2. Foundation piecing
• A great way to sew complex block designs with small pieces
or odd angles that would otherwise be exceedingly difficult
to piece precisely!
• Paper serves as “foundation;” you just sew along the lines,
piece by piece!
• Paper will be removed at end of piecing process
• For some methods, can use muslin and leave it in
• The order pieces are sewn in follows the same rules as
regular piecing: you want to sew each seam from beginning
to end.

3. Examples of suitable blocks

4. Methods
1. Classic paper piecing
2. Freezer paper method
3. Single template

5. Useful supplies
• Add-a-quarter ruler
• Mini cutting mat to keep right next to your sewing machine
• Depending on the method:
• Lightweight foundation paper
• Freezer paper

6. Step 1 for all these methods:
• Reverse your design!

7. Classic paper piecing
• You will sew along the lines on the paper, through both the
paper and the fabric.
• The paper will become perforated and will tear away later.
• The lighter weight your paper, the better.
• Reduce stitch length to aid in pulling away paper.
• Copy paper: no more than 1 mm (24/inch)
• Foundation paper/newsprint: 1.5mm (18-20/inch)

8. Classic paper piecing
• Place first piece of fabric on the back of the foundation, right
side facing away from paper, and pin

9. Classic paper piecing
• Fold paper along line between piece 1 and piece 2

10. Classic paper piecing
• Place ruler along folded edge and trim seam allowance to
¼”

11. Classic paper piecing
• Align edges of second piece of fabric with first piece, right
sides together

12. Classic paper piecing
• Unfold paper and sew along line, starting and stopping ~¼”
past marked line

13. Classic paper piecing
• Unfold fabric and finger press (or use an iron, if you’re an
overachiever)

14. Classic paper piecing
• Pull seam allowances away from paper along line between
piece 2 and piece 3

15. Classic paper piecing
• Fold paper along line between piece 2 and piece 3, and trim.

16. Classic paper piecing
• Align 3rd
piece of fabric

17. Classic paper piecing
• Sew along line between pieces 2 and 3

18. Classic paper piecing
• Continue sewing pieces in this manner, trimming your seam
allowances with each piece.

19. Classic paper piecing
• Press and trim your outside seam allowances to ¼”

20. Classic paper piecing
• Pull away the paper.

21. Classic paper piecing
May need to
split design into
sections

22. Classic paper piecing
• You can use muslin for this method and leave it in.This
eliminates the need to reduce stitch length.

23. Pros & Cons
Pros Cons
• Very precise
• Easy to see exactly where you are
sewing
• Easy to make multiple templates
(just print in bulk!)
• Can foundation piece using muslin,
eliminating paper-tearing phase
• Must tear paper away; can be
difficult and/or annoying especially
if pieces are small
• Must reduce stitch length, so don’t
make a mistake!
• Can be hard to line fabrics up
right

24. Freezer paper method
• Same general concept as classic paper piecing, but you will
use freezer paper
• Instead of sewing on the lines, you will fold the paper along
the printed lines and then sew directly next to the fold.

25. Freezer paper method

26. Freezer paper method
• Trace reversed pattern onto dull side of freezer paper

27. Freezer paper method
• If necessary, cut pattern apart along major sections

28. Freezer paper method
• Use iron to adhere wrong side of first piece of fabric to first
section

29. Freezer paper method
• Pull freezer paper away enough to fold paper along line
between first and second piece.Trim to ¼”.

30. Freezer paper method
• Align second piece of fabric (right sides together), but leave
freezer paper folded and sew as close to the fold as you can
without sewing on the paper

31. Freezer paper method
• Unfold fabric and freezer paper, and press using your iron.
1 2
3 4
5

32. Freezer paper method
• Pull back freezer paper just enough to fold back on line
between pieces 2 & 3, and trim

33. Freezer paper method
• Align piece 3…

34. Freezer paper method
• Sew…

35. Freezer paper method
• Press…

36. Freezer paper method
• etc.

37. Freezer paper method
• When done (pretend I’m done…), trim outside seam
allowances to ¼”.

38. Freezer paper method
• You can avoid reversing the pattern if you trace it onto the
shiny side of the freezer paper using a Sharpie
• To create multiples, trace once, then clip or staple several
sheets of freezer paper together and stitch along all the lines
with an unthreaded needle.This perforates the stack of
paper and also allows for easier folding.

39. Pros & Cons
Pros Cons
• No sewing through paper means
no reducing stitch length and no
tedious tearing away of paper later
• Freezer paper patterns are
reuseable
• Hard to make multiple copies
• Must constantly move between
iron and sewing machine
• Must be careful not to allow fabric
to come away from freezer paper,
particularly at beginning if pieces
are small
• Must be careful that folds you sew
along are precise

40. Single template method
• Kind of painstaking, but allows for very complex piecing, and
gives you freedom in which way your seam allowances are
pressed
• You can join a block
broken up into sections
this way

41. Single template method
• Number your (reversed) freezer paper template

42. Single template method
• Press freezer paper to wrong side of fabric

43. Single template method
• Cut out pieces, leaving a ¼” seam allowance on all sides

44. Single template method
• Place pieces 1 & 2 right side together and use a pin to make
sure that the corners of the freezer paper line up.

45. Single template method
• If the shapes are different, you may wish to actually pin using
extra-fine pins.

46. Single template method
• Sew along very edge of freezer paper. If you have lined
everything up well, you will be sewing along the very edge of
the freezer paper on the bottom piece.

47. Single template method
• Continue adding pieces…

48. Single template method
• And press seam allowances to whatever side you wish!

49. Single template method
• Example of this method used to join sections of a larger
block

50. Single template
• Can be used to paper piece curved
pieces and pieces with inside
corners!
• See Ruth B. McDowell’s books
(particularly Piecing Workshop) for
detailed instructions on these
techniques

51. Pros & Cons
Pros Cons
• Allows more complex shapes,
including inside corners, Y-seams,
and with some modification curves
• No trimming of seam allowances,
all pieces are cut to correct size
from start
• Makes this method the least
wasteful of fabric
• Useful if design is large
• Can press seam allowances in any
direction
• Difficult to line pieces up really
precisely
• Lots of prep work before ever
sewing
• Feels tedious for projects in which
fabric selection is not overly fussy

52. Paper piecing by hand
• English paper piecing
• Similar to single template method, but done by hand
• Great for patterns that involve a lot ofY-seams or inside
corners (e.g. hexagons, tumbling blocks, etc.)

53. Pros & Cons Summary
Method Pros Cons
Classic paper piecing
• Very precise
• Easy to see exactly where you are
sewing
• Easy to make multiple templates (just
print in bulk!)
• Can foundation piece using muslin,
eliminating paper-tearing phase
• Must tear paper away; can be difficult
and/or annoying especially if pieces are
small
• Must reduce stitch length, so don’t
make a mistake!
• Can be hard to line fabrics up right
Freezer paper
• No sewing through paper means no
reducing stitch length and no tedious
tearing away of paper later
• Freezer paper patterns are reuseable
• Hard to make multiple copies
• Must constantly move between iron
and sewing machine
• Must be careful not to allow fabric to
come away from freezer paper,
particularly at beginning
• Must be careful that folds you sew
along are precise
Single Template
• Allows more complex shapes, including
inside corners, Y-seams, and curves
• No trimming of seam allowances, all
pieces are cut to correct size from
start
• Makes this method the least
wasteful of fabric
• Useful if design is large
• Can press seam allowances in any
direction
• Difficult to line pieces up really
precisely
• Lots of prep work before ever sewing
• Feels tedious for projects in which
fabric selection is not overly fussy

54. How big to cut strips?