Welcome to this week's Countdown to Christmas tutorial. This weeks special is the English Paper Pieced Stocking decorations. It was decided that to help you with these beautiful little decorations I would run through a couple of the different methods to tack the papers into the fabric shapes.
Take your Hexagons and fabric squares, ironing a hexagon paper onto each (shiny side of the paper onto the wrong side of the fabric). Trim around the hexagon leaving approx. ¼" seam allowance all the way around. Then fold the fabric over the hexagon and tack as you go.
This is what it will look like on the front and the back:
Another method of tacking you start by folding two edges of the fabric over the paper edge. Finger press, or keep in place with a quilting clip.
Thread a sharp needle, and knot the end of your thread.Sew through both folded edges of the fabric only and back stitch.
Bring the thread across to the next folded corner and again back stitch just through the fabric. The needle does not go through the paper and will not show on the front of the hexagon.
This is the back and front of this type of hexagon...
The next method, I find is the simplest, but a little messy. This method uses fabric glue to stick the edges of the fabric instead of sewing them down.
Use a small amount of glue along one edge, and fold down the fabric onto the paper.
Then add another line of glue along the paper and the folded fabric, and fold down the next edge.
Once all sides of the fabric are glued down your hexagon will look like this..
The final method of tacking I am going to show you is called looped tacking stitch. Begin by tying a knot in the end of the thread and bring the needle up through the first folded corner on the underside, then bring the thread over the folded fabric and place the needle as shown below...
Then on to the next folded corner. Once all corners are sewn, back stitch and secure with a knot.
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial to help you with your English Paper Piecing, and that maybe you will try a new technique.
Happy sewing,
Steph
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