English paper piecing (EPP) is a quilting technique that involves hand-sewing fabric pieces around paper shapes to create intricate designs. This process dates back to the 1770 and became wildly popular in the 1800’s. Traditionally this has been done with hexagons, diamonds, and other geometric shapes. In this workshop however, we will explore the process of creating our own unique EPP design using improv techniques.
Starting with a 9” x 12” piece of cardstock, we will discuss how to create a quilt design and the required paper pieces for your design. We will also discuss the best approach for cutting out your fabric with sufficient seam allowance, best practice for labeling your paper pieces and how to handle alignment of your pieces when sewing. We will briefly touch on glue basting your fabric to your paper pieces. We will then begin the stitching process and will touch on how to do the whipstitch, and flat back stitch to assemble your design.
We will also discuss ideas for expanding the size of your piece to add scale and how to add additional interest by the fabric selections made.
Having some knowledge of EPP is helpful, but not required.