be starting at the same time as you all. We have to go back east and won't be back till around the end of August. So I will play catch-up in Sept.
I have my book and started printing patterns. I also have 30's fabric galore and have bought the 30's plain colors to go with. Am considering buying a pack of 30's 5" charms from Missouri Star. Right now their special is a 30's charm pack for $1.88. Even with shipping this is a great deal. You'd be surprised what you can get out of a charm when doing small blocks like these.
I think I will take my book with me and read it while we are driving or should I say while my dh is driving! I'll be taking my iPad with me so I will be be able to eavesdrop. LOL!

Honchey

Have a safe trip and start whenever you want to. That's what's great about this ride..you can get on and off whenever the need arises...

janRN

Honchey has excellent advice (especially keeping your fingers out of the way LOL). I'd like to add one that to this day is the most important step I learned: placing fabric piece #1. With your paper pattern printing facing YOU, your first piece of fabric is right side DOWN. Then you can build from there. I repeat this like a mantra everytime I start a new section.

Anyone have any advice on how to cut the long narrow triangles correctly? I'm always off-either too narrow or I waste a hunk of fabric because I haven't discovered how to cut them. Thanx!

Honchey

Jan, #1. starch & press your fabric, #2. print the template for the long narrow triangle, #3 place & pin the template on the fabric making sure it's the correct angle. cut around the template leaving at least a 1/3" around the outside edge of the template. if there is more than one of these triangles in the same color going the opposite way, fold the fabric and cut out 2 of them, then you'll have one for each side...Try to keep one side of the triangle going along the straight of the fabric especially if it's an outside edge...

Jan, when you're holding & looking at the paper with the print side facing you don't you place the fabric with the backside of the fabric against the unprinted side?

janRN

Thanks, Anne--I tried tracing and leaving the extra fabric around the edge and it worked. I have to remember to cut one going in both directions, right & left. Thank you, thank you!!

Yep, when you're looking at the printed side you lay it down on the wrong side of the fabric which is right side down on the cutting mat. I know what I mean, I just don't know how to say things; you summed it up and made more sense out of my directions. I have more trouble getting that first piece in place and this helped me so I hope it helps someone else.

CookyIN

The easiest way for me to remember how to place the first piece is to remind myself that I'll be tearing the paper away from the BACK of the fabric. Otherwise, it would be really easy for me to sew the paper to the front!

Honchey

I'll be working this week Tuesday - Friday so I'm taking all my 30's fabric to starch & press.. DH doesn't like when I leave the ironing board up and insists on putting it away. I can do this between taking care of the customers... It will create some interest for the people browsing the store. Maybe they'll even buy a machine...

I cut fabric for 4 blocks last nite , put everything back in the baggies and they're ready to go Gosh, I've never been this organized with a project before...it's a great feeling!

I searched the book and the CD for the block placement chart and discovered there isn't one..I could have sworn I saw one somewhere.. I'll email Laurie and ask her...

It's going to be a scorcher here today.. Stay cool everyone!!!

QuiltingNinaSue

Its in the book, Honchey.