How to Foundation Piece a Quilt Block

Many people have done "Quilting", but are put off by the labor-intensive cutting and fitting process that makes a quilt block. "Paper Piecing", or "Foundation" quilting, takes all the hassle out of cutting and sewing your quilt block. You can even use oddly shaped pieces of fabric scraps without extra cutting.

Here's how those expert quilters sew those acute angles with absolute precision every time. And it's so easy that it's practically "quilt by number"!

1. 

    1000 Member Celebration Block.
   Select your pattern and photocopy or print enough of them to make your quilt. You will need one copy per block. Use the thinnest/lightest weight paper that will work with your printer/copier for ease in removal.
2. 

    Fabric Selection.
   Select your fabrics.
3. Launder all of your fabrics. Washing them first means that the worst shrinkage, running, fading, etc. takes place before they're stitched.
4. 

    Ironing.
   Iron the fabrics smooth if necessary.
5. Cut rectangles or squares in sizes which will cover the shapes in your pattern blocks. These can actually be ripped/torn in strips and then cut for speed and ease. Note that with lighter-weight fabric, tearing/ripping will damage as much as 1.5" of fabric, and can be very wasteful.
6. Notice that the pattern pieces are numbered in the order in which you should sew the pieces.
7. 

    Place piece #1 face up on the back side of the paper.
   Place the cloth for piece #1 on the BACK side of the paper with the back/wrong side of the cloth towards the paper.
8. 

    Hold it up to the light to check placement.
   Hold the paper up to a light to verify that the fabric is oriented so that it covers all of the area of piece one with at least a quarter inch of overlap in all directions.
9. 

    #2 over #1 and over the seam line.
   

    Checking the shadow to be certain of correct placement.
   Place the cloth for piece #2 (white) with its right/front side facing the right/front side of piece #1 (red) and its seam edge aligned with the seam line and overlapping by a minimum of a quarter inch.
10. Pin the two fabrics in place on the paper.
11. Flip the paper to the front/printed side.
12. 

     Stitch along the line between #1 and #2.
    

     Here's how it looks from the back after stitching.
    Machine stitch the seam line from the printed side.
13. 

     Trim the Seam allowances.
    Trim the seam allowances to 1/4 inch.
14. 

     Finger press seam open and re-pin.
    Unpin the fabrics and flip piece #2 over the seam and pin it in place over its allotted area on the block.
15. Hold up the paper block pattern to the light to check that piece #2 will cover its allotted area.
16. 

     Place third piece.
    Place the cloth for piece #3 with its right/front side facing the right/front side of piece #2... and its seam edge aligned with the seam line and overlapping by a minimum of a quarter inch (6 mm).
17. Pin the two fabrics in place on the paper.
18. 

     Check the shadow.
    Flip the paper to the front/printed side and use back light to check the placement.
19. 

     Stitch along the line from the front.
    Machine stitch the seam line from the printed side.
20. Trim the seam allowances to 1/4 inch (6 mm).
21. Unpin the fabrics and flip piece #3 over the seam and pin it in place over its allotted area on the block.
22. Repeat the process of placing, pinning, checking then sewing and trimming for each successively numbered piece.
23. 

     Baste around the edges.
    Machine baste around the perimeter of your block when complete.
24. 

     Before trimming - note the ragged edges.
    

     After trimming. Absolutely precise, with a minimum of effort!
    Trim all edges to a quarter inch (6 mm) seam "allowance".
25. Tear away the paper "backing".
26. 

     Sample Blocks
    

     Sample Blocks showing red corners together.
    Voilà! You've got a perfectly sewn quilt block, with perfectly measured "seam allowances" and perfect corners - even in those hard-to-manage acute angles!

• You can merely cut the fabric into long strips of sufficient width to cover the pattern pieces of that color, and sew and cut them "as you go" to conserve cloth. Avoid ripping/tearing to create your strips, with looser-woven fabrics this can damage up to 1.5" along the tear, causing much waste.
• Any shape or size of scrap can be used, so long as it has one straight edge to be sewn. Because of this, you can utilize even the smallest scraps with little waste.
• Use a light colored thread, so it won't show through your lightest scraps.
• Start stitching approximately 1/4"/6mm before the line and end approximately 1/4"/6mm past the end. This eliminates the need for possibly bulky backstitching to secure your seams.
• Use long, thin pins to avoid distorting the paper foundation.
• Shorter stitch length makes tearing the paper easier later. 1-1.5 mm works well.
• Free block patterns can be found in many places on the internet. Just search for "Free Foundation Quilting Blocks". The variety and selection are astounding.
• Use the thinnest/lightest weight paper that will work with your printer/copier for ease in removal. Regular copy paper (20#) will work, but a lighter weight is much easier to remove.

• Be sure to line up material in correct direction, lining it up with arrow in pattern (parallel with selvage of material).
• Scissors, pins and needles are sharp. Handle with appropriate care.

• A Paper pattern (and enough copies of it to complete your project)
• Fabric - generally cotton scraps will do for your first attempt
• Scissors (fabric scissors could be especially useful)
• Sewing machine with matching thread